At long last, the Mike McCarthy contract saga has come to an end.
On Monday, it was reported that the Dallas Cowboys and their head coach were parting ways, and fans, of course, immediately began posting. The reaction online ranged from shocked to celebratory to dismayed, with many also pointing to the news as further evidence of Dallas' dysfunction.
Before this, signs seemed to point to a new deal—general manager Jerry Jones had previously said he "feels good" about McCarthy, and the coach himself indicated his desire to stick around—though many were still skeptical. But when the team denied him the chance to interview for the Chicago Bears coaching vacancy last week, it appeared the extension writing was on the wall. Now, however, fans are having words. To them, letting McCarthy walk after all of that reeks of wasted time and quintessential Cowboys mismanagement, even if they also thought the coach needed to go.
Take a look at a few of those reactions below:
When you get rid of a coach the goal is hiring someone better. Let's see who the Cowboys think is better https://t.co/0IH0miMl5q
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) January 13, 2025
The Dallas Cowboys handled this in the most embarrassing way possible.
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) January 13, 2025
That they denied McCarthy an interview opportunity in Chicago only to move on like this... what a small and petty front office. https://t.co/3lpmWHBp8J
But they denied the Bears an opportunity to interview him last week. https://t.co/9pKpi9GW2f
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) January 13, 2025
Hilarious that they wanted to bring him back but couldn't agree for how long. https://t.co/caMdhpHOd7
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) January 13, 2025
Doing that after denying him the Bears interview is Mickey Mouse stuff, which is about right given where this team is. https://t.co/JZjsflUhBG
— Mike Piellucci (@mikelikessports) January 13, 2025
Hilariously incompetent organization https://t.co/3Qf9uQ0SiJ
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) January 13, 2025
The right decision (https://t.co/VvDoEAf7sJ), but the way it was handled was unsurprisingly terrible (just like last time) and inspires exactly zero confidence in what they'll do next. https://t.co/CbT3t1BcFi
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) January 13, 2025
Hilariously on-brand for the Cowboys. https://t.co/pK3gZHJfmn
— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) January 13, 2025
As Sports Illustrated contributor Andrew Brandt points out, McCarthy must have gone into the conversation with plans for a possible next move. Online, many are saying he's bound for Chicago, though the New Orleans Saints have also been thrown around as a possible destination.
Certainly, Mike's agent surveyed (and found) other potential options; must have felt that they could negotiate with Cowboys from a position of strength. https://t.co/nJMnEE7QZC
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) January 13, 2025
So wherever the coaching carousel takes him, he'll definitely land on his feet. The Cowboys, however ... they might not be so lucky.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL World Roasts Cowboys, Jerry Jones for Handling of Mike McCarthy Exit.
