Will the Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy? What Jerry Jones has said about coach

Mike McCarthy might be reaching his expiration date in Dallas. The Cowboys notably did not extend the coach's contract prior to the 2024 season, meaning that he is in the final year of a five-year deal. Based on the results thus far, McCarthy may not be long for the gig.

Dallas has taken a big step back this season, with struggles on offense only a part of the huge problem brewing. Dan Quinn's departure as defensive coordinator was a bigger deal than it was considered at the time and the high priced veterans kept Jerry Jones from signing a capable running back for the offense.

On top of all these issues, the Cowboys have fallen flat at home and been outscored 73-28 in the first half across their first three home games. While it's appears unlikely for the team to make a coaching change in-season, the heat is being turned all the way up on McCarthy.

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After years of playoff heartbreak, this year's team in Dallas doesn't have regular season success to hang its hat on. With a "Sunday Night Football" showdown against the 49ers on deck, it's now or never for these Cowboys to right the ship. If they continue to trend downwards, McCarthy will be back on the unemployment line and the list of who could replace him should be lengthy.

Will the Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy?

After taking over the reigns from Jason Garrett, McCarthy has been another consistent voice for the famous star, with 2024 being his fifth season at the helm. Jones, to his credit, has avoided making major coaching changes every couple of years in search of stability. With the clock running out on his team's window to win, that patience doesn't appear to be lasting much longer.

Jones has been fairly outspoken about his view of the team and coaching staff in recent weeks. He made headlines during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, taking the opportunity to seemingly add fuel to the fire surrounding McCarthy.

"We're designing bad plays, or we're designing bad concepts," Jones said. "The facts are that there's some of that but there's also some of execution."

McCarthy responded to Jones' comments on Oct. 23.

"I talk to Jerry all the time," McCarthy said. "We have time to go through self scout, so I didn't see the comments specifically. I don't think we have bad concepts and bad plays. I'll go back and check."

This comes after Jones declined to tell the media about whether he would consider a coaching change following the Week 6 loss.

Jones' Cowboys are in constant pursuit of getting back to the NFL mountaintop, but one thing they cannot be considered is impatient. Only nine people have been named head coach of the Cowboys, with McCarthy being just the second since 2010.

Cowboys coaching candidates if Mike McCarthy is fired

Here's some of the candidates that could be in consideration if McCarthy gets the boot:

Bill Belichick

It comes as no surprise that the top name on this list is Belichick's. This is the type of big fish that Dallas would love to reel in. Belichick is easily the most successful coach on the market and is considered to be the best in NFL history. It's well-documented how much Jones wants to win another Super Bowl and his close relationship with Belichick makes this the likeliest partnership.

Hiring Belichick, like every other coach, doesn't come without potential problems, however. The post Tom Brady years with the New England Patriots left plenty to be desired and eventually led to his departure from New England following the 2023 season. His team played only one playoff game in the four seasons after Brady left – a 47-17 beatdown by the Buffalo Bills.

Those seasons highlighted a lack of talent on the roster and quickly became the biggest issue with Belichick, who also had control over player personnel. Whether he would want control in Dallas could ultimately be the deciding factor here, but it would be hard to pass up on the coaching legend. He offers a stabilizing presence for a team that is in win-now mode.

Lincoln Riley

One of two college coaches on this list, Riley has long been rumored to be an option for the Cowboys. The Texas native has long been connected to the Cowboys job, but it's unclear whether the USC coach would want to make the jump. This is the type of splashy move that steals headlines. If and when Dallas moves on from McCarthy, could Jones pivot and try something new rather than another experienced NFL option? That remains to be seen, but Riley's resume speaks for itself.

Former Riley-coached quarterbacks are everywhere across the NFL. From Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams, the Trojans' head man is already making an impact on Sundays. While the success rate for college coaches making the leap to the NFL isn't great, speculation will only pick up as USC's struggles continue during their first season in the Big Ten.

Ben Johnson

Johnson is by far the biggest coordinator name on the market and the hype is off the charts. His Lions offense is seen as one of the most exciting and unpredictable in the sport. The Cowboys got a close-up of Johnson's offense at work in Week 6 and that's one of the many reasons for McCarthy's seat warming. Detroit hung 47 points on the board, giving Cowboys fans a glimpse of what might be in their future.

While the Cowboys personnel lacks in comparison to the Lions, Johnson has been methodical in his approach to the coaching carousel. It's only a matter of time before teams start picking coaches off the Dan Campbell tree. His gritty style will only become more in demand as the Lions stack wins. As Johnson continues to wait for the right opportunity, Dallas could end up being the right fit for his next adventure.

Mike Vrabel

The Titans' decision to fire Vrabel following the 2023 season came as a surprise to many, especially considering his run of success in the Music City. While Tennessee failed to reach a Super Bowl, Vrabel teams were always tough opponents that punched above their weight. The Titans opted for the offensive-minded Brian Callahan to lead their team going forward, leaving Vrabel on the outside looking in for 2024.

He remains one of the better coaches in the league and should jump right back into an NFL gig during the next hiring cycle. A Belichick protégé, Vrabel brings some of those philosophies along with him. But unlike Belichick, Vrabel likely won't require as much money and a major say in personnel decisions. Couple that with the fact that the Titans were a capable team on offense during the Vrabel years – with offensive coordinators Matt LaFleur and Arthur Smith going on to getting head coaching jobs – and you have a recipe for success.

Aaron Glenn

Glenn is another Lions assistant that should be in high demand this offseason. His defenses are feisty and like Johnson, he opted to remain in Detroit. The 15-year NFL veteran already has 10 seasons of coaching experience under his belt, working his way up the ranks after starting with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 as the assistant defensive backs coach.

Like Campbell and Johnson, Glenn's presence has helped completely transform the Lions. The league has placed more of an emphasis in hiring offensive minded coaches in recent years, which could complicate matters. However, Glenn's leadership can't be understated and he should rise to a head coaching job sooner rather than later.

Bobby Slowik

The Texans burst onto the scene in 2023 armed with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and an unexperienced offensive coordinator in Slowik. Both moves worked out quite nicely for the Cowboys' neighbors as the Lone Star State lit up scoreboards last season. Now as the Dallas offense falters, they could find their solution right down the road in Houston.

Slowik has experience on both sides of the ball after serving as a defensive assistant with Washington from 2011-13 before operating as the San Francisco 49ers defensive quality control coach from 2017-18. From that point on, he held a variety of roles on the 49ers' offensive staff from 2019-22 before leaving with DeMeco Ryans for the Texans. That experience could help him become one of the youngest head coaches in the league.

Deion Sanders

Sanders is the ultimate wild-card option, but one that can't be ruled out. It remains a mystery what will happen with "Coach Prime" when Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter declare for the NFL draft following their season at Colorado. Speculation has run rampant as to whether Sanders would stay in the college ranks or look to make the leap into the NFL circles when his ties to Boulder, Colo. aren't there anymore.

Jones is close with Sanders, dating back to when "Prime Time" played for the Cowboys. When asked by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith about the possibility, Jones avoided giving an answer on the topic. It should be noted that Sanders has said that he has no interest in jumping into the role of NFL head coach. He has been a transformative figure at Colorado and if Jones wants to make a big splash, bringing the Cowboys legend back to Dallas would be a good way to do that.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike McCarthy hot seat? Possible replacements include Bill Belichick