For the Cowboys, the decision to keep coach Mike McCarthy is the beginning, not the end.
The two sides will have to negotiate a contract. And the Cowboys might not want to make the same five-year commitment that they did when they hired McCarthy in 2020.
Some in league circles think owner Jerry Jones will push for something as short as a one-year deal, or possibly a multi-year contract with only one or two years guaranteed.
From the team’s perspective, what’s McCarthy’s alternative? If he says no and the Cowboys start looking for a new coach, will McCarthy land elsewhere? Only the Bears requested permission to interview him this week, and the Bears are interviewing a wide swath of candidates.
Unless McCarthy already knows someone else will hire him right, he could end up out of luck.
It would be a risky move for Jones. But, as we know, Jones doesn’t like to pay coaches to not work. He’d prefer flexibility. And he was already willing to let McCarthy coach as a lame duck in 2024.
Whether it’s one versus five or two versus four, contract will be the key. And if Jerry hopes to upstage the Eagles by leaking and/or announcing the deal during Sunday’s playoff game between the Packers and the Eagles, the clock is ticking.