Cowboys 2024 roster didn't set up coach Mike McCarthy for success; now he moves on

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones did Mike McCarthy no favors in 2024. Now the two will go their separate ways.

McCarthy will not return as Cowboys head coach in 2025, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

Jones allowed McCarthy and his entire staff to coach the season in the final year of their contracts with a roster that was arguably worse than the one that lost in the wild-card round to the Green Bay Packers last January.

Yes, the Cowboys made quarterback Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history and CeeDee Lamb the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, but they were going to be on the team in 2024 whether they had an extension or not. The team made few moves to surround their high-priced talent and set them up for success.

The Cowboys’ most notable free agent addition was linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year, $3 million deal. He outperformed his price tag, leading the Cowboys in tackles, serving as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s coach on the field and a mentor to younger linebackers such as DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau.

The second-biggest addition was running back Ezekiel Elliott, who returned after a one-year hiatus. It did not work out. Elliott, who rushed for 226 yards and three TDs, was inactive for one game for disciplinary reasons and released prior to Week 18 at his request so he could try to sign with a playoff team.

The Cowboys found training camp success to varying levels with free agent additions defensive end Carl Lawson and defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

But that was it.

The Cowboys relied on in-house improvement, and it came in different-sized doses from players such as defensive tackle Mazi Smith, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, linebacker Overshown and defensive end Chauncey Golston.

But tight end Jake Ferguson was less effective in 2024 (474 yards receiving, no TDs) after being added to the Pro Bowl roster in 2023 (761 yards receiving, five TDs). Pass rusher Sam Williams tore his left ACL in training camp. Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert led the Cowboys in touchdown catches (seven) but was too quiet as the No. 2 receiver for a portion of the season. After catching the game-winning pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, he had only two games with more than three catches and one game with more than 45 yards the rest of the season.

Yes, the injuries took their toll, but the Cowboys struggled when healthy, too.

This year’s rookie class was up and down. First-round offensive tackle Tyler Guyton had an inconsistent season, during which he dealt with injuries and was pulled at times for poor play, including 18 penalties. Second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end, dealt with a right knee injury most of the season. Third-round pick Cooper Beebe looks like a keeper at center. So does Liufau at linebacker. Fourth-round cornerback Caelen Carson‘s confidence cratered early and he finished the season on injured reserve following shoulder surgery.

McCarthy has been a draft-and-develop coach since his time with the Packers. They rarely dipped into free agency, aside from signing cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Julius Peppers.

The Cowboys have also become a draft-and-develop team, but ignoring free agency does not make a roster better.

The Cowboys haven’t played in the high end of the free agent market in more than a decade (Brandon Carr, 2012). Instead, they have focused on the middle or low end of the market, which is why they did not investigate the possibility of adding elite free agent running back Derrick Henry and signed Elliott last offseason. They believe in retaining as many of their own players as possible

Ultimately, the approach has been good. Just not good enough for a Super Bowl run.

In 2023, the Cowboys’ big moves were trading for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. They gave up Day 3 picks for proven commodities. They did not make similar moves last offseason. At the trade deadline this season, the Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. He caught five passes, but his story will be continue in 2025 when he has a full offseason with Prescott and whatever offense the Cowboys end up running.

The decision to walk away from McCarthy is not solely about a 7-10 record in 2024, it’s about his five years as head coach. Ultimately, McCarthy was hired to get the Cowboys to at least an NFC Championship Game, a spot they have not been since 1995, and in three postseason chances it didn’t happen.

If the next coach is going to reach those goals, the pressure will be on Jones to make more improvements to the roster than he did for McCarthy’s final season in Dallas.