ARLINGTON, Texas -- Many people would probably agree that having stability in the workplace creates a more productive work environment.
Not Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. He is content in allowing head coach Mike McCarthy and his entire coaching staff and almost every key contributor on his football team enter the 2024 regular season in the final year of their current contracts.
Why? Because he believes that's how you get the best production out of people in the world of football. Jones was mystified to even be asked about his methodology around his contract philosophy.
"Absolutely, I do. I really do [believe you get people's best with their backs against the wall]," Jones said after Dallas' preseason finale against the Chargers on Saturday. "There's no question in my mind that angst, pressure, competing will bring out the best in this game from coaches and players. But in this game, this game has to have some extra [fire] over the guys that you're in front of [on the field]. That's why I'm kind of amazed at someone talking about the job they're doing without a contract. Blows my mind."
Cowboys notable free agents
2025 offseason
- Head coach Mike McCarthy and his entire coaching staff
- QB Dak Prescott
- QB Trey Lance
- QB Cooper Rush
- RB Ezekiel Elliott
- RB Rico Dowdle
- WR CeeDee Lamb
- WR Brandin Cooks
- WR KaVontae Turpin
- RG Zack Martin
- DT Osa Odighizuwa
- DE DeMarcus Lawrence
- LB Eric Kendricks
- CB Jourdan Lewis
- S Markquese Bell
- S Juanyeh Thomas
- P Bryan Anger
- LS Trent Sieg
Most NFL executives would be thrilled with McCarthy's results across the last three seasons. The Cowboys have posted 12-5 records three years in a row, winning at least 12 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1990's dynasty years, and the only teams with more wins than Dallas (36-15 since 2021) are the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who are one win better (37-14 since 2021). In McCarthy's first season as Dallas' offensive play caller after years of Kellen Moore running the offense, the Cowboys led the NFL in scoring offense (29.9 points per game), and quarterback Dak Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdowns and had a career-high 105.9 passer rating. Plus, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led the NFL with 135 catches and ranked second in receiving yards with 1,749, both of which are Dallas single-season records.
Yet, Jones isn't moved enough by all of that production to offer McCarthy an extension of his original Cowboys coaching contract.
"I don't know that I've ever seen a coach change coaching or how hard he works over his contract," Jones said. "I didn't know anything like that ever happened or could happen. I see no difference in what Mike is. Mike is a Super Bowl-winning coach. He has had an outstanding record since he has been here. That's where it is."
The reason things are where they are is because of the Cowboys' 48-32 playoff embarrassment against the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round, a game they trailed by as many as 27 (27-0). Dallas COO Stephen Jones also noted right before the 2024 NFL Draft that the team's playoff success or lack thereof was "the elephant in the room" in regards to hold the up with Prescott's contract extension. For his father Jerry, that sentiment extends to everyone in the franchise.
"We all have Green Bay on our mind," Jones said. We all have it on our mind, and we know until we can get that addressed, then we're going to always have a bad taste on that."