Expect the Dallas Cowboys to retain coach Mike McCarthy, but what if ... | Opinion

Among the carnage, wreckage and raw sewage that is yet another Dallas Cowboys’ playoff defeat is the status of the head coach.

In the immediate aftermath of the Cowboys’ 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC wild card round on Sunday at AT&T Stadium was the cry that head coach Mike McCarthy must go.

Since the start of the 2017 season, Melatonin Mike is 29-31-1, and 0-1 in the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers fired McCarthy down the stretch of the 2018 season for a reason, namely that quarterback Aaron Rodgers wanted him gone.

After the Packers named Matt LaFleur the head coach before the start of the 2019 season, the team is 39-10 with three straight division titles, has had back-to-back NFC title game appearances and they’re the top seed this year.

Regardless, do not expect McCarthy to be called down to the principal’s office and get fired by Pro Football Hall of Fame GM Jerry Jones.

If they’re not firing McCarthy, they also can’t just “run it back” after another penalty party and what essentially amounts to a Harvard course in “Brain Dead Game Management.”

If McCarthy is staying — and he is — he at least needs to attend some type of “Play calling” MasterClass.

Start with the reality that McCarthy is not going to be fired

The Cowboys are coming off a 12-5 regular season, an NFC East title, and their first playoff appearance since the 2018 season.

Those types of years net a coach an extension, not an ejection.

McCarthy just finished his second season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and first with his starting quarterback available for what essentially amounted to the duration of the year.

As much as you may want Jones to exile McCarthy to Nova Scotia for the rest of his life, don’t plan on it.

On Monday during Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones’ appearance on 105.3 The Fan, on the subject of McCarthy’s return, he said, “Absolutely, very confident.”

Because it’s not Jerry making this statement, McCarthy’s chances of returning are not 100 percent, they may only be 99.99 percent.

McCarthy is two years into a five-year contract that pays him north of $5 million a season. As eager as Jerry can be to spend money, he’s never been a fan of eating cash for nothing.

Other than defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likely leaving to become a head coach for the second time in his career, don’t expect sweeping changes with this staff. It’s hard to envision an owner hiring offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to be a head coach after the type of finale this team experienced.

Two coaches could change Jerry Jones’ mind about replacing McCarthy

Jerry hiring his ninth head coach this offseason is only barely plausible if one of two coaches becomes available — Sean Payton or Mike Vrabel.

Both would require compensation to their current respective employers, the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans.

Jerry’s interest in Payton is not only justified, but has existed ever since he was a member of Bill Parcells’ staff with the Cowboys from 2003 to 2005.

Payton left after the 2005 season to become the head coach of the Saints, where he built a Super Bowl winner around now-retired quarterback Drew Brees.

Payton signed a five-year extension with the Saints in September of 2019, meaning his availability would require the Cowboys sending the Saints a combination of draft picks and cash.

Unlikely.

Payton was rumored for years to be interested in the Dallas Cowboys’ job, because every single coach is interested in the Dallas Cowboys’ job.

All of them want to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, no matter what Jerry says or does.

This list would also include Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel, who is under contract for the 2022 season.

It’s hard envisioning a scenario where the Titans let Vrabel walk, but if he somehow became available this is a candidate Jerry should clear out McCarthy to pursue.

The Titans have had a winning record in each of Vrabel’s four seasons, and are 23-10 in the last two years combined.

Although he never coached under Bill Belchick in New England, Vrabel played for him for eight seasons and he’s been the most successful Belichick “protege” as an NFL head coach.

That said, Vrabel is probably not going to leave Tennessee either.

Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys

Jerry has done this long enough to know better than to fire a head coach immediately after a playoff loss, even one as devastating as Sunday’s defeat to the 49ers.

Jerry has grown increasingly patient over the last 20 years. He’s not apt to fire McCarthy, yet he also can’t just do nothing.

Start with the edict that McCarthy must stop the blaming of officials, because his players have bought into it and use it as an excuse.

This team has real talent, and real issues.

Among them includes a head coach who has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, is two games under .500 since 2017, and needs to take a MasterClass in play calling or game management.