January 13, 2025

Cowboys move on from HC Mike McCarthy: What does it mean for the Eagles?

What does the future hold for the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFC East overall, with Mike McCarthy moving on?

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Eric Hartline/Imagn Images

Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy are parting ways, the Cowboys announced on Monday via a statement from Jerry Jones.

Thank you, Coach McCarthy#DallasCowboys | 📰 https://t.co/lZcM1wJESO pic.twitter.com/FKAHQ2MFWB
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 13, 2025

McCarthy coached the Cowboys in 2024 on an expiring contract, making him a "lame duck" coach, a rarity these days in the NFL. So, he wasn't fired. His contract simply expired and he'll essentially be a free agent coach.

The Cowboys hired McCarthy to be their head coach in 2020. During his five-year tenure, the Cowboys had a 49-35 record.

• 2020: 6-10
• 2021: 12-5
• 2022: 12-5
• 2023: 12-5
• 2024: 7-10

Starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered season-ending injuries in each of McCarthy's two losing seasons. In his three other seasons, McCarthy presided over a lot of regular season wins, only to have Super Bowl hopes quickly extinguished in the playoffs in spectacular fashion.

• In 2021 against the 49ers, McCarthy called an asinine play that required the Cowboys and the officiating crew to work together to spot and snap the ball with time ticking down.

What a way to end the game! #SuperWildCard pic.twitter.com/esKKpbkrQn
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2022

• In 2022, Ezekiel Elliott played center.

pic.twitter.com/OM6ci768bc
— not highlight heaven (@ABsneurosurgeon) January 23, 2023

• In 2023, we got no such end-of-game hijinks. Instead, the Packers simply tore them apart from the opening whistle to the final gun, as the then-vaunted Cowboys defense looked helpless. The lowlight was probably when the Cowboys just didn't cover Luke Musgrave and Green Bay went up by four scores.

Jordan Love finds a wide open Luke Musgrave! Packers lead 41-16.

📺: #GBvsDAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Ut3BRhC2CE pic.twitter.com/zCy7tcWxQ6
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2024

Moving on from McCarthy is the right move for the Cowboys. But...

What does it mean for the Eagles?

If you were to poll the average Eagles fan over whether they would prefer the Cowboys retain McCarthy as their head coach a while longer, the majority of them would likely say yes. However, it is worth noting that the Cowboys and Eagles split during the McCarthy era, 5-5. Comparatively, the Eagles had a 14-7 record cumulatively over the Giants and Commanders during that span.

The Cowboys won the NFC East in 2021 and 2023, and have been the Eagles' biggest threat for the division during the McCarthy era. While perhaps not a coach likely to win a Super Bowl (he did win one with Green Bay, but only one despite 13 years with Brett Favre and prime Aaron Rodgers), he did at least bring a certain level of floor competency to the Cowboys on gameday.

It's no guarantee the Cowboys' new head coach will be an upgrade. Given the options available, a bad hire almost feels like a pretty decent probability, which could further plunge the Cowboys into the free fall they experienced this past season.

In other words, while this was probably a necessary move for the Cowboys, it might also be one that benefits the Eagles.

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