The Dallas Cowboys are below, and fades quickly. With a record of 3-6, they haven't quite reached the projected top-10 draft pick yet, but they are much closer to the No. 1 overall pick than they are to making the playoffs. The man at the center of it all is head coach Mike McCarthy, who appears to be on his last legs as a playcaller.
McCarthy took over the duties from Kellen Moore, who is in his second OC job since leaving Dallas but keeps the Eagles in first place with a 7-2 record and a rejuvenated rushing attack led by Saquon Barkley. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' offense has stalled this season. And now with Dak Prescott out for the year, there doesn't seem to be any sign of things looking up.
That will likely mark the end of McCarthy's tenure in Dallas, but one media outlet doesn't believe he faces the same fate Robert Saleh (NY Jets) or Dennis Allen (Saints). Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report puts McCarthy's chances of being fired this season at a low 2 out of 10.
The 3-6 Cowboys fall apart. The defense stinks, players publicly criticize their head coach, and quarterback Dak Prescott looks set to undergo season-ending hamstring surgery. A major reconstruction is coming, and McCarthy will not be a part of it.
However, the Cowboys can't fire their head coach because they don't have to. McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, which Dallas simply cannot extend. Franchise owner Jerry Jones likely won't pull the plug on McCarthy before the offseason.
The only time Jones fired a coach in a season was in 2010, when he replaced Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett. He has publicly stated that he will not repeat this decision in 2024.
Realistically, the only way Jones will deviate from his plan is if a coach not currently employed by another team decides to start the 2025 season early – and yes, we're probably thinking Bill Belichick is Jones too.
Hot Seat Level: 2 until McCarthy's contract expires, then he's gone
Related: 20 candidates to replace Mike McCarthy as Cowboys head coach
