Cowboys doomsday scenario isn't Mike McCarthy staying in Dallas

Ever since the Dallas Cowboys hired head coach Mike McCarthy in 2020, they have been one of the best regular season teams in the NFL. In that span, McCarthy has led Dallas to three consecutive 12-win seasons. Unfortunately, all of that regular season success has only translated into one playoff win and three incredibly disappointing losses.

McCarthy has become the modern iteration of former head coach Marvin Lewis, who once led the Cincinnati Bengals to five consecutive playoff appearances and five consecutive playoff losses.

McCarthy’s history of regular season success and postseason failure traces back to his days with the Green Bay Packers. Now, the embattled head coach is on the last year of his contract, and he’s unlikely to get an extension after a disastrous 2024 season.

Could Mike McCarthy land with the Giants?

As the two sides look to part ways, it’s possible that Mike McCarthy could end up on the New York Giants, who may move on from current head coach Brian Daboll. That wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for Cowboys fans, especially if McCarthy has success in New York.

During an appearance on “Unsportsmanlike Radio,” ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter said he wouldn’t be surprised to see McCarthy land a head coaching position with another team. 

“I think anything’s possible,” Schefter said. “They’d have to play well down the stretch. Look, I think Mike McCarthy is a good head coach, and even if Dallas didn’t want to bring him back, I think he’s worthy of getting other head coaching interviews. I don’t know what’s going to happen … but there aren’t too many head coaches who’ve won Super Bowls and have that on their résumé, that have an offensive background.”

The Giants are currently barreling their way to last place in the standings, which could hand them the coveted No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After moving on from quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants need to find a long-term answer at quarterback. If they can find that, McCarthy has proven he can lead a team to divisional titles. If he was doing that for the Giants, that would mean divisional losses for the Cowboys. 

The more likely scenario? McCarthy doesn’t find similar success and continues to struggle. Still, there’s always a chance that the Cowboys’ suffering could get worse.