Eye-opening NFL poll makes clear why Cowboys are letting Mike McCarthy twist in the wind

The Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy are open to extending their partnership, but there's a window of opportunity here.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Cowboys fan satisfied with the last couple years under McCarthy. He is an undeniably experienced and accomplished head coach, but Dallas has a maddening tendency of hitting a wall with McCarthy on the sideline. Postseason success remains elusive in the Dak Prescott era.

Officially, McCarthy's contract is set to expire in just a few days. Dallas will be able to move on, with no strings attached. The latest reporting suggests mutual interest in extending McCarthy's tenure, but the Cowboys are under no obligation to rush this process. Why not canvass the league and see what's out there?

If Jones is obsessed with acclaim and pedigree, there are no shortage of big-ticket names circling the coaching carousel. Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, hell, Deion Sanders; just about everything is available to Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office. It's a matter of willpower, conviction. The Cowboys need to want to change.

There ought to be plenty of incentive to turn over every stone before rehiring McCarthy. Stagnation has become all too common with this Cowboys team, and yet, despite rampant front office incompetence and the oppressive presence of Jones lording over the organization, folks will line up around the block for a chance to coach in Dallas.

It's a desirable job. Maybe the most desirable job, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

Cowboys head coach opening is the most attractive in NFL according to poll

The Athletic polled five assistant coaches, including two with head coaching experience, to gauge the best available jobs right now. Four ranked Dallas No. 1 overall, with only Jacksonville siphoning another top vote.

While Jones' autocratic dominion over the organization is not ideal, the Cowboys are ostensibly built to win now. Prescott is a top-10 quarterback at full strength, CeeDee Lamb is the crème de la crème at his position, and Micah Parsons is an annual DPOY candidate. If Jones does even a borderline competent job augmenting this roster in the offseason, Dallas should be right back in the postseason mix next winter.

Another underrated boon in a potential Dallas head coaching search? Jones tends to stick with his guys. It took forever to finally part with Jason Garrett. McCarthy has been through thick and thin. Most Dallas fans would've dispatched with him years ago. So, a head coach — especially an established, winning head coach — can expect a long leash in Dallas. At the end of the day, job security and salary matters as much to coaches, if not more, than a winning situation. Rosters change. Owners don't. Jones is at the helm in Dallas, and if he believes in his head coach, it doesn't really matter what the critical consensus is.

Dallas probably just runs it back with McCarthy — there's a reason he was blocked from an interview in Chicago — but there's also a reason the Cowboys didn't extend him before the season. Factor in the bitter disappointment of a 7-10 campaign, and there's enough smoke to keep one's eyes peeled. A head coaching change in the Texas heartland is not out the question.