The Dallas Cowboys face a decision on the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, but the underachieving NFC East franchise is being urged to make significant changes this offseason. McCarthy is in the final months of his contract meaning the Cowboys can move on cleanly this offseason.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell is pushing the Cowboys to sign highly coveted Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The surprise is that the analyst suggested taking a “bigger swing” with Johnson by offering a massive five-year, $125 million deal. This is a lot of money for a first-time NFL head coach.
“Offer Ben Johnson five years and $125 million to take over as coach,” Barnwell wrote in a December 12, 2024, story titled, “Offseason moves to fix the 49ers, Bengals, Cowboys and Jets.” “I wanted to argue that the Cowboys should hire Bill Belichick, who would have taken over in the hopes of immediately fixing the defense and left the offense to someone else. With Belichick taking the job at the University of North Carolina, though, Dallas might instead need to take a bigger swing to fix its offense.
“… The Cowboys can’t subvert the salary cap, and they can’t buy first-round picks, but spending on coaches is uncapped. Paying Johnson this much would represent a significant investment and probably make every other team in the league angry, but coaches as a whole are underpaid. This franchise is valued as being worth more than $10 billion by Forbes. If this move succeeds, Johnson would be a bargain. If it fails, the Cowboys won’t miss the money.”
Potential Cowboys Target Ben Johnson Is Leading the Top Scoring Offense in the NFL With the Lions
Johnson’s appeal is hard to ignore, but the assistant opted to remain in Detroit despite being a hot name during the coaching carousel after the 2023 season. Heading into Week 15, the Lions lead the NFL by averaging 32.1 points per game and are No. 2 is total yards at 422.5 per contest.
The question is whether the Cowboys will actually make a move at head coach this offseason. Dallas opted to stick with McCarthy in 2024 despite an embarrassing 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the opening round of the NFL playoffs.
Mike McCarthy’s Future in Dallas Depends on Cowboys’ Final 4 Games: Insider
This scenario would be different as McCarthy was already under contract with the Cowboys in 2024. Bringing McCarthy back for 2025 would require a new contract and likely more of a commitment than just one season. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that McCarthy’s future may depend on how the Cowboys play in the team’s final four games to close the season.
“Around the league, speculation is swirling about McCarthy’s future, including from those looking for a chance to be the head coach of the Cowboys,” Russini detailed in a December 14, article titled, “Russini’s what I’m hearing: The biggest Belichick twist; about those Kyle Shanahan rumors.” “Many believe the team’s performance in these final games will be critical, with some executives believing Dallas might stick with their “lame duck” coach if they see enough progress and the locker room support the coach has received continues.
“… One NFL executive (not with the Cowboys) believes: ‘It will be important for McCarthy to finish strong, for Jones to stand pat.’”
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