With Monday night’s disheartening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Dallas Cowboys dropped to 5-8 on the season and essentially bid farewell to their longshot hopes of a playoff berth.

But while that’s likely all she wrote for the injury-riddled Cowboys in a disappointing season, this may not be the end of the line for head coach Mike McCarthy. Although Jerry Jones opted to let McCarthy coach the final season of his contract instead of working out a contract extension, the Cowboys owner has sent some mixed (and confusing) signals about what lies ahead.

While McCarthy’s future is the biggest question mark looming over the Cowboys, fans will almost certainly have to wait until the season wraps up to get clarity. But from the sound of it, the team’s final record may not be the ultimate deciding factor in whether McCarthy remains in Dallas.

According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, a key factor in Jones’s decision on McCarthy could involve how the Cowboys respond to the strange Week 14 loss to the Bengals. Per Machota:

“How this particular team responds to Monday night’s late-game collapse could be what confirms Jerry Jones’ decision on who will be the coach of the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his five-year deal. Don’t assume a losing record guarantees he won’t be back next season.”

Machota cites that numerous key players have also thrown their support behind McCarthy. Although McCarthy may still be coaching to keep his job over the season’s final four games, bouncing back from the loss to Cincinnati is bound to be a tall task. The Cowboys blocked a late Bengals punt with the game tied at 20 and should have been in a position to pull out a victory.

But after defensive back Amani Oruwariye touched the blocked punt, it became a live ball, and the Bengals recovered. Three plays later, Joe Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for the game-winning touchdown, leaving the Cowboys deflated. And after all that, Jones may be closely watching to see if McCarthy can rally this Cowboys team – even with virtually nothing left to play for this season.

It’s a task that could prove to be the toughest of a brutal 2024 season for the veteran head coach.