FRISCO – Entering the 2024 season, Mike McCarthy faced immense pressure to bring the Dallas Cowboys right back into contention atop the NFC following an embarrassing NFC Wild Card loss in January. McCarthy had plenty to prove, but dealt with a handful of unusual challenges beyond the need to recapture last season’s success.

McCarthy was not extended in the offseason as the team took the unusual route of letting him coach out his deal. Additionally, the Cowboys refused to make any moves of note to improve their roster and let extension drama involving Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb drag past the preseason. A 7-8 record for this season would nearly guarantee his dismissal from The Star.

However, the coach has battled a slew of injuries to his best players on both sides of the ball, keeping the Cowboys motivated to finish the season strong. While some have less of a tolerance for these moral victories, owner Jerry Jones seemed pleased with McCarthy after embracing the head coach in the locker room after the Cowboys snuck out a 26-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night.

Nonetheless, his future remains uncertain beyond this season with no contract extension. At the same time, the case for McCarthy returning seems very plausible with Jerry’s actions and the subtle hints in the opinions of those who are associated with the team. Given that new sense of momentum for McCarthy, are the Cowboys under pressure to retain him before he jumps ship for a better opportunity elsewhere? And further: What about this national speculation (maybe stirred up by McCarthy agent Don Yee?) that McCarthy might wish to escape the “circus” in Dallas because of all the excess “scrunity”? The Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints all have their head coaching positions open and will headline the coaching carousel this offseason.

Our Mike Fisher has already addressed the idea of whether McCarthy might explore leaving of his own accord; anything is possible. But most coaches we’ve talked to think that being with the Cowboys is a worthy “circus” because it is, as many of them term Dallas, “The Big Stage.”

The rewards here are great. The scrutiny and attention is, too. But there is no more “pressure” to win in Dallas than there is elsewhere

Think there’s not “scrutiny” in Chicago and New York? If there’s not “pressure” in Green Bay, why did Super Bowl-winner McCarthy get fired there?

However, none of those jobs match the quality of what he has in Frisco. The Jones family and front office drama will always be the biggest red flag for McCarthy or whomever follows in his footsteps with the Cowboys.

But in terms of foundational talent and readiness to compete, the Cowboys are head and shoulders above the situations involving those three teams. Dallas certainly needs to address some needs on their roster in the offseason, but the core of this team has the necessary pieces to compete atop the NFC.

So while “pressure” can be manufactured for discussion from both sides, there is no evidence yet that McCarthy is out, or that he wants out, or that the “pressure” or “scrutiny” in Dallas would have anything to do with any change at The Star.