Troy Aikman doesn’t understand why Mike McCarthy isn’t the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys anymore.
The longtime Cowboys quarterback and Hall of Famer ripped the organization and owner Jerry Jones on ESPN on Monday night ahead of the wild-card matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams. McCarthy and the Cowboys officially split on Monday after negotiations between the two fell apart.
“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be … It suggests that there’s not a real plan,” Aikman said from State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
“I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years, I wish them well,” he added. “To say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.”
Troy Aikman on the Dallas Cowboys: “I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today… It suggests that there’s not a real plan… To say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.” 🏈🔥🎙️#NFL pic.twitter.com/M6cmb1dOaO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 13, 2025
McCarthy won’t return to coach the Cowboys next season, owner Jerry Jones announced on Monday. He had been negotiating with McCarthy about a new deal, as his initial five-year deal with the team ends on Tuesday, but the two sides were apparently unable to agree on the length of a new contract. The move came about a week after the Cowboys denied the Chicago Bears’ request to interview McCarthy for their head coaching position.
The Cowboys went just 7-10 this season and were one of the biggest disappointments across the league. They fell in several key blowout losses, lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury and missed the playoffs. The Cowboys still haven’t been back to the NFC championship game since the 1995 campaign.
Aikman won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, who he played for from 1989-2000. He was then inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Two of those Super Bowls that Aikman won were under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The third was under Barry Switzer in the 1995 season.
The Cowboys will now start searching for McCarthy’s replacement, though that search is getting started a week late. While there are plenty of qualified candidates out there who could step in, Aikman doesn’t think the quality of the head coach has been the real issue in Dallas in recent decades.
“I think Mike McCarthy is an outstanding football coach,” Aikman said. “He’s proven that in this league … But you also have to empower that head coach. And I think that’s been what has been missing in Dallas since Jimmy Johnson walked out that door.”
