Getty Image / Ron Jenkins
On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys officially made the decision to move away from head coach Mike McCarthy. He spent five seasons in Dallas and went 49-35, with three playoff appearances and one playoff win.
The Dallas Cowboys job is now open, and on first glance, a roster with a lot of talent for a franchise that is one of the league’s marquee teams seems like a job that would be attractive to many. But, according to team legend Troy Aikman, that may not be the case.
It’s easy to see what there is to like about taking the job in Dallas. Quarterback Dak Prescott, while divisive among the league’s fans, is a solid quarterback that was NFL MVP runner-up in 2023. CeeDee Lamb is a superstar wide receiver, and Micah Parson might be the best defensive player in the entire league. There are other solid pieces, too, and the roster might be the best of any team looking for a new coach.
But, the job comes with a lot of pressure and scrutiny, and you have an overbearing owner in Jerry Jones that also cosplays as general manager. It’s not a particularly well-run operation and that could scare the top coaching candidates away.
Troy Aikmanseems to agree with that assessment. The Dallas legend and three-time Super Bowl champion had this to say.
Troy Aikman on ESPN talking about the Cowboys moving on from Mike McCarthy:
“I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well. But to say it’s a coveted job… I’m not sure that I would agree with that.”
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) January 13, 2025
That’s not a ringing endorsement by the Monday Night Football analyst, to say the least.