DALLAS — Mike McCarthy will be coaching over his shoulder in 2022.
The Dallas Cowboys coach didn't exactly deliver when the NFC East champions failed to get out of the NFC wild-card with the San Francisco 49ers stunning the home side 23-17 at AT&T Stadium. Given the average tenure of a coach in the Jerry Jones ownership is 4.4 years, and the fact the Cowboys haven't been to an NFC Championship Game since 1996, there is frustration in Big D.
The perception is that Jones would be willing to jettison the McCarthy experiment and go with a proven commodity — at least as far as the Cowboys are concerned.
Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who has a friendship with Jones, lives in the Metroplex suburb of Southlake, and was on coach Bill Parcells' staff from 2003-05, recently told Jarrett Bell from USA TODAY that he believes he will get back into coaching eventually.
“Ultimately, do I think I’ll get back in? Sure,” Payton said. “There’s no way to predict who that club might be. Usually, there are about six openings every year. If there’s a right fit somewhere, that ultimately will depend on several factors.”
Franchise quarterback: Check — Dallas has Dak Prescott.
Offensive weapons: Check — the Cowboys have receiver CeeDee Lamb through the 2023 season along with a fifth-year option that could be deployed.
Offensive line prowess: Check — left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin are still stalwarts.
Defensive game-changer: Check — Micah Parsons is quickly becoming the latest face of defensive disruption in the NFL.
According to Adam Thompson from Bookies.com, the Cowboys lead the way as favorites to land Payton should he decide to return to coaching.
For now, Payton is committed to his gig with the NFL on FOX as a studio analyst. The Super Bowl champion coach will fill in for Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys' coach from 1989-93, when the two-time Super Bowl champion takes a week off.
“I’m really excited about FOX and working with the crew,” said Payton. “It’s going to be a great experience. I’m looking forward to being on the other side.”
So long as the Cowboys are winning, no one will be talking about Payton as Dallas' next coach. Should the Cowboys even lose the coin toss in Week 1, the murmurs will begin that Jones is looking to coax Payton from behind the studio FOX Sports dais.
Do you think Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat in 2022? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.