With one team sent packing from the College Football Playoff in the opening round, another knocked out in the quarterfinals and a series of head-to-head losses to the Big Ten, this bowl season has left egg on the face of the SEC.

The conference can still claim the national championship should Texas beat Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and then beat one of Notre Dame or Penn State in the championship game.

To this point, however, how the SEC has fared in both the playoff and the traditional bowl slate has put a huge dent into the league’s aura of invincibility. With two teams left in the playoff and wins in bowl matchups against the SEC, the Big Ten has made an unimpeachable case for being seen as the Bowl Subdivision’s most powerful conference.

While the postseason continues this week with the national semifinals, the non-playoff bowl slate wrapped up on Saturday with Buffalo beating Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from this year’s postseason cycle:

Winners

The final four

No team has been more impressive than Ohio State, which ran all over Tennessee in the opening round of the playoff and then avenged a regular-season loss to Oregon by routing the Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl. Heading into the semifinals, the Buckeyes are the obvious team to beat for the national championship. Texas was only lightly tested by Clemson but needed double overtime to escape Arizona State in the Peach Bowl with a 39-31 win. Penn State’s defense has gotten things done through two games, bottling up SMU in a 38-10 victory and then containing Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame’s defense has done the Nittany Lions one better, clamping down on Indiana’s high-powered offense to open the playoff and holding Georgia to just 62 rushing yards and 4.9 yards per play in the Sugar Bowl.

American Athletic

If the Big Ten has been the class of the Power Four, the AAC has risen to the top of the postseason pecking order in the Group of Five. The conference finished 6-2 in bowl games, including 3-1 in games against the Power Four: Florida beat Tulane 33-8 in the Gasparilla Bowl, but Memphis beat West Virginia 42-37 in the Frisco Bowl, East Carolina topped North Carolina State 26-21 in the Military Bowl and Navy beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Florida

It’s been quite a postseason for the SEC — more on that in a minute — but Florida’s win against Tulane caps a terrific second half and should inflate the Gators’ bandwagon heading into next season. Once on the brink of throwing in the towel on the Billy Napier era, the school’s decision to bring Napier back in 2025 sparked a major turnaround. One of the biggest reasons for optimism, rising sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, threw for 305 yards as Florida pulled away from the Green Wave in the third and fourth quarters to win eight games for the first since 2020.

Nebraska

First the Cornhuskers snapped the Power Four’s longest bowl drought by beating Wisconsin in November and booking a spot opposite Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. Better yet, they actually beat the Eagles, 20-15, for the program’s first bowl victory since the 2015 season. The win included more issues on special teams and saw Nebraska barely cross the finish line and nearly hand the game to the Eagles, so there’s still plenty to work on heading into Matt Rhule’s third year.

Michigan

The defending national champions limped through most of this season behind one of the worst offenses in modern program history but exploded late, beating Ohio State to end the regular season and then Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The 19-14 win saw Michigan rack up just 190 yards of total offense and 2.3 yards per carry. But credit the Wolverines for taking advantage of Alabama’s miserable performance out of the gate: The Crimson Tide got started with a turnover on downs, a fumble, an interception and another fumble, handing Michigan an insurmountable 16-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Losers

The SEC

The league is 8-6 overall in the postseason, joining the Big Ten as the only Power Four leagues with a winning record in bowl play. The SEC can tout strong bowl wins by Florida, Arkansas (Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl), LSU (Baylor in the Texas Bowl) and Mississippi (Duke in the Gator Bowl), not to mention two playoff wins by Texas. But the head-to-head results against the Big Ten are embarrassing: Missouri beat Iowa, but South Carolina lost to Illinois, the Alabama lost to Michigan, Texas A&M lost to Southern California and Ohio State creamed Tennessee.

The ACC

If under much less scrutiny than the SEC, this has been a nightmare run for the ACC, starting with both SMU and Clemson losing on the road in the opening round of the playoff. Overall, the league went 2-11 in bowl play, with wins from Syracuse (Washington State in the Holiday Bowl) and Louisville (Washington in the Sun Bowl). In addition to N.C. State, the worst losses have come from Pittsburgh, which fell 48-46 in six overtimes to Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl; Miami, which dropped a 42-41 decision to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl; and North Carolina, which turned the page to the Bill Belichick era by losing 27-14 to Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl.

Alabama

They won’t throw a parade for this Alabama team — but maybe they should, to celebrate the fact that this miserable season is finally over. The year ended with that loss to Michigan, the latest letdown for a team that lost to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma during the regular season but was somehow still plugged as a worthy playoff participant. Yeah, right. Losing to the Wolverines ushers in the program’s most anxiety ridden offseason in over a generation, as the spotlight turns fully onto coach Kalen DeBoer and his efforts to bring the Tide back into the national mix.

Colorado

In an era where most high-end NFL prospects opt out of the postseason and more and more transfers are heading into the portal before bowl games, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter should be applauded for playing in the Alamo Bowl against Brigham Young. Not that things went well from there: BYU was all over the Buffaloes in a 36-14 win that erases some — but only some — of the goodwill built up during a breakthrough 2024 season. Sanders threw for a season-low 208 yards and had multiple interceptions for only the second time in his two years in Boulder.

The Seattle Seahawks are resetting again in 2025, though not at the scale they did the previous year.

The team fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Monday after just one season, coach Mike Macdonald confirmed.

“I felt like the direction our offense was going was different than the vision I had for the football team,” Macdonald said KIRO-AM radio.

Grubb, 48, was hired by first-year coach Mike Macdonald last offseason from the University of Washington with the expectation of implementing an aggressive downfield passing attack. Seattle finished 14th in total offense (332.2 yards per game) and 18th in scoring (22.1 points per game) as quarterback Geno Smith faced consistent pressure and the 28th-ranked run game provided little support.

After the Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams to finish 10-7 in Macdonald’s debut campaign, Smith backed his offensive coordinator.

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‘I think Grubb is an excellent coordinator and an even better man,’ Smith said. ‘Our first year, obviously there were some ups and downs. There were some things that we can improve on, and we’ll work hard to get those things fixed. But I believe in this system. I believe this is a really good system and it’s going to be really good for a long time.’

When asked if Smith would return next season as the team’s quarterback, Macdonald said Monday, ‘Got no reason to say no, so I guess yeah.’

Tyreek Hill missed the playoffs for the first time in his NFL career after the Miami Dolphins lost to the New York Jets 32-20 to finish the 2024 season with an 8-9 record.

That left the 30-year-old pondering whether he has a long-term future in Miami after the game.

Hill, a team captain, was asked in the locker room what his message to the team would be during the NFL offseason.

‘I don’t even know, bro,’ Hill told reporters. ‘This is my first time I haven’t been in the playoffs. I mean for me, like I said man, I just gotta do what’s best for me and my family, dawg. If that’s here, or wherever the case may be, man, I’m going to open the door for myself, dawg. I’m opening the door. Like, I’m out, bruh.’

This demonstrated a marked shift from Hill’s comments about the Dolphins earlier in the 2024 NFL season. He was the subject of trade rumors when Miami’s offense struggled without Tua Tagovailoa, but he downplayed them, saying he preferred to stay with the Dolphins.

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Now, Miami fans will wonder whether Hill’s comments after the Jets’ loss were a heat-of-the-moment expression of frustration or an accurate indication that he wants a change of scenery.

Is Tyreek Hill a free agent?

Hill won’t be able to leave the Dolphins on his own accord. He is still under contract with the team through the 2026 season due to the restructured extension – worth up to $90 million over three years, per Spotrac.com – he signed with the Dolphins before the 2024 NFL season.

That means Hill, barring a release, would have to be traded to leave the Dolphins. If he is traded, there should be no shortage of suitors for the veteran speed threat, even as he is set to turn 31 during the offseason.

Here’s a look at some of his top potential landing spots should the Dolphins trade him.

Tyreek Hill landing spots

Washington Commanders

The Commanders are ahead of schedule in their rebuild. Rookie phenom Jayden Daniels led them to a 12-5 record and the No. 6 seed in the NFC. He did that despite sporting a thin receiving corps outside of Terry McLaurin, as veterans like Olamide Zaccheaus, Jamison Crowder and Zach Ertz became consistent targets for the young starter.

Suffice to say that Hill would serve as an upgrade over the likes of Zaccheus and Crowder across from McLaurin. That would prevent teams from keying in on the young star receiver while adding some extra speed to Washington’s offense.

The Commanders have the third-most projected cap space in the NFL for 2025, per OverTheCap.com, so they would have no trouble fitting the final two years of Hill’s three-year, $90 million contract into their books.

Kansas City Chiefs

Getting Hill back to the Chiefs is a bit more complicated, but it’s not impossible. Since Hill’s departure, Kansas City has reshaped its receiving corps into a competent group. However, some of their key acquisitions, including Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, are set to become free agents in 2025. That will leave the team’s cupboard relatively bare outside Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.

Hill has instant chemistry with Patrick Mahomes and would be a great mentor to the two younger receivers in Rice and Worthy. The veteran’s skill set might seem a little redundant given Worthy’s presence, but the Chiefs were fire pairing Worthy with Brown during the 2024 offseason. As such, it’s fair to assume they would be fine doing the same with Worthy and Hill.

The bigger question is whether the Chiefs could afford Hill with their $20.2 million in projected cap space. If Brett Veach and Andy Reid want to bring Hill back, they could easily create the extra space needed to do so.

Los Angeles Chargers

Let’s look at a slightly more realistic AFC West option. The Chargers are projected to have just under $75 million in cap space during the offseason and need a consistent receiver to pair with Ladd McConkey, who enjoyed a strong rookie season.

Hill would create a dynamic – albeit undersized – duo with McConkey and allow Quentin Johnston to settle into the No. 3 receiver role, which should be more comfortable for the 2023 first-round pick. Hill would also give Justin Herbert, who had a 117.7 passer rating on throws of 20-plus yards downfield last season, a game-breaking threat who could improve upon what is already a strength of the young quarterback.

New England Patriots

There is little doubt that the Patriots need to add more receiving talent to their roster to support Drake Maye after the No. 3 pick’s quality rookie season. Hill would easily be the best receiver on New England’s roster and the Patriots have a league-high $131.7 million in projected cap space for 2025.

It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins trading Hill within the division unless the Patriots pay a premium to acquire his services. Given Hill’s age, that seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers have one of the youngest offenses in the NFL and have built a solid receiver room featuring Jayden Reed, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Still, it isn’t clear whether any will ever be a consistent No. 1 receiver.

Acquiring Hill would fill that need for the Packers and allow their other top players to slide into roles better suited to their skill sets. It would also keep Green Bay from relying too much on Watson, who has been a unique downfield threat because of his 6-4 frame and 4.36-second 40 time but has struggled with injuries during his career.

The Packers have $62 million in cap space for the upcoming season, so they can afford Hill, even if making splashy trades isn’t something they often do.

Tennessee Titans

Brian Callahan’s first season with the Titans was a disappointment, as the team finished with a 3-14 record despite getting early-season love as a playoff sleeper. The silver lining is the Titans got the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so they could quickly retool their roster around a rookie quarterback like Shedeur Sanders.

If the Titans go in that direction, they will need to surround their quarterback with weapons other than Calvin Ridley. Hill would fit in nicely as an upgrade over free agent Tyler Boyd and give Tennessee’s new quarterback two proven outside receivers, along with red-zone weapon Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas is another team that figures to be building around a young quarterback, though their path to getting one is less clear than Tennessee’s. Jakobi Meyers has performed admirably as the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver since the Davante Adams trade, but adding Hill would give him and record-setting tight end Brock Bowers even more space in which to operate.

The Raiders may be reluctant to swing a deal for Hill after their acquisition of Adams didn’t work out as planned. That said, general manager Tom Telesco watched Hill dominate his Chargers for years before taking the Raiders job. Las Vegas has the second-most cap space in the NFL this offseason (over $107 million), so Telesco might be able to convince the organization to take a chance on another veteran pass-catcher.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin has managed receivers with big personalities, like Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson. That will make the Steelers unafraid to go after Hill if they decide he’s the team’s missing piece.

Pittsburgh needs an infusion of talent at receiver, as the team lacks much at the position outside George Pickens. Hill would be an ideal complement to Pickens, as the second-year receiver is more of a physical, contested catch threat, while Hill would bring some field-stretching speed to the fold.

Hill would be especially valuable downfield if the Steelers re-sign Russell Wilson, who is at his best throwing the deep ball. Either way, Pittsburgh will need to increase its talent around its quarterback to become a legitimate threat in the postseason.

The Giants on Monday announced both Daboll and Schoen would return after completing a 3-14 season. Daboll compiled a 18-32-1 record in three years.

‘As disappointing as the results of the season have been, (co-owner) Steve (Tisch) and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for our team,’ Mara said in a statement. ‘We look forward to achieving the results we all desire.’

The decision provides a degree of stability for a franchise that previously dismissed Joe Judge, Pat Shurmur and Ben McAdoo after or during their second season.

The Giants were 2-5 when Mara gave the current regime a vote of confidence. After that point, however, New York dropped its next eight contests, with its 10-game losing streak only ending with the Week 17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Amid the skid, the lead-up to multiple games featured a plane flying over MetLife Stadium while pulling a banner critical of the team, including one with the demand Mara ‘fire everyone.’

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Turmoil surfaced far beyond that point, however, as starting quarterback Daniel Jones – who signed a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2023 – was benched and subsequently released upon his request. Standout rookie receiver Malik Nabers and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence – who was New York’s only Pro Bowl selection but was lost for the season in early December after suffering a dislocated elbow – both ripped the team for playing ‘soft’ in a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in late November.

Yet perhaps the biggest cloud that hung over the Giants’ season has been the success of running back Saquon Barkley, who starred for the Giants from 2018-2023 as the team’s former No. 2 overall pick but left the organization this past offseason to sign with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and came within striking distance of Eric Dickerson’s record before Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, whose team was locked into the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC, decided to sit him for the finale.

In the offseason edition of ‘Hard Knocks,’ Mara told Schoen in a conversation before the start of free agency he ‘might have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.’ While Barkley pushed his way to the front of the race for Offensive Player of the Year, the Giants languished as the league’s lowest-scoring team for much of the season before its 45-point outburst in Week 17.

Free safety Xavier McKinney also enjoyed a breakout season after leaving the Giants, securing his first Pro Bowl berth with the Green Bay Packers after recording seven interceptions in 2024.

Daboll won NFL Coach of the Year in his first season with the organization after helping lead New York to a 9-7-1 mark and a wild-card berth, the organization’s first postseason appearance since 2016. In the ensuing offseason, however, the Giants signed Jones to his extension and issued the franchise tag to Barkley just before the deadline for the designation. Jones tore his ACL in November 2023 and never regained the form he displayed in 2022.

Now, the Giants head into the offseason needing a new quarterback – with the team widely seen as a strong candidate to select one with its first-round draft pick – but will have the same leadership in place to develop him.

USA Hockey is a winner at the world junior hockey championship because its first back-to-back gold medals reaffirm a decision made in the 1990s.

The U.S. National Team Development Program started in 1996 and it has helped the Americans change from a rare medalist to a power at the under-20 tournament. Many of this year’s and last year’s gold medalists had played for the USA Hockey NTDP in the United States Hockey League before heading off to college. That gives them a sense of familiarity with one another when they suit up for international tournaments.

The United States now has won the world juniors seven times and increased its medal count to 16. Sunday’s victory will also help ticket sales when the 2026 tournament is played in Minnesota and the USA seeks to become the first nation to win three consecutive golds since Canada won five in a row from 2005-09.

The USA (gold), Finland (silver) and Czechia (bronze) won medals on Sunday. Here are other winners and losers from the world junior hockey championship:

WINNERS

Washington Capitals

The Capitals selected Ryan Leonard (2023) and Cole Hutson (2024) in the last two drafts and both were key to the USA’s run. Leonard was named tournament MVP with five goals and five assists. He looked dangerous with his speed and physical play, plus was the team captain. Defenseman Hutson made the media’s all-star team and had a tournament-high 11 points. His speed and mobility were evident on the USA’s tying goal in the gold-medal game. That’s some good talent in the team’s pipeline once they leave college.

Even Czechia’s Petr Sikora, their 2024 sixth-round pick, made some noise, or at least generated it. Fans booed him every time he touched the puck because he stayed down after a kneeing call that led to the ejection of Canada’s Cole Beaudoin in the quarterfinal, then returned for the power play. But he finished the tournament with seven points and a bronze medal.

Draft-eligible players

Boston College’s James Hagens is considered the front-runner for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL draft and showed why. His goal against Finland demonstrated his good hands in tight, plus he had two goals in the quarterfinal and five overall. Finland’s Petteri Rimpinen played every minute and was named the tournament’s top goalie. Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs, who’s in his second year of draft eligibility, had 55 saves (plus eight in the shootout) to upset Canada in the preliminary round, then another 47 in a quarterfinal loss to Sweden.

Czechia

Czechia has come home with a medal for three consecutive tournaments, the first time that has happened since the 1990s, when the country was Czechoslovakia. Jakub Stancl, a St. Louis Blues draft pick, had a tournament-best seven goals, and Seattle Kraken first-rounder Eduard Sale had six goals, plus the shootout winner against Sweden.

College hockey

The U.S. team featured 22 college hockey players, including six from Boston College. Czechia goalie Michael Hrabal plays for the University of Massachusetts. U.S. coach David Carle and defenseman Zeev Buium have won two gold medals and an NCAA championship with Denver University in the last 12 months.

LOSERS

Another Canada early exit

Canada was the two-time defending champion when it was upset by Czechia in the 2024 quarterfinals. This time, it was the host nation and lost to Czechia again in the quarterfinal when Adam Jecho scored with 39.4 seconds left in regulation. Canada took too many penalties and also lost to Latvia and the rival USA in the preliminary round. It’s the first time since 1981 that the Canadians failed to reach the semifinals in back-to-back years.

Matthew Schaefer’s injury

The Canadian defenseman and touted 2025 draft prospect broke his collarbone on a fluke play when he crashed into the net during the loss to Latvia. He missed the rest of the tournament and could miss significant time in his draft year.

Sweden’s tough luck

Defending silver medalist Sweden seemed poised for another medal when it went unbeaten in the preliminary round and beat Latvia in the quarterfinal. But rival Finland won in the semifinal on an overtime power-play goal and Czechia prevailed in a 14-round shootout in the bronze-medal to leave Sweden in fourth place.

Kazakhstan’s short run in top tier

They qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2020 but are headed back to a lower tier after losing to Germany in the relegation game. Kazakhstan lost 14-2 to Czechia and 8-1 to Sweden. But it did have its Miracle on Ice moment when it scored two short-handed goals in the final four minutes to force overtime against Slovakia and pick up its lone point of the tournament.

The New York Giants were among the worst teams in the NFL during the 2024 season. They posted a 3-14 record – tied for the worst in the league with the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns – and stumbled over many self-made roadblocks during the campaign.

Notably, the team released starting quarterback Daniel Jones less than two years into a four-year, $160 million contract he had signed with the team during the 2023 offseason. As a result, they had to pivot to Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle at the position with predictably poor results.

Things got so bad for the Giants that some fans began flying banners around MetLife Stadium during home games, imploring owner John Mara to fire head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen and start things afresh in 2025.

Mara did not relent to the pressure. On Monday, the Giants announced they were keeping Daboll and Schoen’s brain trust in place for another season.

‘Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will continue in their respective roles with the organization,’ Mara’s statement read. ‘As disappointing as the results of the season have been, [team chairman] Steve [Tisch] and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for our team.

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‘We look forward to the future and the result we all desire.’

Here’s what to know about the Giants’ decision.

Why didn’t Giants fire Brian Daboll?

Mara told reporters during a media availability on Monday that his decision to bring back Daboll and Schoen was based on his confidence in the duo.

‘In Brian’s case, he was the Coach of the Year two years ago. That didn’t disappear all of a sudden,’ Mara said. ‘I still believe he can do that again.’

Mara further explained that he is ‘at practice all the time’ and keeps a close eye on how Daboll gets through to his players.

‘I watch how they react,’ Mara said of the Giants players. ‘I still think he’s the right guy.’

That played a big part in Mara’s decision. So too did his desire for continuity, which he had expressed throughout the past calendar year. He lamented at times that the team had been through four different head coaches and one interim coach since the 2017 season, and that’s why he didn’t want to make changes.

‘Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,’ Mara said on Oct. 27 at the debut of an NFL Films production about his father, Wellington Mara, per CBS Sports. ‘But I’m going to say one thing: We are not making any changes this season and I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason either.’

However, Mara wouldn’t give a timetable on his commitment to Daboll and Schoen, even though the team is expected to bring a new quarterback in for the 2025 NFL season. He also didn’t give them a strong vote of confidence when asked if they would enter next season on the hot seat.

‘We’re gonna have to see,’ Mara told reporters. ‘I’m gonna have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now.’

Despite this, Daboll will get a fourth chance to prove himself – something no New York head coach has been granted since Tom Coughlin coached the team from 2014-15.

That said, Daboll doesn’t have much room for error as he tries to turn things around.

‘It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,’ Mara said.

Brian Daboll coaching record

Daboll has posted a record of just 18-32-1 during his three seasons as the Giants’ head coach.

Daboll led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth in his first year with the team. New York beat the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round before being blown out against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round.

Daboll’s performance in his first season was enough to earn him the AP Coach of the Year award for 2022. He helped Jones enjoy his best season as an NFL starting quarterback, which led many to believe that the 2019 first-round pick could continue to progress with more time in Daboll’s system.

Ultimately, that didn’t happen. The Giants have gone 9-25 in their two seasons since and bottomed out with a 3-14 record in 2024. New York has the third pick in the upcoming 2025 draft.

Below is a year-by-year look at Daboll’s record with the Giants (playoff record listed in parentheses.)

2022: 9-7-1
2023: 6-11
2024: 3-14

Mike McCarthy has seemingly been on the hot seat every offseason since the Dallas Cowboys hired him to be their franchise’s ninth-ever head coach ahead of the 2020 NFL offseason.

Once again, that appears to be the case as the NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ arrives.

McCarthy is in the midst of a disappointing fifth season with the Cowboys. Dallas struggled to win consistently early in the season, and many wrote them off after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons.

However, the Cowboys played well over the final seven weeks of the NFL season. That, along with Dallas owner Jerry Jones’ steadfast praise of the veteran coach, gave McCarthy some momentum going into the offseason.

Another complicating factor in Dallas’ decision is that McCarthy is in the final year of his contract. Therefore, Jones and Co. will need to work quickly to extend him if they want the 61-year-old to continue coaching in Dallas.

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Here’s what to know about McCarthy’s status as the 2024 NFL season winds down.

Will Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy?

McCarthy’s status with the Cowboys appears to be murky, but not necessarily due to a lack of confidence from Dallas’ ownership.

Jones has often endorsed McCarthy throughout the 2024 NFL season. The most recent example came during his weekly interview on 105.7 The Fan ahead of Week 18.

‘Well, I feel good about Mike McCarthy,’ Jones said, per Cowboys.com. ‘The main thing is, I like the job that he’s done, it’s unfortunate we’ve had the year that we’ve had, but I feel good about Mike.’

That doesn’t sound like an owner eager to move on from McCarthy. That said, the bigger question appears to be less about whether the Jones’ want McCarthy to return and more about whether the veteran coach would prefer to work elsewhere in 2025.

Numerous reports, including CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, have indicated that McCarthy could be among the top coaching candidates on the market in 2025 if he doesn’t stay in Dallas. This could uniquely position McCarthy to decline an offer from the Cowboys if he believes he could land a spot with a team like the Chicago Bears or New Orleans Saints, where he was an offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2004.

That’s part of the reason The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports that the Cowboys ‘are already doing their homework on potential head coaches.’ They don’t want to be left in the lurch if McCarthy leaves for greener pastures in 2025.

Mike McCarthy contract details

McCarthy signed a five-year contract with the Cowboys when he agreed to be the team’s head coach in 2020. That contract will expire shortly after the 2024 NFL season on Jan. 14, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

That will give the Cowboys a nine-day negotiating window to agree to a new deal with McCarthy.

Will the two parties agree to an extension in that window? Rapoport and Pelissero report that ‘there have been no substantive talks yet about an extension for McCarthy in Dallas,’ which could complicate the process.

As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports, the other concern is whether McCarthy would settle for a four-year deal if offered an extension. A source told Jones that it wasn’t clear whether the veteran coach would be willing to accept that deal.

Either way, the Cowboys will have a lot of work to do in short order if they want to keep McCarthy. If they can’t agree to a deal right away, it could allow the Super Bowl 45 winner to see what he’s worth on the open market – and potentially leave on his own accord.