Jerry Jones addresses Troy Aikman comments on Mike McCarthy after Cowboys’ loss to Bengals

Everyone, including former legendary quarterback Troy Aikman, seems to have an opinion on the Dallas Cowboys’ head-coaching situation.

Per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Aikman appeared on sports radio station 105.3 The Fan ahead of the club’s “Monday Night Football” home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Aikman said he expects Mike McCarthy to remain Dallas’ head coach in part because “the locker room wants him back.” 

Shortly after Dallas fell to 5-8 on the season via a 27-20 loss to the Bengals, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was asked about Aikman’s comments.

“Mike is an outstanding coach,” Jones said,Machota shared. “He has an outstanding record. He’s got great experience. A lot of what he’s about, some of the benefits that we’re having out there we’re gaining from the type of coach he is. There’s an old adage that when you start thinking about any coaches, you better give it a good look because he is one of the most outstanding.” 

Some may blame coaching for Cowboys cornerback Amani Oruwariye’s costly error on Monday night. He attempted to field a blocked punt after it crossed the line of scrimmage late in the fourth quarter of a 20-20 contest. The Bengals ultimately regained possession and then scored what became a game-winning touchdown. 

McCarthy has spent the past several months working in the final season of his contract. He recently received public support from noteworthy players such as injured quarterback Dak Prescott and star pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Still, there’s no indication McCarthy will put pen to paper on an extension before the end of the ongoing campaign. 

The Cowboys have repeatedly been linked in stories and rumors with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick going back to last winter. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk made it clear this past Sunday that Belichick hadn’t heard from any NFL team about returning to the sidelines next year. 

“I don’t weigh those things as far as tough or the degree of making them,” Jones added about deciding whether or not to move on from McCarthy this winter. “I always, in my role, make those decisions. They all have a lot of gravity to them, any of those kinds of decisions regarding coach, coaching staff, players, all of those things, I don’t want to call them tough. They are just very serious impactful decisions.” 

Following Monday’s action, the NFL’s website gave the Cowboys less than a one-percent chance to make the playoffs. As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cowboys as one-point underdogs for this coming Sunday’s game at the 3-10 Carolina Panthers.

While the Cowboys went 12-5 each season from 2021-2023 under McCarthy, he has guided the club to only one playoff victory.