From what we have witnessed this season, Jerry Jones likes to play with deadlines. He did so with Dak Prescott’s contract and Cee Dee Lamb’s contracts and will probably soon do the same with Micah Parson’s extension. But for some reason, Jones didn’t follow that trend with his 61-year-old head coach, Mike McCarthy. With his 5-year contract coming to an end on Tuesday, the Cowboys GM didn’t really fancy his chances of renewing McCarthy’s contract.

Remember how Jones denied the Bears their request to interview McCarthy? Yeah, that looked like a positive sign of where things were headed with his extension. Jones and his son Stephen even sat with McCarthy for three rounds of negotiations. They talked about what went wrong throughout the season. How McCarthy feels he can improve the Cowboys roster. And his approach to the offense alongside his coaching staff, all of whose deals are expiring.

However, it seems like none of those visions felt right to the Cowboys GM. So, coming off a disappointing 7-10 season, McCarthy leaves Dallas with a 49-35 record. And you know what? Instantly, reports are coming in from New Orleans, McCarthy’s former home, i.e., the Saints are heavily interested in bringing him back. Now, it isn’t like McCarthy was a bad coach after all. He did lead the Cowboys to three consecutive playoffs.

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And that wasn’t the only positive until this season came along. Under McCarthy, the Cowboys have been on a two-year unbeaten streak at home since their heartbreaking playoff loss to the Packers last season. Well, this time around, the Cowboys were simply abysmal in Dallas, winning only 2 of their 9 games. See, you can’t really blame McCarthy for whatever went wrong this season. They lost key players like Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb, all to injuries.

So, even McCarthy’s luck wasn’t on his side in what ended up to be his final season in Dallas. But can he prove his worth elsewhere, probably in New Orleans, as they look to bring their former offensive coordinator home?

New Orleans Saints waiting to pounce on Mike McCarthy’s services after Cowboys divorce

After a disastrous season that ended with a 5-12 record, with Dennis Allen getting sacked halfway through the season. The Saints have already set their eyes on Mike McCarthy, as per Nick Underhill. If he does land the job, it would mark the return of another offensive-minded head coach since the days of Sean Payton. And considering how the Dennis Allen era went by, this move may go down well among the Saints Nation.

See, at his peak, McCarthy was an offensive juggernaut in his play-calling duties. From 2021 to 23, the Cowboys were always within the top five of the NFL’s total yards and points scored. Their quarter-of-a-half-billion dollar QB had a 96-36 TD to INT ratio while boasting a passer rating of 101.6. Even CeeDee Lamb, who also signed a $136M extension in the summer, had a prolific 2023. Lamb recorded 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 14 TDs. This clearly shows McCarthy knows how to dominate when he has all of his players at his disposal.

But can he do the same in New Orleans, where the team is still struggling to retrace the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era? Guess we will find out if he does get hired in the coming days.