The Football Feed

Mike McCarthy makes sad admission to begin Training Camp

The Cowboys' head coach has turned heads with his latest statement.

Michael W.

Many speculated that the job of Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy could potentially be in danger following their stunning playoff exit at the hands of his former club, the Green Bay Packers, earlier this year that sent the Cowboys into yet another early offseason. 

However, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones chose to retain McCarthy for the upcoming 2024 season despite the protests of a good number of fans. But could another early postseason exit (or perhaps even not qualifying for the playoffs) seal McCarthy's fate in Dallas? 

As the team gathered for Training Camp in Oxnard, CA, McCarthy made the difficult admission that his status as a lame duck is "challenging".

"This is a challenge," he said about his status heading into the campaign. 

“This goes both ways,” he continued. “You pour energy into yourself and bet on yourself, the odds tilt in your favor.”

McCarthy also has several assistant coaches that, like him, are entering the final years of their respective contracts and could be feeling anxious. 

“They all have families,’’ McCarthy said. “Based off the norm of how this league normally works, this is a different experience for many of them.

“I’ve been open to talk about it. That’s part of your responsibility as a head coach is to help work your guys through it. I think our coaching staff did an excellent job in the offseason program. Everyone put their best foot forward.’’

In the meantime, McCarthy has been around the game long enough to know that he simply must keep his focus on the present and let the future take care of itself. 

“I think for me personally, where I am in my career, you learn to assess situations and make sure you put your energy in right places,” he said.’

If the Cowboys qualify for the postseason but fail to make a meaningful run, will Jones decide that it's time to pull the plug? 

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