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Who could replace Mike McCarthy in 2025?

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Who could replace Mike McCarthy in 2025?

The Dallas Cowboys are back in prime time, hosting the AFC South-leading Houston Texans on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11.

The Cowboys (3-6) have lost four straight in Week 11, most recently a 34-6 drubbing at the hands of division rival Philadelphia. With quarterback Dak Prescott out for the year, the offense struggled to a season-worst 146 yards. They’ve gone from the top-scoring offense in the NFL last season to 23rd in points and are closer to the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft than they are to a playoff spot.

A loss to the Texans (6-4) could raise the temperature in Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy’s already hot seat. Dallas did not renew his contract before the season, meaning they could have a new head coach in 2025 without owing McCarthy any money.

Here are the top candidates who could replace him in 2025 (all stats going into Week 11):

Top NFL Coaching Candidates for 2025

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Johnson is one of the most respected offensive minds in the NFL. The Lions rank second in the NFL in points per game (31.6) and eighth in yards. Despite a five-turnover performance in Week 10, Detroit still ranks fifth in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per game at 0.09. He spent years building one of the best offenses in the league. Johnson will have his pick of head coaching options for next season and Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could be attractive options.

Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders

Dallas could once again opt to hire a former head coach, who took a year off from the NFL, as its new head coach. Kingsbury is a candidate to return to a head coaching position because of how good the Commanders’ offense has been at every level. Veteran linemen like Sam Cosmi are playing the best football of their careers, quarterback Jayden Daniels could set rookie passing records, and the offense is No. 1 in the league in EPA/rush (0.14). But he may already be in demand elsewhere and could opt to coach a young quarterback over Prescott.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady’s spent the past year and a half building a more diverse offense around star quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills have the No. 3 scoring offense in the league, scoring 29 points per game and one of the most efficient at 0.16 EPA/play (third in the NFL). They rank second in EPA/pass (0.22) and EPA/rush (0.11). How he took a talented quarterback and shaped the offense around him should be intriguing for the Cowboys.

Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator

It took a while, but the Lions are winning with their defense, not in spite of it, with another year under Glenn. The former cornerback played two seasons with the Cowboys (2005-2006) and had five interceptions during his time. The Lions boast the best scoring defense in the league entering Week 11, even without star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, and are especially potent against the run, an area where the Cowboys have struggled during the 2024 season. If the Cowboys opt for a defensive mindset after McCarthy, who specializes in offense, Glenn should take a look.

Drew Petzing, offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have become one of the better offenses in the league in 2024. They rank ninth in EPA/play (0.07), ahead of offenses like Kansas City (0.06) and Green Bay (0.04). They are once again among the top five in rushing offense this season and rank 13th in points per game (23.8). If the Cardinals can win their first NFC West title since 2015, they will be behind a strong offense and Petzing will rightfully receive head coach interest. His creativity in personnel and development of players like Trey McBride bode well for a future head coaching position.

Liam Coen, offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator before Coen – Dave Canales – earned the head coaching job in Carolina after one season. But the Buccaneers are playing better on offense this year under Coen, despite losing top wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for several weeks and the entire season before the season’s halfway mark.

The Buccaneers jumped from the worst rushing attack in the NFL last season under Canales to 11th under Coen this year. They went from 17th to sixth with the same quarterback and poorer wide receiver health. According to advanced metrics, they are the eighth-best offense per EPA/play in the league. Coen deserves attention for how he has crafted an offense that maximizes his talent, even with sub-par talent.

Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator

The Texans’ offense has cooled this season thanks to injuries and shaky play on the offensive line, but Slovakia will see some interest as a head coach. Wide receiver Nico Collins has turned into a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver under his leadership and CJ Stroud is also one of the best young quarterbacks in the league under him. He has already had interviews from teams after last season and Dallas may interview him again.

Mike McCarthy contract

The Cowboys did not renew McCarthy’s contract before the 2024 season, meaning he is in the final year of a five-year deal he signed in 2020. No details have been reported, but it is estimated that McCarthy is paid $4-7 million per year. this deal.

Mike McCarthy statistics

Through Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season, McCarthy has gone 45-31 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason. Here’s a look at how the Cowboys ranked on offense and defense during his time as head coach:

2020 (6-10)

Offense: 14th in yards, 17th in points
Defense: 23rd in yards, 28th in points

2021 (12-5)

Offense: 1st in yards, 1st in points
Defense: 19th in yards, 7th in points

2022 (12-5)

Offense: 11th in yards, 4th in points
Defense: 12th in yards, 5th in points

2023 (12-5)

Offense: 5th in yards, 1st in points
Defense: 5th in yards, 5th in points

2024 (3-6)

Offense: 21st in yards, 23rd in points
Defense: 26th in yards, 31st in points

If the Cowboys look to reshape the roster after the season, they will have less cap space than most NFL franchises. The team has $24.02 million in cap space through 2025 at the time of publication per OverTheCap, which ranks 23rd in the NFL.

Dallas’ biggest cap hits for next season are Prescott at $89.89 million and Lamb at $35.45 million.

Vaseline3 weeks ago

0 4 minutes read