Will Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy? Why Dallas coach is on the hot seat after blowout loss and ahead of bye

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy's seat was warm heading into the 2024 season. Now, six games into the campaign, it's burning hot.

Fresh off two wins that put Dallas back over .500, the Cowboys welcomed the Lions this Sunday and were dealt the whooping of the season. Detroit scored 27 first-half points to Dallas' six, and things only went further south from there, as the Lions pulled away 47-9.

It was as ugly as it sounds. Dallas turned it over five times (not counting turnovers on downs) and mustered just 57 net rushing yards compared to Detroit's 184. The Cowboys gained just 3.9 yards per play overall, 

There are a lot of games left, and owner Jerry Jones waited until the end of the 2019 season to fire then-Dallas coach Jason Garrett, who finished an even 8-8 in the final campaign of his five-year contract.

McCarthy is in the exact same situation, coaching for his life in the league to remain unchanged. He is in the last year of the five-year contract signed in 2020, and Jones has made it clear that he needs to see more playoff results.

Here's everything to know about whether the Cowboys will fire McCarthy, including more on why the Dallas coach is on the hot seat after a 3-3 start to the 2024 season.

Will Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy?

Though Dallas got on the board first with an early field goal drive in Sunday's loss, five of the Cowboys next seven drives resulted in turnovers or punts. Only three drives resulted in scores by the end of the third quarter, bringing the Cowboy's total to nine points. 

With the exception of the team's wins against the Browns and Giants, Dallas has been one of the worst first-half squads in the league. In their past three games, the Cowboys have averaged just under nine points through the first two frames, often contributing to steep deficits that are difficult to overcome.  

The problem is clearly more on the offensive front, with the Cowboys ranking in the middle of the pack in most defensive stat categories. Dak Prescott and his key playmakers — CeeDee Lamb, Rico Dowdle, and Jake Ferguson — are just not cutting it with McCarthy's scheme.

It's tough to imagine Dallas cutting ties with McCarthy when they're still at .500 and in the thick of the NFC East hunt, but a humiliating loss in a feature game — on Jerry Jones' birthday, no less — is sure to fire up the owner. The fact Dallas has a Week 7 bye would only further add credence to the idea that this is the right time to make a switch.

It's all in Jerry Jones' hands, and given the urgency to win now, anything is possible.

What is Mike McCarthy's record with the Cowboys?

Most of the franchise's woes with McCarthy aren't due to poor regular season performances. Other than his first year with the team, the coach has led the Cowboys to a winning record, finishing first in the NFC East twice. 

The issue is the lack of postseason results. Under McCarthy, Dallas has yet to make it past the Divisional Round — something the coach did four times in nine playoff runs with the Green Bay Packers, who he led for 13 seasons.

At an even 3-3 six weeks into the 2024 campaign, McCarthy is going to have to orchestrate a major turnaround for the Cowboys if the team is to have any shot at its fourth postseason in a row in five years under the coach.

Mike McCarthy contract

It is reported that McCarthy's five-year deal with the Cowboys is worth $4-$7 million per season. The contract is set to expire at the end of this campaign, and the coach's future in the NFL rests heavily on his performance at the helm this year. So far, it has not been up to the Dallas standard.