Mike McCarthy declared the day he was named head coach of the Cowboys five years ago that the job was about winning championships. Time has run out on his opportunity to make that happen. After a series of face-to-face meetings and a weekend of reflection,

The Cowboys and McCarthy ultimately could not agree to a new deal. The coach was in need of a contract since his expired at the end of the 2024 season, and while there were talks between the two sides, by the end, the decision was to go in a different direction.

The Dallas Cowboys had to make one of the hardest decisions of Jerry Jones' ownership when they decided not to renew McCarthy's contract before Tuesday's deadline.  This was the right move, regardless of McCarthy's pedigree and success in the NFL-- even in Dallas.