The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys.
Cowboys deny Chicago Bears’ request to interview Mike McCarthy. Could he return to Dallas? – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Hopefully, this is the start of a coaching resolution for the Dallas Cowboys.
After the Chicago Bears put in a request to interview Mike McCarthy on Monday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys have denied the request a little over 24 hours later, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
While McCarthy’s contract with the team technically expires on Wednesday, the Cowboys will have until next Tuesday, Jan. 14, to exclusively negotiate a potential deal with the head coach of the Cowboys for the last five seasons. When Jan. 14 arrives, McCarthy will be free to interview with any team across the NFL without permission from Dallas.
The decision from Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office is telling, given that Jones said on Sunday after the season finale loss to the Commanders that he would let McCarthy go talk with other teams if he decided he wanted to, adding that he wanted to work with people that wanted to be in Dallas.
The clock continues to tick on a decision from Jones on McCarthy’s future, although his comments from Sunday’s postgame availability offer the idea that he would like to “go in the direction of a deal” for his return if the two sides can agree on what that looks like.
“The determining [if McCarthy is back] and the negotiating [with McCarthy] is all in one motion,” Jones said. “It’s all one football motion. We’ll determine if the will is there and the terms are there.”
In five seasons with the team, McCarthy owns an overall record of 49-35 including three seasons in which the team finished 12-5 sandwiched between two injury-ridden campaigns in 2020 and 2024.
Cowboys deny Bears permission to interview McCarthy, source says – ESPN
There is no doubt McCarthy wants to return.
McCarthy said he “absolutely” wants to return to Dallas, where he has posted a 49-35 regular-season record but is just 1-3 in the playoffs. The Cowboys finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020, McCarthy’s first season.
Jones was asked then whether he would allow a team to speak to McCarthy if it sought permission, and he said he just did something similar with running back Ezekiel Elliott, releasing him in the final week of the season for the chance to join a playoff team.
“I wouldn’t want anybody coaching who didn’t want to be here,” Jones said.
Jones and McCarthy are set to meet this week on the direction of the franchise.
“I have a lot invested here. And the Cowboys have a lot invested in me,” McCarthy said Sunday. “And then there’s a personal side to all these decisions. They all point the right direction. I think anytime you invest your time, energy, your belief, the connection you have, the relationships that are in place here, the understanding of what the organization can do and is willing to do, those are all positive attributes that you take into account. But, you know, absolutely, I’m a builder. I believe in building programs. I believe in developing young players. So, at the end of day, it is about winning, and you have to have those components in place to get this thing where it needs to be. I think we have a very good foundation here.”
McCarthy’s 174 wins are 13th in NFL history. He coached the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018, winning six NFC North titles and Super Bowl XLV.
Cowboys sign nine players to future contracts – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
There are a ton of familiar names on this list.
Once an NFL season has concluded, practice squad players are not obligated to the team and can sign Reserve/Future contracts with any NFL franchise. These contracts are not counted as part of a team’s salary cap, and any franchise can sign as many players to future contracts if it doesn’t put them over the 90-man limit on the first day of the new league year, which is March 12 at 3 P.M.
Denzel Daxon, Kelvin Harmon, Brock Mogensen, Jalen Cropper, Troy Pride, Luigi Vilain and Seth Williams are some of the mainstays from the Cowboys practice squad in 2024 signed to future deals. Of the group, Pride is the only one to appear in game action for Dallas this season. A lack of depth at cornerback allowed Pride to see the field in the Cowboys’ final two games against the Eagles and Commanders, where he tallied three tackles and a pass breakup.
The Cowboys also signed their two newest faces in guard Jack Anderson and cornerback Luq Barcoo to future contracts, both of whom we’re signed to the practice squad on January 1.
Anderson, a Frisco native, was a seventh-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2021. He’s since spent time with the Eagles, Giants, Colts, and was on the Jaguars and Panthers practice squads before signing his future deal with the Cowboys.
Barcoo went undrafted in 2020 before signing with the Jaguars followed by the Cardinals, before bouncing around practice squads with the 49ers, Chiefs and Jets. In 2023, he signed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL, where he made the All-XFL team that season before signing with the Steelers practice squad.
Dallas Cowboys kicker sends apology note to cheerleader who was hit in the head – Gina Vivinetto, Today.com
Brandon Aubrey had a season-finale to remember against the Commanders.
Dallas Cowboy cheerleader Michelle Siemienowski says she has “no hard feelings” against Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey after a football he kicked struck her in the head during the team’s game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Jan. 5.
Siemienowski, a rookie member of the squad, was standing on the sidelines with her fellow cheerleaders when she fell to the ground after being slammed in the back of the head by Aubrey’s ball.
The following day, Siemienowski shared a pic in her Instagram stories of the handwritten note Aubrey wrote to her apologizing for the kick.
“Michelle, so sorry about hitting you on KO! Hope you are doing well. Love watching y’all!” the kicker told her.
Siemienowski also assured fans in her update that she was doing OK after the game, which the Cowboys lost.
“This past 24 hours has been a whirlwind! I got a ton of messages and I wanted to thank you all for checking in and for your kind words! I am all okay, so no need to worry,” Siemienowski wrote, adding heart and laughing emoji.
