Body language seemed to indicate that Jerry Jones was very fond of Mike McCarthy after the Dallas Cowboys pulled off a surprising win last Sunday night. Instead of simply offering a handshake or a quick pat on the back after their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jones gave McCarthy a warm embrace in the celebratory locker room, which spoke volumes about their rapport.

McCarthy deserves the praise. Despite being knocked out of the NFL playoff race before the game even started, the Cowboys played fervently against a team fighting to maintain its lead in the NFC South. Additionally, Dak Prescott’s season came to an early end in November due to a torn hamstring, yet the Cowboys have managed to win four out of their last five games, which has raised questions about McCarthy’s previous “lame duck” status as he enters the last year of his five-year contract. His standing within the organization is clearly improving.

For Jones, this all comes as a welcome change from the frustrating times he’s faced recently. We’ve seen countless images of the team owner looking displeased in his private suite during a series of disappointing home defeats over the past year—such as the embarrassment on his birthday when the Detroit Lions showcased a bag of trick plays, or the NFC wild-card loss against the Green Bay Packers where they scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives. Given these instances, it was high time for Jones to project a more upbeat emotion after a game. It’s been a while since that happened.

Moreover, this is a stark change from the ongoing discussion about McCarthy’s job security. Not too long ago, Jones publicly expressed doubts regarding some of McCarthy’s game plans during his weekly radio segment. Each week, reporters probe Jones about McCarthy’s future with the team. When I last asked about his status in late March, Jones hinted at applying pressure by withholding a contract extension for the 61-year-old coach.

As he mentioned to YSL News Sports back then, “Most of America gets up, and they don’t have anything guaranteed down the road.”

While Jones avoided commenting on McCarthy’s future following the game, and his son Stephen, the team’s chief operating officer, remained tight-lipped during his radio appearance on Monday, the coach has certainly demonstrated his capability to keep the team competitive. Despite Prescott’s injury and other key absences, the Cowboys (7-8) still have a chance to finish with a winning record. McCarthy has also received support from Prescott and star linebacker Micah Parsons.

It’s worth noting that since McCarthy joined the Cowboys in 2020 with the aim of achieving greater success than previous coach Jason Garrett, the team has not reached the NFC Championship game in 29 years. However, maintaining continuity with McCarthy may increase their odds of breaking that drought. If they choose to part ways, it would mean starting over for the eighth time in 32 years since separating from Jimmy Johnson, who led the team to two Super Bowl victories.

“All I can say is what a good job, how good of a job he’s doing,” Jerry Jones told reporters on Sunday night. “Don’t have thoughts that I would share as to anything about what we do… after we’re through playing this year.”

After last season, Jones took three days to announce that McCarthy would return—as head coach, but without a contract extension. A similar situation could unfold in mid-January.

However, an interesting twist could arise: McCarthy may choose to leave and explore free agency as a coach.

If Jones were to decide he wouldn’t find a better alternative than McCarthy by pursuing an untested coach, that would one thing. But what if McCarthy, with his contract concluding, decides he’s fed up with the intense scrutiny of leading one of the NFL’s most high-profile teams?

With his experience—having won a Super Bowl with the Packers, achieved three consecutive 12-win seasons with the Cowboys, and been known for maximizing the potential of quarterbacks—McCarthy could be a sought-after candidate in the coaching market.

While Bill Belichick was expected to be a prominent candidate in the past coaching cycle, only one out of the seven teams with a vacancy, the Atlanta Falcons, even interviewed a coach with six Super Bowl wins. However, McCarthy may present a different case due to his offensive strategy expertise and not requiring as much front office power as Belichick sought.

Recently, McCarthy made a significant move by hiring a new agent, Don Yee, who was instrumental in Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers and facilitated Sean Payton’s comeback from a one-year break to rejoin the Denver Broncos. Yee is also well-known for representing Tom Brady and was noted by Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis as someone who could help Brady become involved with the ownership of an NFL team.

To date, the Cowboys have not engaged in any serious discussions with Yee regarding an extension for McCarthy, following only a superficial meeting between the Los Angeles-based agent and Stephen Jones before the team left California for training camp. This suggests there have been no meaningful talks about extending McCarthy’s contract.

While Jerry Jones has a significant influence over McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys, he does not hold all the power.

In the upcoming weeks, competition for a rare coaching free agent could emerge. The Chicago Bears, who are focusing on building around No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, could be a team to watch. The New Orleans Saints, where McCarthy started his coaching career as a coordinator in 2000, also might find his services appealing. The New York Jets will reassess their coaching situation, regardless of whether McCarthy is involved, especially with or without his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

As January approaches, historical patterns indicate there will be more developments in this coaching landscape.

There are likely to be additional head coach vacancies in a league that generally sees at least six openings during each hiring cycle.

Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, is anticipated to be a favorite among candidates once again. Also, it’s expected that his defensive counterpart in Detroit, Aaron Glenn, will draw significant interest. However, if McCarthy is available, he may quickly rise to the top of many teams’ wish lists.

Looking at Dallas, something McCarthy mentioned last spring during the NFL meetings sticks out. He expressed that he was more worried about the future of his assistant coaches—who are also in the last year of their contracts—and their families than his own prospects. If McCarthy has the option to remain, this connection, along with his relationship with Prescott and the strong bond he seems to have forged within the locker room, could play a major role in his decision.

Additionally, he might have grown accustomed to the unique challenges that come with coaching the Cowboys. While McCarthy surely acknowledges the extensive resources that Jones can leverage as the head of the NFL’s most lucrative team (the Cowboys have recently become the first franchise valued at over $10 billion according to Forbes), it’s still puzzling why the team owner proclaimed his commitment to pursuing a championship this season while the Cowboys took a lackluster approach last offseason.

Notably, the significant, high-value contracts for CeeDee Lamb and Prescott were finalized later in training camp and at the start of the regular season, respectively. Furthermore, the Cowboys had minimal impact in free agency, failing to both acquire new talent and retain their existing stars.

It’s not surprising that a prevailing narrative this season suggests a conspiracy was afoot to set McCarthy up for failure during his final year.

With the Cowboys, there’s always some sort of storyline.

And perhaps it isn’t over for McCarthy just yet—at least not without another chapter of drama in Dallas.