FRISCO, Texas — If you follow Dallas Cowboys news, you've probably heard the name Sean Payton 9,999 times. Well, here's number 10,000. Sorry.
When Payton announced his retirement as head coach of the New Orleans Saints this week, rumors began to swirl about his future, including the possibility of reuniting with the Cowboys.
But another question remained: What about Mike McCarthy?
Cowboys fans began to wonder if Dallas would continue to have McCarthy at the helm for another season despite a real shot at the Super Bowl that went down the drain in the Wild Card round.
Well, fans won't have to wonder any longer.
USA TODAY Sports' Jori Epstein and ESPN's Ed Werder reported that the Cowboys have let McCarthy know that he will still be the head coach heading into the 2022 season.
McCarthy finished his second season with the Cowboys with a 12-5 record and an NFC East championship. But, there were high expectations for the 2021 Dallas team with a high-powered defense and quarterback Dak Prescott back from a devastating 2020 ankle injury.
Good news for the Cowboys is that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who completely turned around one of the league's worst defenses in 2020 to one of the top in 2021, will be back for another season. He had interviewed for head coaching positions with team including the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
The future of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, however, is still up in the air as he continues interview for other NFL head coach openings.
With expectations looking to be even higher heading into the new season, the Cowboys will be giving McCarthy another chance. How many more chances, though, remains to be seen.
If Dallas struggles in 2022, be sure to familiarize yourself with the phrase "hot seat."
