HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Browns To Sign Jeff Driskel Off Cardinals’ Practice Squad

December 29th, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Joe Flacco‘s stunning resurgence has lifted the Browns to a playoff berth, injuries have still defined the team’s season at quarterback. Flacco’s backup, and Deshaun Watson‘s top reserve to start the season, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is on IR.

The Browns had brought P.J. Walker back to their 53-man roster, but they now have some additional insurance. The team signed Jeff Driskel off the Cardinals’ practice squad Friday, GOPHNX.com’s Howard Balzer tweets. Driskel will join Flacco and Walker on Cleveland’s active roster.

[RELATED: Browns Have Discussed Re-Signing Joe Flacco]

Because the Browns are poaching Driskel off another team’s P-squad, he must remain on their 53-man roster for at least three weeks. Driskel represents the latest Browns-Cardinals QB move, with the teams exchanging Josh Dobbs in August. Driskel moving from Drew Petzing‘s system to Kevin Stefanski‘s will make for a smooth transition, seeing as Petzing was the Browns’ QBs coach previously.

This will be team No. 7 for Driskel, who had been with the 49ers, Lions, Bengals, Broncos and Texans before joining the Cardinals in April. During a busy period for the Browns at quarterback, the 30-year-old passer joins a team that has two signal-callers on IR, a starter who was out of football until November and a backup who had been demoted to the practice squad.

A 2016 49ers sixth-round pick, Driskel has not thrown a pass this season. The Cards reshuffled their QB room by drafting Clayton Tune and trading for Dobbs four months later. Dobbs became Arizona’s starter, late arrival notwithstanding, and Tune his backup as Kyler Murray finished off his ACL rehab. Although the Cardinals moved on from Colt McCoy and David Blough, Driskel remained as a P-squad arm.

Driskel is just a 59.2% career passer, at 6.1 yards per attempt, and has a 1-9 record as a starter. Most of those starts came for struggling Bengals and Lions teams (2018-19), with Driskel filling in for Andy Dalton and then Matthew Stafford. He started one game for the Texans last season. It is unclear if the Browns will want Driskel as their backup, but Walker has completed just 48.6% of his passes (6.1 Y/A), regressing from his Panthers form.

Giants RT Evan Neal To Undergo Surgery On Fractured Ankle

December 29th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Believed to be dealing with a sprained left ankle, Evan Neal continued to see his potential return pushed back. The Giants have since ended the second-year tackle’s season, placing him on IR over the weekend. This amounted to a lost year for the top-10 pick.

More has come to light on why Neal missed the second half of the season. The Giants’ starting right tackle suffered a fractured ankle, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports. Brian Daboll alluded to a procedure likely being necessary, and Leonard confirms surgery is on tap.

Neal has struggled to justify the Giants’ No. 7 overall investment, and he missed time before this ankle malady shut him down in early November. The Giants are not expected to consider sliding Neal inside to guard, despite the Alabama alum having played there at points in college. But the team has seen its Andrew Thomas bookend partner have a tough go as an NFL RT.

It is unclear when Neal’s diagnosis changed from a sprain to a fracture, Leonard adds, but the updated injury explains why Neal — who had resumed practicing on a side field following the Nov. 5 injury — was never able to return to action. A CT scan, which took place after Neal was not progressing during his rehab, revealed the fracture, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. He ends his second season having played in just seven games.

The Giants have encountered a few misses at right tackle since Super Bowl-era bastion Kareem McKenzie‘s 2012 exit. First-rounder Justin Pugh could not stick at the position, being moved to guard during his first New York stint, and free agent Geoff Schwartz battled injuries during his Big Apple stay. Seventh-rounder-turned-starter Bobby Hart ultimately proved overmatched, and Dave Gettleman cut him on his first day as GM. Gettleman hit big on Thomas but was not able to find a right-edge blocker. After switching Nate Solder to RT in 2021, the Giants used the second of their two 2022 first-rounders on Neal. But he has disappointed thus far.

Pro Football Focus rated Neal as this season’s second-worst tackle. That came after the advanced metrics website placed in in the same spot (80th out of 81 qualified tackles) last year. It will be interesting to see if the Giants attempt to add a veteran to compete with Neal, but offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said (via Duggan) it remains too soon to fully evaluate the young blocker. That point is fast approaching, however, as the Giants will need to see significant improvement from Neal to avoid right tackle being a top priority come 2025.

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Expected To Return In Week 17; Mason Rudolph To Start

December 29th, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 29: Tomlin confirmed Friday it will be Rudolph starting against the Seahawks. Pickett is close to full strength, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, but the Steelers will stick with Rudolph — their third-stringer for most of the past two seasons — after his performance against the Bengals. A sixth-year veteran, Rudolph has now been slotted in all three positions on Pittsburgh’s QB depth chart this season.

DECEMBER 26, 11:33am: When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin said the team will adopt a similar setup to the one used at practice last week. As a result, Pickett will see some reps as his recovery continues, but for now Rudolph remains atop the depth chart. The latter is in line to hold first-team duties in consecutive games after seeing a combined two starts from 2020-22.

8:58am: The Steelers put an end to a three-game losing streak this weekend with Mason Rudolph under center. The team’s third-stringer may have played his way into another start, but Kenny Pickett could be an option in time for their next contest.

The latter is expected to return to the lineup for Week 17, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (video link). Pickett has been sidelined for three full games after undergoing surgery on a high ankle sprain. Pittsburgh elected not to place him on injured reserve, a move which would have guaranteed a four-week absence. That left the door open to a quicker return, but reports pointed to a month-long absence being expected.

Getting Pickett back would be a welcomed development for the Steelers, although the team’s offense has been a sore spot for much of the season with and without him in the lineup. Rudolph posted a passer rating of 124 in Week 16’s win over the Bengals, a game which had major implications for Pittsburgh’s playoff chances. It would come as a surprise, however, if Pickett did not get the nod in the event he received clearance to return to the lineup.

The top quarterback selected in the 2022 class, Pickett has not progressed in his second season as many hoped he would. The 25-year-old has been at the heart of a passing attack which struggled to find a rhythm during the early portions of the season. That led to the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but the chances of the current setup with Mike Sullivan serving as play-caller remaining in place beyond this season are slim.

That is in part due to the underwhelming play of backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who originally filled in for Pickett after his injury. The former No. 2 pick was replaced in favor of Rudolph, however, and he faces an uncertain future with the team despite being under contract through 2025. Pickett, too, is the subject of questions regarding his long-term viability given his lack of development in his brief NFL tenure.

Strong play at the QB spot from Pickett or Rudolph would help the Steelers’ playoff push. The 8-7 outfit is still in contention for a wild-card spot with games against the Seahawks and Ravens remaining on the schedule. With plenty still on the line, Pickett’s status throughout the week will be worth monitoring.

Bills To Activate DT DaQuan Jones From IR

December 29th, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 29: Jones is ready to return from the pectoral tear that altered his season. The contract-year D-tackle will be back against the Patriots, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the Bills are using an IR activation. The Lions have ruled out Gardner-Johnson for their Week 17 game, and it is not yet known if the Eagles will activate Avonte Maddox. Despite suffering his pec tear three weeks after the both DBs did, Jones will be in uniform as the Bills continue their late-season push toward a playoff berth.

The Bills have now used two of their IR activations this week. Jones’ return to Buffalo’s 53-man roster follows the team’s activation of cornerback Kaiir Elam. The team has four IR-return moves remaining. McDermott reiterated Milano, even if the Bills make the playoffs, would not be expected to join Jones and Elam in being activated from IR, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets.

DECEMBER 19: Days after Sean McDermott mentioned DaQuan Jones — on the shelf since early October after a pectoral injury — could come back, the Bills are putting the wheels in motion here. The veteran defensive tackle returned to practice Tuesday.

This will start Jones’ 21-day activation clock, representing a surprising development after the 10th-year defensive tackle suffered a torn pectoral muscle. While players returning in-season from pectoral surgery is rare, two are on track to do so. The Lions are on the verge of opening C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s IR-return window. Both teams stand to benefit from the returns of starting defenders before the playoffs.

Both Jones and Matt Milano went down during the Bills’ loss to the Jaguars in London in Week 5. Those setbacks came a week after Buffalo once again lost Tre’Davious White to a season-ending injury. Milano is not expected to come back, McDermott added (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) Tuesday. The All-Pro linebacker suffered a serious leg injury. But Jones being near a return stands to boost Buffalo’s run defense.

Prior to Jones going down, he was off to a strong start in a contract year. Pro Football Focus had slotted Jones third among interior D-linemen through five games; the former Titans draftee had started all 21 games since his two-year, $14MM Bills deal came to pass in 2022. Over his career, the soon-to-be 32-year-old defender has started 93 games — for the Titans, Panthers and Bills.

The Bills will be in need at defensive tackle going forward as well. Jordan Phillips suffered a dislocated wrist against the Cowboys and has already undergone surgery, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. Summoned to replace Jones in Buffalo’s starting lineup, Phillips is hoping to be ready to return if the Bills make the playoffs. The team beating the Chiefs and Cowboys in consecutive weeks paves a clear path to the postseason, and both Phillips and Jones being in uniform would round out a veteran-fueled contingent alongside the recently extended Ed Oliver.

Buffalo re-signed Phillips to pair with Oliver, Jones and Tim Settle inside. The Bills also added Poona Ford at the position, but the ex-Seahawk has only played 95 defensive snaps this season. PFF has rated Settle much higher than Phillips, a veteran that checks in as the advanced metrics site’s second-worst regular interior D-lineman. Phillips has registered 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and five pass batdowns this season, a nine-start campaign for the ninth-year veteran. The Bills may not be able to reform their Oliver-Jones starting DT tandem immediately, but with games against the Chargers and Patriots on tap, the team does not look to have a difficult matchup on its docket again until a Week 18 Dolphins tilt that could decide the AFC East.

Cardinals To Place Marquise Brown On IR

December 29th, 2023 at 10:29am CST by Sam Robinson

Marquise Brown‘s second Cardinals season will end early due to injury. Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday the fifth-year wide receiver will be moved to IR.

Although the 2022 trade acquisition has played 14 games, the heel injury he sustained has been an issue for a while, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This transaction will end a contract year for Brown, who will finish with a career-low 574 receiving yards. Brown was able to play through this malady prior to last week, but he is less than three months from free agency coming off a down year.

The Cardinals’ pivot to a rebuild made Brown a logical trade candidate this year. The regime that brought him in is no longer in place, and ex-Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray spent half the season on the reserve/PUP list rehabbing an ACL tear. The Cardinals, however, did not make a seller’s move by sending Brown to a contender. That points to an extension being on the team’s radar. While the the NFC West club is believed to be interested in extending Brown, time is running out on that front.

Brown and the Cardinals began discussing an extension earlier this season. A new deal for Brown would stand to support the Cardinals giving Murray another season to work in OC Drew Petzing‘s system, considering how important the Pro Bowl quarterback’s presence was in bringing Brown to Arizona. The Cards are still evaluating Murray in his return from the severe knee injury, and they are poised to hold a top-three draft pick in April. But the extension the Steve Keim regime gave Murray last year will make the dual-threat QB’s contract difficult to move in 2024.

Aiming to escape his place in a run-oriented Ravens offense, Brown will finish his first two Arizona seasons with underwhelming numbers. Despite Baltimore centering its offense around Lamar Jackson‘s historically elite rushing dimension, Brown topped 1,000 yards in a season once (2021) and finished with the second-most receiving yards in his career (769) in 2020. The 5-foot-9 target’s top Arizona number (709) came last season, though he only played in 10 games.

The Cardinals do not have much committed to their receiver positions beyond 2023. Third-rounder Michael Wilson is signed through 2026, while Rondale Moore‘s rookie deal runs through 2024. Neither have yet topped 450 yards this year. Moore and Greg Dortch were Keim-era investments. Considering the Cardinals cut DeAndre Hopkins without using a post-June 1 designation, signs point to the team being interested in adding pieces to its receiving corps to complement emerging tight end Trey McBride soon.

Brown, 26, did not exactly boost his stock this season. To be fair, not having Murray for much of it factored into that. The Cardinals will not need to authorize a top-market deal to retain him, but the team’s top wideout can begin negotiating with other teams once the legal tampering period begins in March. Barring a franchise or transition tag, Brown will need to be re-signed before that point to be kept off the market.

Latest On Broncos, Russell Wilson

December 28th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Unsurprisingly, the Broncos’ decision to bench Russell Wilson has generated some fallout. The process that led to this call transpired during much of the team’s five-game win streak earlier this season

Wilson has been expecting to be released since shortly after the team’s win over the Chiefs on Oct. 29, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini (subscription required). Despite Wilson playing much better in 2023 than he did during a shockingly mediocre 2022, his contract has hovered as a big-picture issue for the Broncos.

Sean Payton acknowledged the economic component involved with this benching — one that comes exactly a year after the Raiders shelved Derek Carr to play Jarrett Stidham for contract reasons — but said the team wants to gather some intel on its backup before season’s end. With the Broncos’ last-second loss to the Patriots all but slamming the door shut on their playoff hopes, the initiation of Wilson divorce proceedings makes sense. The inevitable release will bring a seismic dead-money hit, one that will more than double the record the Falcons set last year ($40.5MM) when they traded Matt Ryan to the Colts.

It will cost the Broncos $84.6MM in dead money to cut Wilson in 2024. They will assuredly spread that number over two offseasons with a post-June 1 designation, but this will still represent a significant chapter in NFL transaction history — one that will hamstring the Broncos for two more years. It is unclear where Wilson will end up and how the Broncos — thanks to the Payton-Wilson experiment producing a midseason surge that revived the team’s playoff hopes — will go about replacing him. At 7-8, Denver’s draft slot sits 14th presently. But this drama has played out behind the scenes for weeks.

Shortly after the Broncos’ 24-9 win over the Chiefs, GM George Paton initiated the conversation to Wilson’s agent centered around the QB delaying his 2025 guarantee. The third-year Broncos GM said Wilson would be benched for the season’s final nine games if he did not delay the $37MM guarantee for 2025, Russini reports. That number, which shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2024 league year, is behind the Broncos’ decision to bench Wilson now. This did not amount to a full-on ultimatum, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes team brass went through Wilson’s agent rather than bringing the QB into a meeting and demanding he adjust his deal or lose his starting job.

The Broncos’ ultimatum, reiterated days after Paton’s initial request, prompted Wilson’s agent to contact the NFLPA, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports. Paton is said to have noted Wilson’s benching would be financially motivated, rather than for skill or performance. Reviewing the matter, the NFLPA wrote a letter to the Broncos and indicated it had consulted with the NFL management council, per Anderson, who offers that the team then sent Wilson’s camp a letter conveying the QB’s refusal to change his contract’s guarantee structure would be respected. The letter, however, also indicated Payton would now dictate if Wilson would be benched. The Broncos never previously informed the 35-year-old passer when he would be shelved, however, according to Russini.

Ultimately, the Broncos’ talks with Wilson’s camp about delaying the 2025 guarantee were not amicable and were not in accordance with the CBA, per Anderson. Though, the team does not share the viewpoint the talks were not CBA-compliant. But this relationship — one that veered from disastrous to adequate on the field from 2022-23 — looks to have been deteriorating over the past two months. Wilson has likely thrown his last pass as a Bronco, with Stidham — given a two-year, $10MM deal in March — in place to start the final two games.

The contract component will lead to this trade being viewed as one of the worst in NFL history. Wilson’s 26-TD, eight-INT bounce-back effort notwithstanding, NFL.com’s James Palmer notes people in Denver’s building viewed this benching as a football-related call — with the obvious financial undercurrent — for the 2023 season’s remainder.

Payton has said the offense needs to improve, and Palmer adds the new Broncos HC believes too many elements are present in the team’s current attack. Prior to the Wilson-guided rally against the Patriots, the Broncos’ offense struggled during an ugly effort. Payton has since said he does not view the up-tempo attack Wilson thrived in as sustainable over the course of a game. Pro Football Focus rates the Broncos’ offensive line as seventh overall, but Palmer adds only Justin Fields has been pressured more than Wilson. Broncos staffers also believe the pocket has been cleaner than the sack-prone QB’s pattern would depict. Wilson ranks seventh in passer rating but 21st in QBR.

While this adds up to Payton believing the fit between his concepts and Wilson’s strengths — a long-rumored issue after the Broncos acquired the ex-Saints HC — is too clunky, the team (and potentially its GM) will pay the price in the form of the historic dead-money sum.

Paton said upon firing Nathaniel Hackett he believed Wilson was salvageable, and Payton said just before this season the potential Hall of Famer’s skills had not eroded despite his 2022 regression. Wilson partially proved both right, but the Broncos’ offensive performance was not justifying the trade cost or the $49MM-per-year extension. Following the report Wilson wanted Payton to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle, Payton being the one to bench the accomplished QB is rather ironic.

Stidham’s contract contains just $1MM guaranteed for 2024, but after his Raiders run brought one stunningly productive start (a 365-yard, three-TD outing against the 49ers) and one shaky showing (against the Chiefs), the Broncos will see what their backup can bring. Wilson has since tweeted, “Looking forward to what’s next.”

“As a head coach, you’ve got to make some tough decisions and they won’t always be right,” Payton said. “They just won’t. You go with your gut and your instincts. We need a spark. We need something right now. We’ll handle the long term when we get there.”

Antonio Pierce Gaining Momentum For Full-Time Raiders HC Position?

December 28th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders are one of three teams which are guaranteed to conduct head coach searches this offseason, but the team’s play of late has likely played a factor in that process. Interim HC Antonio Pierce has guided the team to a 4-3 record since taking over and in doing so has helped his cause for earning the full-time gig.

Upon taking over from Josh McDaniels midseason, Pierce took on a much larger workload than he had previously experienced at the NFL level. His 2022 posting as Las Vegas’ linebackers coach was his first in the pros, giving him a thin resume with respect to a number of the other coaching candidates likely to be interviewed for the position. For that reason, it came as little surprise when a recent report indicated interim general manager Champ Kelly was the likelier of the two to have the interim tag removed.

However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano note Pierce has strengthened his case to get the nod for 2024 and beyond. The team’s fourth win on his watch – a Christmas Day upset of the Chiefs – has them in contention for both the AFC West title and a wild-card berth with two weeks remaining in the season. The path to a playoff spot of any kind is narrow, but the fact the Raiders are still in contention is a dramatic turnaround from where things stood with McDaniels in place.

Pierce’s audition period has seen the team play with increased levels of discipline and physicality, something the ESPN report notes has “impressed” owner Mark Davis. The latter was in a similar position when Rich Bisaccia took over for Jon Gruden in 2021, but his relatively strong run was not sufficient to land him the permanent posting. Davis has since come to regret the decision to replace Bisaccia with McDaniels, but the current situation represents an opportunity to avoid a repeat of that perceived mistake.

Early reports in the aftermath of Pierce taking charge pointed to Davis being impressed with the improvement from the McDaniels regime. The Raiders have allowed more than 21 points in a game only once since the change was made, and a strong defensive showing will be needed to keep the team’s postseason chances alive. Regardless of if Vegas manages to secure a playoff berth or not, Pierce’s stock has certainly risen in recent weeks.

Much will depend on the team’s finish to the season, one in which Pierce has brought in a number of experienced staffers to help him in his (as of now) temporary assignment. The Raiders will likely have their new general manager in place early in the offseason to assist in the process of hiring a full-time head coach, something which still needs to satisfy the Rooney Rule. As things currently stand, though, that endeavor could very well result in Pierce being handed the reins on a permanent basis.

Mutual Extension Interest Between Cowboys, Dak Prescott

December 28th, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Cowboys have come up short in back-to-back road games against quality opponents, they have seen a bounce-back season from Dak Prescott. The clock on a Prescott extension is ticking, as 2024 presents an unfavorable situation for the team.

Prescott is signed through the ’24 season, but as detailed previously, the Cowboys have given their quarterback leverage that perhaps no active NFLer can match. Prescott is set to carry a $59.5MM 2024 cap number — which would shatter an NFL record — and holds a no-trade clause. Having been tagged in 2020 and ’21, Prescott will not be a tag candidate in 2025. These components, coupled with the quality season the eighth-year veteran has put together, set the stage for the NFL’s salary ceiling being raised again soon.

Joe Burrow‘s $55MM-per-year contract checked in $2.5MM north of the bar Justin Herbert set this offseason. Despite the four QBs who signed big-ticket extensions this offseason all being at least four years younger than Prescott, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz notes the Bengals’ Burrow deal will likely be considered the floor for a Prescott contract (video link).

Mutual interest exists between Prescott and the Cowboys on a new deal, Schultz adds. As of late November, the sides had not begun discussions. The Cowboys have until March 2025 before Prescott becomes a free agent, but the team will likely push to finalize an agreement well before that point. Prescott, 30, maximized his leverage when he signed his current four-year, $160MM deal in 2021. After two years of failed negotiations, the QB did not re-sign until just before the 2021 deadline to tag players. The Cowboys tagged Prescott a second time as a procedural matter, making another tag — no player has been tagged three times since the 2006 CBA made that route prohibitive — out of the equation.

Prescott leads the NFL with 30 touchdown passes, giving him a third season with at least 30, and sits behind only Brock Purdy and Josh Allen in QBR. How the Cowboys fare in the playoffs will obviously be pivotal to Prescott’s reputation, a matter constantly scrutinized due to the team’s popularity, but he will enter the 2024 offseason in commanding position regardless of how Dallas’ season concludes.

The team took care of Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele this offseason, along with ending Zack Martin‘s holdout with player-friendly guarantee terms. Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are squarely on Dallas’ extension radar for 2024, with Micah Parsons also becoming extension-eligible next year. Lamb is having an All-Pro-caliber season, while Parsons will command a defender-record deal. Prescott’s leverage complicates those contract timelines, and the Cowboys have the luxury of waiting until 2025 on Parsons — due to the fifth-year option — and would have a 2025 tag available for Lamb.

With each of the team’s three prime-years pillars on the extension radar for 2024, the Cowboys are set for another high-stakes offseason. Prescott finishing up his ’23 campaign strong will only strengthen his case for a deal that tops Burrow’s and approaches the $60MM-AAV mark.

Commanders Place RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. On IR

December 28th, 2023 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a breakout performance on Christmas Eve, Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is done for the season. The Commanders announced that they’ve placed the rookie on injured reserve. To fill the open roster spot, the team has activated linebacker De’Jon Harris from injured reserve.

With Brian Robinson Jr. out with an injury, Rodriguez got plenty of looks on Sunday. The sixth-round pick finished the game with 11 touches for 65 yards and two touchdowns. However, he was spotted wearing a boot after the game, and it was later revealed that he suffered an ankle injury in that loss to the Jets. After not practicing to begin this week, the Commanders decided to shut down the rookie for the rest of the campaign.

The Kentucky product finished his rookie season having collected 259 yards from scrimmage on 53 touches. Rodriguez also saw a significant role on special teams, getting into more than half his squad’s snaps. Robinson is trending in the right direction in his return from a hamstring injury, and he’d join Antonio Gibson atop the depth chart for the final two games.

Harris has spent the past few seasons in Washington, bouncing between the active roster and the practice squad. He got into six games this season before landing on injured reserve in November with a quad injury.

Latest On Mike McCarthy’s Job Status

December 28th, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Ben Levine

There’s been some speculation that Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy’s job status could be tied to his team’s playoff performance. However, barring some unexpected change, it’s sounding like McCarthy will be safe regardless of the postseason. As ESPN’s Dan Graziano passes along, “minds would likely have to be changed” if the Cowboys fire McCarthy following a disappointing playoff showing.

Graziano notes that ownership has been impressed by McCarthy’s ability to right the ship in Dallas, especially from an offensive perspective. He’s also kept his squad “even-keeled all season,” and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that the coach has “built a lot of goodwill” with the organization.

Of course, Graziano warns that, say, a humiliating first-round loss in Tampa Bay could obviously change things. But even then, the reporter in unconvinced that the organization would move on from their coach.

McCarthy took over for Jason Garrett in 2020. Thanks mostly to instability at quarterback, the Cowboys finished only 6-10 during McCarthy’s first season at the helm. Dallas has fared a whole lot better over the past two-plus seasons, going 12-5 in both 2021 and 2022.

However, the Cowboys have only won a single playoff game between those two campaigns, losing twice to the 49ers. As a result, there was plenty of speculation heading into the season that McCarthy could be the scapegoat following another playoff dud.

The Cowboys are eyeing a similar regular-season performance in 2023, going 10-5 through their first 15 games. This followed an offseason where McCarthy parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and took on play-calling duties. McCarthy is heading into lame duck status in 2024, so the Cowboys will have to make an offseason decision on the head coach one way or the other.

For what it’s worth, Jerry Jones unequivocally stated last year that the outcome of the postseason would not influence his decision on the head coach. We’ll see if the owner makes that kind of declaration in 2023.

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