Like so much else in those long 29 years, Mike McCarthy’s time in Dallas ended in confusion.

It didn’t come with a bang or a whimper. There was no loud announcement or even a late morning press release as one would expect from most NFL teams. That would never happen with the Dallas Cowboys.

Instead, we experienced a week of uncertainty and closed-door negotiations. The Cowboys didn’t like their head coach so much that they immediately signed him to a new contract, but they liked him enough to discourage other clubs from inquiring about his services.

Luckily, the news finally got through after eight days. McCarthy’s contract doesn’t officially expire until Tuesday night, but he won’t get a new contract with the Cowboys. A confusing start to the new year.

This should be nothing new for the loyal followers of this legendary franchise. January can often be a confusing time for the Cowboys. This may not be a playoff fiasco like “Dez got it” or last year’s wild card failure, but it’s still a fitting conclusion.

After all, McCarthy’s entire term in office could be described as confusing.

Maybe this seems strange to you now. Considering how things have turned out in 2024, it’s easy to resign the last five years to the scrap heap of mediocrity. It’s been 12 months since the playoff loss to Green Bay forced McCarthy to work for his coaching job. It has been 10 months since it became painfully clear that McCarthy would not have the squad of the same quality as in previous years. It’s been four months since the Cowboys opened their season in lazy fashion, and it’s been three months since they lost Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury.

And it’s true that the NFL is more of a zero-sum game. McCarthy was hired in January 2020 to bring a proud franchise back to a championship, like he did for the Green Bay Packers. At his inaugural press conference, he beamed with pride at what he had accomplished elsewhere and his “unwavering commitment” to do the same in Dallas.

With that in mind, and given the growing number of years that have passed since the Cowboys won a championship, it’s easy to dismiss it as a failure.

But it also doesn’t do justice to what the Dallas Cowboys were before his arrival.

Like it or not, McCarthy’s .583 winning percentage is the second-best by a Cowboys head coach since the glory days of the mid-90s. His three playoff appearances are tied with Jason Garrett’s for the most since the team won its last Super Bowl – and McCarthy has done that in half as many seasons.

That’s the confusing part. The stark truth is that McCarthy oversaw the most stable run of successful Cowboys football in a generation. When he was hired in 2020, the Cowboys hadn’t made consecutive trips to the postseason since 2006-07. And ultimately, his three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021-23 marked the club’s best regular season since 1993-95.

However, it all pales in comparison to the events of the following January months. Three early playoff exits in a row – bullied by the 49ers in 2022, bullied by them again in 2023, humiliated at home by the Packers in 2024. To date, the Cowboys are the only No. 2 seed to have lost to a No. 7 seed since the NFL playoffs were expanded five years ago. And if we’re being blunt, it’s worth noting that McCarthy’s only playoff win with Dallas came against a Tampa Bay team that finished its season 8-9. Not exactly a confidence-inspiring result.

The Cowboys finished with a top-five offense under McCarthy in each of the three seasons he had a healthy Prescott. Speaking of Dak: McCarthy also oversaw his quarterback’s only All-Pro season to date. If you’re feeling less generous, the Cowboys also ranked in the top six in penalties suffered in four of McCarthy’s five seasons. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

That leaves us here: the Dallas Cowboys, who have played more football in the regular season than they have in generations, but are as far away from playoff success as ever; and Mike McCarthy, who averaged 10 wins a year and has nothing tangible to show for it.

Cowboys fans are right to want and expect more than Mike McCarthy has delivered. But as the 25 years before him show, they should also be wary that the next coach will do better.

Perhaps that’s the least confusing way to put this. Mike McCarthy is leaving Dallas after failing to end the Cowboys’ 29-year march through the Super Bowl wilderness. But as they prepare to continue on this path under new leadership, one may wonder who exactly will lead them back to glory.

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously covered the Cowboys for the team’s official website for nine seasons. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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