FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones hasn’t done Mike McCarthy any favors in 2024. Now the two will go their separate ways.

McCarthy will not return as the Cowboys’ head coach in 2025, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

Jones allowed McCarthy and his entire staff to spend the season practicing in the final year of their contracts with a squad that was arguably worse than the one that lost to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round last January.

Yes, the Cowboys made quarterback Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history and CeeDee Lamb the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, but they would be on the team in 2024 regardless of whether they had an extension or not. The team took few steps to surround its highly paid talent and set it up for success.

The Cowboys’ most notable free agent signing was linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year, $3 million contract. He exceeded his asking price, leading the Cowboys in tackles, serving as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s on-field coach and mentoring younger linebackers like DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau.

The second biggest addition was running back Ezekiel Elliott, who returned after a year-long hiatus. It didn’t work. Elliott, who rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns, was inactive for one game for disciplinary reasons and was released at his request before Week 18 so he could try to sign with a playoff team.

The Cowboys had varying degrees of success in training camp with the addition of defensive end Carl Lawson as a free agent and Linval Joseph as a defensive tackle.

But that’s it.

The Cowboys relied on internal improvements, and those came in varying doses from players like defensive tackle Mazi Smith, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, linebacker Overshown and defensive end Chauncey Golston.

But tight end Jake Ferguson was less effective in 2024 (474 ​​receiving yards, no touchdowns) after being named to the Pro Bowl squad in 2023 (761 receiving yards, five touchdowns). Pass rusher Sam Williams tore his left ACL during training camp. Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert led the Cowboys in touchdown catches (seven) but was too quiet as the No. 2 receiver for part of the season. After catching the game-winning pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, he only played two games with more than three catches and one game with more than 45 yards for the rest of the season.

Yes, the injuries took their toll, but even the Cowboys struggled when healthy.

There were ups and downs in this year’s rookie class. First-round offensive tackle Tyler Guyton had an inconsistent season in which he struggled with injuries and was taken off the field at times for poor play, including 18 penalties. Second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive player, struggled with a right knee injury most of the season. Third-round pick Cooper Beebe looks like a goalie under center. This also applies to Liufau as a linebacker. Fourth-round cornerback Caelen Carson’s confidence waned early and he ended the season on injured reserve after shoulder surgery.

McCarthy has served as a draft and development coach since his time with the Packers. Aside from signing cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Julius Peppers, they rarely resorted to free agency.

The Cowboys have also become a draft-and-develop team, but ignoring free agency doesn’t make the roster any better.

The Cowboys have not played at the top end of the free agent market in more than a decade (Brandon Carr, 2012). Instead, they’ve focused on the middle or low end of the market, which is why they didn’t explore the possibility of adding elite free agent running back Derrick Henry and signed Elliott last offseason. They believe in retaining as many of their own players as possible

Ultimately the approach was good. Just not good enough for a Super Bowl run.

In 2023, the Cowboys’ big moves were trading cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. They gave up Day 3 picks in favor of proven commodities. They didn’t make similar moves last offseason. At the trade deadline this season, the Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. He caught five passes, but his story will continue in 2025 when he has a full offseason with Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense.

The decision to leave McCarthy isn’t just about a 7-10 record in 2024, but also his five years as head coach. Ultimately, McCarthy was hired to at least get the Cowboys to an NFC championship game, a spot they hadn’t reached since 1995, and in three postseason chances that didn’t happen.

If the next coach is to achieve those goals, Jones will be under pressure to improve the roster more than he did in McCarthy’s final season in Dallas.