Legendary Cowboys coach proposes blockbuster Mike McCarthy for Mike Tomlin trade amid both franchises' turmoil

The Dallas Cowboys are still dithering on head coach Mike McCarthy's future after finishing 7-10 in 2024, their first losing record since they went 6-10 in his 2020 debut. However, according to Jimmy Johnson, there is one clear-cut solution for Jerry Jones.

During Fox's NFL pregame show on Sunday, he proposed that the organization trade McCarthy for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin.

"Things are stale in Pittsburgh," Johnson said. "Things are stale in Dallas. ... How about a coaching swap? Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy. Let him go to [the Steelers]. Let Mike Tomlin go to [the Cowboys]. Both franchises would be excited."

Tomlin is coming off his sixth straight (and fifth straight one-and-done) playoff loss. They lost 28-14 to the Baltimore Ravens in Saturday's wild-card game.

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Cowboys named most favorable coaching job as organization ponders Mike McCarthy's future

Should the Cowboys decide that Mike McCarthy has outstayed his welcome, then the ensuing vacancy will prove among the best of the early offseason - maybe even the outright best one.

The Athletic’s Jeff Howe recently interviewed a number of coaches and executives (all of whom requested anonymity) on which opening they felt offered the most benefits. The Cowboys’ got the most points at 32, ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ (27) and the New England Patriots (26). (The Patriots eventually hired former linebacker rnad Tennessee Titans leader Mike Vrabel on Sunday, the day after the results were revealed.)

The first of three reasons cited was the strength of the roster, even with its issues:

“The Cowboys are up against the salary cap and need to extend annual NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons. There also are dangers with having a host of highly paid veteran stars, as a rash of injuries can quickly expose depth issues. But the Cowboys, behind VP of player personnel Will McClay, tend to draft well and have waves of younger players on the horizon.”

The other two were the prospect of job security - owner Jerry Jones has fired a head coach only once (Wade Phillips in 2010, and even then he had had three full seasons beforehand), and the lure of bringing a Super Bowl to Arlington - an achievement that could define their legacy.