NFL great Troy Aikman slams Cowboys over Mike McCarthy departure

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Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman had some harsh words for the Dallas Cowboys after the team parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday.

McCarthy and the Cowboys split after the two sides failed to come to an agreement on contract length, according to multiple reports. McCarthy’s deal was set to expire on Tuesday, and the Cowboys will have gotten into the head-coaching carousel a little later than expected.

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Aikman broke down the move on Monday night.

“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be … It suggests that there’s not a real plan,” he said before calling the playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings.

“I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team. Whoever is the head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention, but I think most football people that take over as a head coach they want to do it on their terms and that’s hard to do.

“I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well. To say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.”

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Aikman said it seemed “logical” that former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore would be a candidate for the head-coaching job. However, he made clear that anyone who came into the position may not be themselves exactly.

McCarthy became the head coach of the Cowboys before the 2020 season, taking over for Jason Garrett, who had spent 10 years at the helm. Though McCarthy went 6-10 in his first season, he saw some success when the team was healthy.

Dallas was 12-5 and won two division titles from 2021 to 2023. The team made the playoffs each year but failed to get back to the NFC Championship, which has eluded them since they last won the Super Bowl in 1995.