Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is a long way from being re-signed, despite what team owner Jerry Jones says.

The crushing playoff defeat in the 2023 season and the resounding failure in the current season, in which the Cowboys fell from being a Super Bowl LIX contending team to having minimal chances of advancing to the playoffs, are indicative of the urgency for a change of direction within the franchise.

Despite the support has had from some external figures such as former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, or now analyst Tom Brady, as well as his own passer Dak Prescott, the team’s renewal should not include the coach next season.

Jerry Jones said that it’s not “crazy” to think McCarthy could be rehired, but still doesn’t see how he could get away with it.

In the different media, an endless number of candidates have been suggested to lead the Lone Star team, and the names range from an experienced and six-time Super Bowl winner such as Bill Belichick, to a former quarterback and assistant coach of the team such as Kellen Moore.

On ESPN, analyst Jeremy Fowler said: “Kellen Moore has certainly helped himself while coaching the Eagles offense this season. He could be looking for a better position in Dallas and elsewhere.”

Moore is the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, having worked with the Cowboys as a player and highly regarded coordinator. He is a success with the Eagles who rank seventh in points per game (26.7) and first in rushing yards per game (188.9) and are among the favorites for the Super Bowl.

Names such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing are added to the list, according to athlonsports.com

Coen, 39, has the Bucs with a prominent offense that scores an average of 28 points per game, but has no head coaching experience and has no connection to Dallas.

Petzing, 37, has the Cardinals among the NFL’s top six rushing teams, but he has no head coaching experience, is in his first season as a coordinator at any level, and has no connection to Dallas.

If the Cowboys release McCarthy, Dallas’ search is likely to include candidates with head coaching experience and some level of familiarity with the Cowboys. Moore fits into that second category; Coen and Petzing do not.

The Jones family, of course, should consider all possible concepts in the future, including a coach with all the experience and wisdom in the world like Bill Belichick.

For now, the future is up in the air as the Cowboys are enduring one of their worst and most disappointing seasons in many years.