Cowboys' Micah Parsons addresses controversial Mike McCarthy comments

Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons raised some eyebrows and received some criticism when he suggested following Dallas' 34-6 home loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday he wasn't all that worried about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy. 

McCarthy revealed on Monday that he and Parsons "had a conversation" about what the 25-year-old said shortly after Dallas fell to 3-6 on what's become a disappointing season for the franchise. Later, Parsons addressed the matter during the latest edition of his "The Edge with Micah Parsons" podcast. 

"I never once threw, or even intended to throw, Mike McCarthy under the bus," Parsons explained, as shared by Todd Archer of ESPN. "...The question that was asked was about here and the Dallas Cowboys, did I see Mike McCarthy in our future? And I said, 'That's above my pay grade.' Never once have I ever intended or wanted to reflect on Mike McCarthy's career because I always knew it was a good one. I've always had a great relationship with Mike McCarthy. And I never even put that in question."

McCarthy has been the subject of job-security rumors throughout 2024, as he's in the final season of a contract that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones never came close to extending before Dallas lost six of nine games. With quarterback Dak Prescott reportedly sidelined for the rest of the season due to a partially torn hamstring, many within the NFL community assume Jones will move on from McCarthy as soon as the league's "Black Monday" arrives after Week 18. 

"When you play football, all coaching aside, you can look at college. You can look at even the pros," Parsons continued, per Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. "Coaches, their careers are way longer. They can decide to take a better job. They can move on. You see that a lot from (defensive coordinators), (offensive coordinators). Head-coaching positions, sometimes a better job opening just opens up. You truly never know. You never know how the dice is going to roll with coaches." 

Even if Parsons never intended to imply that he and others in the locker room have given up on McCarthy, it nevertheless appears the Cowboys are roughly two months away from enduring somewhat of a reset that may or may not involve former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick joining the organization. Simply put, the Dallas roster may not have the available horses needed to save McCarthy's job even if he's adored by players. 

McCarthy's Cowboys host the 6-4 Houston Texans Monday night. As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Dallas as a seven-point underdog for that matchup.