Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy learned who Jerry Jones selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at the same time as Dallas fans. No longer a member of the organization, McCarthy has pivoted to broadcasting.
With some distance between himself and the separation from the Cowboys, the head coach has had an opportunity to process his stint with the team. He spoke about what it was like to work with Dallas from 2020 through the 2024 season.
Mike McCarthy Opens Up About Working For Jerry Jones
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular,” McCarthy delved into what it was like to work with the billionaire Cowboys owner. The comments came just moments after the team selected offensive guard Tyler Booker with the No. 12 overall pick.
The Dallas Cowboys are drafting Tyler Booker
"I love this pick by the Cowboys..
I loved my time in Dallas and it's a phenomenal organization" ~ Coach McCarthy#PMSDraftSpectacular #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/KMie4vYzvV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 25, 2025
“I love my time in Dallas. For the first time, I’m getting to enjoy the city some of the last couple months. Great city, phenomenal organization,” McCarthy said. “Cannot say enough about Jerry and [the] Jones family. Super, super cool, just the way you talk about a family organization, you talk about a close family. You guys are asking me, ‘Hey, what’s Jerry like?’ … I’m a better man today than I was when I went to Dallas.
“He’s such a great family man. The football experience, looking to do it a different way with the way my experience at Green Bay [was], so obviously that has benefited me some. And I’ll just say [in] the professional sense where you sit down and talk to Jerry about life, business, and things outside of football, it’s an education. And I’m very thankful to him and his family for the opportunity.”
In all, McCarthy only had positive things to say about the Cowboys owner and the city. If McCarthy is bitter about his breakup from the Cowboys, he’s certainly doing a great job of hiding it, as he only had glowing words for his former boss and employer.
With McCarthy out of the picture, Jones’ first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft was his first major investment for the future since promoting Brian Schottenheimer to head coach.
Many fans, pundits, and analysts called for the Cowboys to get the best running back they could at No. 12. However, with Ashton Jeanty off the board, Jones decided to fill in the offensive line instead.
With Tyron Smith and Zack Martin both retiring, Dallas was left with a glaring need in a position group that could have put Dak Prescott at risk while also hurt the rushing attack.
Instead of getting a running back, Jones decided to work from the offensive line back. Prior to the draft, Jones tipped his hand a bit by saying that Dallas’ rushing struggles last year were the fault of the offensive line rather than the running backs.
There are still plenty of running backs available on the board, as this is a very deep RB draft, so perhaps the Cowboys will look to select one on Day 2 of the draft. Or, maybe Jones will surprise fans again.