The move comes after McCarthy and the Cowboys missed the playoffs for the first time since his inaugural season in 2020.

A less-charitable one, considering Dallas’ breadth of data on McCarthy’s performance and this season effectively being over since October, is this being the latest clumsy attempt at a football telenovela, with the plot twist—surprise, Mike is gone after all!—timed to drop the morning after two of Dallas’ NFC East rivals each won playoff games.

Overall, McCarthy leaves the Cowboys after earning a 50-36 record (playoffs included), three postseason appearances, two NFC East titles, and one lone Wild Card win – albeit over Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in his last game ever.