Mike McCarthy has been said to be on the hot seat for so long that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s been that way since the moment he was hired.
For the head coach himself, it’s just part of the gig.
McCarthy enters Year 4 with pressure to get the Cowboys over the proverbial hump that has daunted them for years. They took a step in the right direction last season, beating the Bucs in the wild card round before losing to the 49ers.
Winning just one playoff game, obviously, isn’t where the bar is set though. And with loads of talent around the roster, McCarthy is again perceived to be in danger of losing his job if the Cowboys can’t continue to grow this season.
McCarthy couldn’t help but crack a joke on Shan & RJ when asked if he hears all the noise.
“I just feel the love brother, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” McCarthy quipped.
“It’s part of the ride, it’s part of the responsibility,” he then added. “It’s definitely part of the responsibility of being a head coach in this league, and definitely part of being head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”
The Cowboys are 30-20 under McCarthy, and enter the 2023 season among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC. What bar McCarthy needs to clear in order to keep his job isn’t certain, but suffice it to say he’s acutely aware all this pressure simply goes with the territory.