Add Micah Parsons to the list of Cowboys voices clamoring for Mike McCarthy's return.
A 5-7 season plagued by an underperforming but injury-depleted roster has seemingly put McCarthy, who entered the year as a lame duck without a contract beyond the 2024 campaign, in potential danger of not getting another deal in Dallas.
Parsons, however, wants another chance for everybody involved.
"I think I would like a fair shot with everyone back -- players, coaches -- because the injuries kind of struck of what this season could really be," Parsons told . "The injuries have been terrible. And, you know, it really sucks. Seeing Zack (Martin), D-Law (Demarcus Lawrence) not having the year I know he planned to have. He had such a great start. It really sucks.
"In terms of coaching, man, Coach Mike, me and his relationship has always been really good. He always took real good care of me. I just don't know how the how the business side of it's going to go, you know? [Owner and general manager Jerry Jones] has his own mindset about who he wants to coach. This is his team. I'm kind of just, like, a pawn in this business."
Though he's not the primary decision maker in who coaches America's Team, Parsons is also far from a pawn when it comes to Dallas' future.
He's the team's best defensive player, a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons who has never finished outside the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Despite previously saying he feels worse for the players than the coaches during a trying season, he has now joined the team's offensive leader, quarterback Dak Prescott, in voicing support for McCarthy.
Prescott said on Tuesday that McCarthy deserves another contract, and even owner Jerry Jones acknowledged a week before Prescott's vote of confidence that it wouldn't be "crazy at all" to extend the coach for a sixth year.
This trickle of support comes amid a two-game winning streak, with the Cowboys looking at a 3% chance at reaching the playoffs.
They've already guaranteed themselves their worst record since 2020, the first year in the McCarthy era, which preceded three consecutive 12-win campaigns that stalled in the postseason.
There's plenty of blame to go around for the slog. As head coach, Mike McCarthy must shoulder a certain degree of it. There's also defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, responsible for a unit that slipped from fifth in scoring to 29th during his first year in charge, and Jones added little to the team during free agency to help get over the hump.
But as Parsons pointed out, injuries have been a massive concurrent storyline. Parsons, himself, missed four games. Prescott is out for the remainder of the year. Lawrence, mentioned by Parsons above, hasn't played since Week 4, and Martin is set to undergo season-ending ankle surgery. Cornerback DaRon Bland, who last year set the NFL's single-season pick-six record, didn't play until Week 12 due to a stress fracture in his foot.
It's impossible to ignore the ailments as part of the equation in 2024. How much they'll factor into the equation of keeping McCarthy and other parties for the 2025 season remains to be seen.
Parsons will be there regardless, playing under his $21.3 million fifth-year rookie option and next in line for a massive pay day after Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signed extensions ahead of the current season.
No matter who eventually dons the headset, locking Parsons down could mean considerably more to Dallas' long-term future.
"I'm Jerry's guy," he said. "I think it will be quite ... I know it's easier said than done because I'm not at the table but that's my guy. We talk about it and how much we appreciate each side, but I know numbers talk. But man, at the end of the day whatever it takes for me just to continue to be a Cowboy until I retire, that's what I want. And I know it's going to be hard conversations and reality checks, but I think I'm a good enough caliber to be here."
