Cowboys' Micah Parsons feels bad for Zack Martin, veteran players

ARLINGTON, Texas -- After Sunday's loss dropped the Dallas Cowboys to 3-6, pass rusher Micah Parsons was asked what he would tell people wondering whether Mike McCarthy would be the head coach in 2025.

"That's above my pay grade, if Mike's coach again next year," Parsons said. "All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go where he wants to. Guys I kind of feel bad for is guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out, because that's who I wanted to hold the trophy for.

"You want to win games and do great things with those type of legends who put in more time and work than Mike McCarthy ever did. So, those are the kind of guys that I have so much sympathy and hurt for."

Martin, 33, is the longest-tenured Cowboy, a first-round draft pick in 2014 and a nine-time Pro Bowler. He is tied for the most first-team All-Pro selections in franchise history (7) with Hall of Famers Bob Lilly and Randy White.

Martin is in the final year of his contract and has battled through ankle and shoulder injuries for most of the season.

McCarthy is in his 18th year as an NFL head coach and has 170 regular-season wins and a Super Bowl victory with the  Green Bay Packers to his credit. He helped the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons, from 2021 to 2023, but could not advance past the divisional round of the playoffs.

Like Martin, McCarthy is in the final year of his contract.

McCarthy on Monday said he was six plays into his preparation for next Monday's home game against the Houston Texans when he stopped to have a conversation with Parsons about his comments.

"We need to keep it to football," McCarthy said. "If not, our opponent is an hour or two ahead of us."

As McCarthy added, "With postgame remarks, when it creates questions for others in the locker room, it's something I've always done -- a conversation has to happen. So, Micah and I had a conversation this morning about it. Handled these things like men should handle it."

McCarthy explained that Parsons' intent was not to question the coach.

Parsons on Monday  said on his podcast, "The Edge with Micah Parsons," that, "I never once threw, or even intended to throw, Mike McCarthy under the bus."

"Like I said, he's one of the most winningest [coaches]. He is a Super Bowl champ. I never once brung up his past," Parsons said. "And 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.' So, not once did 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."

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones reiterated a point after Sunday's  34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that he has made before: "I don't believe we'll make a coaching change during the season."

The Cowboys are not out of the playoff hunt, but they likely will be without quarterback  Dak Prescott for the remainder of the season. He was traveling to New York on Monday to see a specialist about the partial avulsion of his right hamstring. Surgery is expected to take place Wednesday.

Jones said he would take into consideration all of the factors of what has gone wrong this season, including the number of injuries. Parsons returned to the lineup against the Eagles after missing four games with a left high ankle sprain.

"My criteria has always been, 'How we're playing. Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we're down?' Those kinds of things," Jones said. "Not as much, obviously, the score. What does Bill [Parcells] say? You are what the score tells you you are? But still you look at all of those things and there's no fairness.

"Let me be real clear. Nobody's trying to be fair here. We're trying to win a game. And so, those are the things I'm looking at to help be a part of decisions that could help us win a game. There's no joy here without winning games, and I'm very regretful to our fans. Very."

Not only is McCarthy on the final year of his deal but so is the entire coaching staff.

"There's a lot of options," Jones said when asked about other possibilities for change. "Whether or not they change the equation for the positive, that's the issue. And so, there's a lot of things you can do differently, but that wouldn't necessarily bring a positive result."