Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys allowing head coach Mike McCarthy to walk

Mike McCarthy will not return for a sixth season as the Dallas Cowboys head coach, NFL Network reported Monday.

McCarthy's contract expires Tuesday.

A Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Green Bay Packers -- a prize won, ironically, at AT&T Stadium -- McCarthy was hired to get the team over the NFC Divisional round hump. Dallas reached the playoffs annually from 2021-23, but lost twice to San Francisco and then to Green Bay in humiliating fashion in 2023. Since the NFL expanded its playoff bracket in 2020, Dallas remains the only No. 2 seed to lose in the Wild Card round.

Still, Jerry Jones left observers guessing to the very end. 

"I can't tell you how proud I am of the way the coaching staff, led by Mike McCarthy, the way that the leadership on this team, and really proud of these young players," Jones said after Dallas beat Tampa Bay on Dec. 22. "They just are growing mentally and physically by leaps and bounds, makes me think we've got and outstanding future ahead of us."

The Chicago Bears requested permission to interview McCarthy last week, which the Cowboys denied. The Bears and others -- the Saints are also expected to be interested -- will not need permission as of midnight tonight, as the 174-game winning head coach is set to hit the open market and the Cowboys will look for a new head coach.

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.

Update: The team has announced the move.