Jerry Jones confirms Mike McCarthy will be the Cowboys' play caller in 2023


Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Wednesday that head coach Mike McCarthy will call offensive plays next season.

The move will mark the first time since 2012 a Cowboys head coach serves as a play caller. Jason Garrett called the offensive plays that season.

McCarthy is widely expected to run a version of the West Coast offense he used from 2006 to 2018, when he was with the Packers.

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Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC divisional playoff game at Levi's Stadium Jan. 22, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in an NFC divisional playoff game at Levi’s Stadium Jan. 22, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif.
(Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

“This is the logical step to build on it and use what we’ve established, if you will, the foundation of the things we’ve got,” Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. “This is the time for us to build on it. That’s what this is, a building step.”

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Veteran quarterback Dak Prescott will experience a change to an offensive system for the first time in his NFL career.

Dallas drafted Prescott in the fourth round in 2016. Since then, the Cowboys have employed versions of a similar offense, even when they hired different coordinators. Scott Linehan was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2016 until 2018. Former quarterback Kellen Moore was brought after in Linehan, but Moore parted ways with the team Sunday.

Three days later, the Chargers named Moore their next offensive coordinator and held an introductory press conference.

Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys visit during warmups before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals  at AT and T Stadium Sept. 18, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.

Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys visit during warmups before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals  at AT and T Stadium Sept. 18, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
(Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

“Felt like I was kind of in that space,” Moore said about the decision to depart Dallas. “It works for both sides.”

Dallas also parted ways with several other coaches last week, including assistant head coach Rob Davis, senior defensive assistant George Edwards, former Miami head coach Joe Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and quality control analyst Kyle Valero.

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Jones also confirmed the Cowboys conducted interviews with Jeff Nixon and Thomas Brown for the offensive coordinator vacancy. 

Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talk with the media during a press conference at the Ford Center at The Star Jan. 8, 2020, in Frisco, Texas.

Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talk with the media during a press conference at the Ford Center at The Star Jan. 8, 2020, in Frisco, Texas.
(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Nixon currently serves as a Panthers assistant head coach, while Brown is the Rams’ tight ends coach. Whoever Dallas hires as an offensive coordinator will likely assist McCarthy throughout the practice week with game planning and play design.

“It will be, in principle, the way he operated in Green Bay, which I’m sure he’ll tell you evolved,” Jones noted.

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The Cowboys finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and reached the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Dallas won a road game in the postseason for the first time in 30 years when the team defeated the Buccaneers in the wild-card round.

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