“Sometimes, I wish it would happen,” Aikman said, smiling in a moment of intense sarcasm.
Of course, Aikman is playfully referring to a specific period of time during his illustrious career with the Cowboys, and if you know, you know.
But regarding McCarthy, and anyone else who might be in the final year of his current contract when the 2024 season begins — say, Dak Prescott (if an extension isn't agreed upon before September) — Aikman doesn't see it as an issue or a distraction.
“I don't think it matters very much, in fact it doesn't matter,” he explained.
He believes that despite the recent narrative, cowboy culture as a whole makes it difficult to want to leave.
“Whether it's the players or the coaches, I don't think there's a lot of people who want to go somewhere else,” Aikman said. “I think that's good for the organization, that they're able to let the players and the coaches go into their senior year, and put a little bit of pressure on them. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.”
“It's not ideal, but I don't think that's a big factor in the season. I really don't think so.”
McCarthy has had a string of regular-season success, with 36 regular-season wins and two NFC East titles over the past three seasons, that has never happened in Dallas, but his teams have also stalled in the postseason — prolonging an already grueling stretch Super Bowl drought.
Beating the Cowboys in January and February would be a win for McCarthy and everyone involved, as it would put them in position to take home the Lombardi Trophy and new contracts immediately afterward.
