The sands are slipping through the hourglass for head coach Mike McCarthy, as his contract with the Dallas Cowboys expires in a mere five days. Dallas, after a 7-10 stumble in 2024, are now locked in a tense standoff with their head coach and his future,

Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy met for a third consecutive day about the head coach’s fate with the Cowboys, two people with knowledge of the process told The Dallas Morning News. Discussions are expected to continue Friday.

This is what Cowboys purgatory looks like. Mike McCarthy’s job with the team is very much undecided with his contract expiring in less than a week. But as ESPN reported Thursday, the “future” was on the table during a recent discussion between the Super Bowl-winning coach and team owner Jerry Jones.