Cowboys executive Will McClay signing contract extension to remain in Dallas

Any team hoping to get a shot at wooing away Will McClay from the Dallas Cowboys is out of luck, not that any had a very real shot at doing so anyway. With the NFL having seen the first Monday following the regular season feature a list of head coach and general manager firings (and one retirement), those very clubs have now pressed their right foot to the floor in requesting interviews for capable minds, and that thrust McClay’s name to the forefront of the conversation — as is usually the case for the very talented and highly coveted VP of player personnel in Dallas.

He is, however, not going anywhere anytime soon. McClay and the Cowboys are in agreement on a contract extension, the team announced on Thursday. McClay joined the organization in 2009 as a pro scouting coordinator before enjoying success and several promotions leading to his current position.

This removes one of the best scouting and personnel minds in football from the equation of any who thought they’d get a word with him, something owner Jerry Jones has no interest in allowing to happen. Known for once famously declaring “I don’t get hand cramps when writing checks”, the Hall of Fame owner knows his bread is buttered by what McClay does in the NFL Draft, and that the team would likely be toast for years to come without him at the help alongside the Joneses. And as for the title of general manager, it’s never been something McClay has been pressed to care about — considering the massive amount of power he has within the Cowboys’ organization that is second to only the Joneses themselves.

Adding to it all is the fact McClay and his family, particularly his children, have very deep roots in the North Texas community and to relocate would mean uprooting; and that’s something McClay has no interest in doing. So not only were other clubs swimming upstream in whatever financial offer they would’ve made for McClay, that stream being Jerry Jones’ bottomless bank account and passionate want to keep McClay in the building, but they also would’ve been hard-pressed to convince him walking away from his stature with the team and forcing a move on his family as well would’ve been worth it.

It’s something the Houston Texans, as one example, tried recently, but to no avail, when McClay turned down an interview for their GM position a couple of years ago. Prying McClay away from North Texas again won’t happen in 2022, and depending upon the contract he and the Cowboys land on, not any time in the near future, either.