Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will have surgery Wednesday — five days before the biggest game of the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles — after being diagnosed with an acute case of appendicitis, the team said.
McCarthy experienced abdominal pain Wednesday morning before seeing the team’s medical staff. He is expected to be released from the hospital later Wednesday and anticipates coaching Sunday.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and fellow coordinators Brian Schottenheimer and John Fassel will run practice while McCarthy, who turned 60 last month, recuperates. His absence complicates the process since he is the offensive playcaller, but he does designate duties to Schottenheimer and the other offensive coaches.
The Cowboys are first in points per game (32.3) and fifth in yards per game (380.4) with McCarthy calling plays. He has a 164-100-2 career regular-season record and is the fifth-winningest active coach.
In 2021, McCarthy missed a game at New Orleans after testing positive for COVID, and Quinn took over head coaching duties.
Players were informed as to why McCarthy was absent prior to the morning walkthrough after he was not at the team meeting to start the day. Quinn said he arrived at The Star at the same time as McCarthy and the head coach told him he wasn’t feeling well.