DALLAS Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy made a direct message concerning his future with the NFL team.

The 61-year-old McCarthy and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones were both seen in an interaction after the team's Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, but that didn't stop the squad from pulling off a 26-24 upset win against the Buccaneers.

Dallas has won four of their last five games and can still find a way to finish over .500 with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders in the final two games.

McCarthy's job has been under a microscope throughout the year and he was asked about dealing with questions about his future due to the fact he is in the final year of his contract.

"I believe in time and place and this isn't the time or place. ... I'm more focused on (the rest of the team/coaches). It benefits everybody for me just to stay on course," he said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.

NFL fans also noticed McCarthy embracing Jones in the locker room after the Cowboys' latest victory.

Jones then spoke to his coach and the two appeared to have a conversation.

Throughout the campaign, Jones has praised McCarthy and the job he's done with the injury-riddled team.

The Cowboys have been without star quarterback Dak Prescott since Week 9 due to a season-ending hamstring injury.

On November 26, he said it's not "crazy at all" to believe McCarthy could receive a new contract.

However, on his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan's Shan & RJ show, Jones shared a blunt response when speaking about McCarthy's future with the organization.

"We're just talking about what is positive right now. We started the conversation talking about how good a job I think with the circumstances that we've been dealing with, how good a job that the coaching staff is doing," Jones said.

"It's led by Mike McCarthy. And that's what we're doing. ... I'm very impressed with how this team and how it's playing, and the level of tenacity, and I'm impressed with the fact we've got a lot of young players getting a lot of experience out there.

"The future looks bright there with those players."

Jones also revealed he frequently talks with McCarthy about his future with the Cowboys, but that's not necessarily a hint that he will remain with the squad.

"It's implied every conversation we have about a position, about a player. Most of the time when you're discussing a situation on this football team, you're talking about the future," he said.

"Now the future might be the next game, or it could be next month but it's always not so much dwelling on what happened last Sunday or what happened two weeks ago, not so much there.

"That's a reference point and that's what you've got to make a decision on.

"But all that counts is the next minute and going forward from there without being anyway. The future is where our decision-making is."

McCarthy has a 49-33 record in five seasons leading the Cowboys.