FRISCO – In a “new report” on the job security of Mike McCarthy, ESPN both regurgitates old news and puts a weirdly positive spin on a Dallas Cowboys decision that by any measure is a “jury-is-out” situation.

In response to one of the one of the most shocking and disappointing ends to a season in the franchise’s storied 64-year history, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Wednesday night chose to retain McCarthy as his head coach.

As we wrote that night: “By deciding to retain his head coach and make him work next season with no job security and on the final year his contract, Jones essentially is making McCarthy … coach the Cowboys as a lame duck.”

We were told that. We told you that. But four days later, we’ve got Adam Schefter of ESPN telling you he’s got “sources” saying it.

We will say this: Four days late, Schefter’s “sources” are correct.

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Meanwhile, we quoted directly Jones explaining his decision: “I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach. There is great benefit to continuing the team’s progress under Mike’s leadership as our head coach. … I am 100-percent supportive of him as our head coach and ability to reach our goals.”

That’s it. Because we know that Jones’ plan before the devastating loss to Green Bay was to give McCarthy a contract extension, and because we know the loss dried up that scheduled offer, this amounts to “punishment” for the coach.

ESPN is trying to twist it into something else, Schefter noting that Jones’ view is that “the last year of a contract … can it often can bring out the best in people.”

That’s true. But McCarthy isn’t a lame duck because it’s advantageous for him. He’s not getting an extension because an extension represents a reward that he did not earn.