Troy Aikman Believes Cowboys Will Bring Back Mike McCarthy

Cowboys fans hoping for a new head coach might have to wait a while longer ... Troy Aikman tells TMZ Sports he thinks his former team will stick with Mike McCarthy in 2025.

The current Dallas sideline manager's contract expires following this season ... and after his team has floundered to a 5-8 record so far this year -- there's been a whole lot of people in Texas eager to see a new face in the Cowboys' headset.

But, when we caught up with Aikman on Wednesday ... he told us he doesn't believe Mike's going anywhere.

"My gut tells me, right now, he will be back," the Hall of Famer said. "That's an assumption on my part, but that's kind of what I'm feeling right now."

Aikman appeared to believe that'd be the right move too -- telling us a majority of Dallas' 2024 issues do NOT "land at the doorstep of Mike McCarthy."

Aikman said "perplexing" offseason roster decisions contributed to the disappointing year -- as did injuries ... none of which McCarthy could control.

"Mike McCarthy is a hell of a football coach," Aikman said, "and he's going to get other opportunities if in fact it's not here in Dallas."

McCarthy has four more games left to prove Aikman right -- but they won't be gimmes by any means ... as the final three alone are against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Washington.