REPORT: Mike McCarthy Emerges As Candidate To Take Over Head Coaching Job Of Another NFC Team In 2025

Mike McCarthy (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Mike McCarthy will reportedly explore another NFL head coaching vacancy if he leaves the Dallas Cowboys after this season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn’t yet announced if he’ll retain Mike McCarthy, whose five-year contract expires after this season. The Cowboys (7-9) wrap up the regular season against the NFC East rival Washington Commanders.

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, McCarthy would be interested in the Chicago Bears’ HC gig if the Cowboys decided to move on. Chicago fired head coach Matt Eberflus in November and named Thomas Brown the interim HC:

“Pete Carroll might not be the only Super Bowl-winning coach vying for the Bears job. I’ve talked. I’ve talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago. He would give the Bears much-needed experience and offensive acumen.

Despite his rocky tenure in Dallas, McCarthy would stack up well if parachuting into this candidate pool and provide leadership. He turned 61 in November but seems to have the energy for the job. He’s quite familiar with NFC North football, too. This might not graduate from a working theory stage, but enough people have mentioned the scenario to make it worth mentioning here.”

The Bears are 0-4 under Brown, so it’s impossible to envision him retaining the HC duties after 2024. Chicago will most certainly look at a new head coach, but it’s anybody’s guess if they’d seriously consider Mike McCarthy.

On one hand, McCarthy has a reputation as one of the best offensive-minded coaches of his generation, and the numbers don’t lie. Both the Cowboys (in 2021 and 2023) and Green Bay Packers (2011 and 2014) fielded the league’s No. 1 scoring offense twice during his HC tenures, and folks oftentimes forget that he coached Aaron Rodgers’ group to a Super Bowl 45 title in 2010.

On the other, McCarthy’s teams have underachieved significantly since the Pack won it all under his watch. He never got back to another Super Bowl with Rodgers and star-studded Green Bay teams, and he’s won just a single playoff game as Dallas’ head coach.

Mike McCarthy Would Be A Fascinating Fit In Chicago

McCarthy’s playoff woes over the last 14 years can’t be ignored, but a Chicago team with plenty of young talent and a franchise QB in Caleb Williams would be a good landing spot for him.

Hate on McCarthy all you want, but he has consistently produced top-10 offenses in nearly 20 years as a head coach. Seeing how awful the Bears’ offense has been over the past decade, it may be worth taking a chance on an experienced offensive-minded coach like McCarthy.