While it was reported last week that Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could soon sign head coach Mike McCarthy to a new contract, McCarthy and his entire staff are still on expiring deals and, thus, could explore other options after the season.
For a piece published Thursday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared that McCarthy could have some interest in becoming the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.
“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,” Fowler explained. “…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.”
Of course, McCarthy earned a Super Bowl ring while serving as head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through much of the 2018 season. It appears his time with the Packers wouldn’t keep him from wanting to work with promising Bears quarterback and 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, but some think that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is Chicago’s first choice for the gig.
Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has also been linked with the Bears.
The Cowboys went 12-5 each season from 2021-23 under McCarthy but recorded only a single playoff win over that time. More recently, a noteworthy injury crisis sunk Dallas’ postseason hopes before the club played in Week 16.
“The Cowboys are not leaning in one direction as of this moment,” Fowler added. “They truly are focused on ending the season and will have open and honest talks with McCarthy next week. They aren’t looking at other candidates right now, and they know that whether McCarthy wants to comb the open market is up to him.”
Perhaps McCarthy is comfortable in Dallas and will fight for a new deal from the club. Then again, perhaps he’ll decide he’s had enough of “America’s Team” after working under Jones through a contract year.
McCarthy’s current players seemingly want him to stick around, but he won’t owe them or Jones much of anything after this Sunday’s NFL action concludes.
