According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Mike McCarthy will not return as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, ending a five-year tenure with the team.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints will be interested in McCarthy.

The Cowboys went 49-35 under McCarthy from 2020 to 2024, made the playoffs every year from 2021 to 2023 and won the NFC East in 2021 and 2023. Dallas also won twelve games from 2021 to 2023, marking the team’s most successful three games. Regular season year since 1993-1995.

However, there was no playoff success. McCarthy’s teams were particularly upset at home in the NFC Wild Card Round in 2021 and 2023 against the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers.

The offense was largely idle in the 49ers game and lost 23:17. Dallas trailed 23-7 with 12 minutes left before a too-little-too-late rally.

Two years later, Dallas was the clear favorite against the No. 7 seed Packers. But Green Bay outscored the Cowboys, building a 27-0 lead in the second quarter and a 48-16 lead in the fourth quarter en route to a 48-32 victory. The defense dropped against the Packers, allowing quarterback Jordan Love to throw for 13.0 yards per pass and Aaron Jones to throw for 118 yards and three scores.

In between those losses, Dallas earned a playoff victory, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 in the NFC Wild Card Round in Tom Brady’s final game. But the Cowboys followed with a 19-12 loss in San Francisco, where the offense once again struggled.

The 2024 season began with McCarthy entering the final season of a five-year contract signed prior to the 2020 season. It was clear that McCarthy would have to prove himself to shed lame-duck status and earn an extension.

Dallas started 3-2 but then moved on FFive-game losing streak. Quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 and the Cowboys’ defense under first-year defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer bottomed out.

Losses were common, including losses to the New Orleans Saints (44-19), Detroit Lions (47-9), Philadelphia Eagles (34-6 and 41-7) and Houston Texans (34-10).

Dallas staved off defeat, defeating the second-place Washington Commanders 34-26 to move to 4-7.

Two days after that game, owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that he didn’t think an extension for McCarthy was “crazy at all.”

“That’s not crazy. Listen, Mike McCarthy is an outstanding coach. Everything else you’ve seen is what we’re going to do in terms of this personnel at the end of this year. And we shouldn’t have much football left.

McCarthy’s Cowboys finished a respectable 4-3 after a difficult 3-7 start, but the team still fell four games short of the playoffs.

After the end of the season, McCarthy’s status was still uncertain, but there was news that his contract expired on January 14th.

The Bears, looking for a head coach after firing Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29, reached out to Dallas to speak with McCarthy.

However, this permission was refused Schefter.

And so Dallas searches for answers again. Even after more than three decades, a Super Bowl appearance is still hopeless. The team has had the talent to get there over the years, but the Cowboys haven’t been able to overcome the hurdle. The hope, of course, is that the next coach can get Dallas there once and for all.