The Dallas Cowboys were the wild card ahead of the 2025 NFL head coaching hiring cycle: Would they or would they agree to a new contract with head coach Mike McCarthy that evening?

There was an answer to that question Monday morning: According to multiple reports, the Cowboys and McCarthy have not agreed to a new contract, making McCarthy an immediate free agent.

The New Orleans Saints are expected to be interested in McCarthy and are now free to interview him in person at their convenience.

With the exception of the 2019 season, McCarthy, 61, has been an NFL head coach in some capacity since 2006 and was very successful in his previous two stops.

In 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy posted a 125-77 record (.618 winning percentage) in nine playoff appearances. His 2010 Packers team won a championship after reaching the playoffs as a wild card and won three road playoff games before defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

Green Bay fired him after a 4-7-1 start in 2018. He landed with the Cowboys in 2020, and after going 6-10 in his first year, Dallas rattled off three straight 12-5 seasons. In his five seasons with the Cowboys, McCarthy posted a 49-35 (.583) record.

In his 18 seasons as head coach, McCarthy has coached 22 playoff games – going 11-11 in those contests.

Prior to becoming head coach, McCarthy spent five seasons in New Orleans (2000-04) as offensive coordinator and never finished lower than 14th in the NFL in scoring.