What's next for Mike McCarthy? Holy, bears are one of the best fits

Mike McCarthy spent five years with the Dallas Cowboys. Now the long-time NFL head coach is looking for a new challenge.

McCarthy and the Cowboys were unable to agree on the terms of a new contract for the head coach before his contract expired on January 14, 2025. As a result, the two split up and McCarthy is free to look for a new job.

McCarthy is expected to draw interest from the remaining five NFL teams with coaching vacancies. The 61-year-old compiled a 49-35 record in his five seasons with the Cowboys and led Dallas to the playoffs in three of those seasons, during which the team posted a 12-5 record.

Where might McCarthy end up? Here’s a look at some of his most realistic landing spots for the 2025 NFL offseason.

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According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, the Saints are expected to be “very interested” in McCarthy now that he is available.

McCarthy got his first job as offensive coordinator with the Saints back in 2000. He spent five seasons with the team and routinely led them to solid offensive performances, with the team’s third-ranked offense in 2002 being his best unit.

A lot has changed for McCarthy since then, but his history with the Saints is key. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that “familiarity will be a factor” in the coaching search in New Orleans, so McCarthy’s ties to the team could make him one of the Saints’ top coaching candidates alongside Aaron Glenn and Joe Brady.

The only question is whether McCarthy would be interested in coaching the Saints, who have serious salary cap issues and likely need to rebuild to become a wild-card contender again.

If McCarthy is concerned about the talent level on New Orleans’ roster, he might have more interest in the Bears. Chicago had already requested an interview with McCarthy when he was still under contract with the Cowboys. The Bears were denied permission to do so, but now they can pursue McCarthy as he becomes a free agent.

The Bears are coming off a rough season – which saw the team collapse after the Washington Commanders beat them with a Hail Mary in Week 8 – but they have plenty in Caleb Williams, D’Andre Swift, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze Assault weapons and Cole Kmet. McCarthy could see a path to wild-card contention with this group, especially if he can help Williams develop after the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft struggled as a rookie.

McCarthy helped Dak Prescott enjoy some of his best years in Dallas, including the 2023 season when he finished runner-up for the NFL’s MVP award. His track record of turning talented prospects like Prescott and Aaron Rodgers into a strong quarterback will likely intrigue the Bears and make him a legitimate candidate for the job.

McCarthy’s case for the job is also bolstered by his 19-7 career record against the Bears.

Since taking over the Jaguars in 2012, owner Shad Khan has tended to alternate between hiring coaches with previous NFL head coaching experience (like Doug Marrone and Pederson) and inexperienced players (like Gus Bradley and Urban Meyer). That could put Jacksonville on track to take a chance on an up-and-coming coordinator candidate like Joe Brady this cycle, rather than a retread like McCarthy.

Still, McCarthy could draw interest from the Jaguars as a proven winner. Jacksonville is looking for a prospect who can get the most out of 2021 No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, and McCarthy’s track record could convince Khan of that.

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The Raiders could use some coaching stability as the position has been in flux since Jon Gruden resigned from his position during the 2021 NFL season following emails containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments he sent while working for ESPN were leaked to the media.

McCarthy would see to it. He would close the revolving door that included interim coach Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels and former interim coach Antonio Pierce over four seasons. McCarthy could also get Las Vegas’ offense back on track after it finished in the bottom six in both yards and points on the season.

However, the Raiders don’t have a proven starting quarterback and don’t have a clear path to one of the top signal-caller options in a relatively weak 2025 NFL Draft class. That could keep McCarthy from taking the job, so it doesn’t appear to be one so likely to be a landing spot for the experienced trainer.

Is Mike McCarthy a New York Jets coaching candidate?

As intriguing as the idea of McCarthy potentially teaming up with Aaron Rodgers again may be, The Athletic’s Zach Rosenblatt reports he doesn’t expect the Jets to pursue McCarthy.

It’s easy to understand why this is the case. The Jets still have Rodgers under contract, and without a clear path to a quarterback upgrade, the team may have to keep the 41-year-old in tow for another season.

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What’s next for Mike McCarthy? Holy, bears are one of the best fits

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