Bear Digest

Bears seek permission to interview Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

The Chicago Bears want to interview Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, whose future in Big D remains unclear.

Bryan Perez

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The Chicago Bears have been incredibly active in their head coaching search in the first 24 hours since the end of the 2024 NFL season. They've already requested permission to interview hot candidates like Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn and even have gone into the depths of the weird with their request to speak with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

The latest coach connected to the Bears' search is a really interesting one: Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy remains in an exclusive rights window with the Cowboys in what's become a very unclear future for him in Dallas. Jerry Jones has yet to commit to McCarthy as his guy in 2025 and beyond, leaving a potential opportunity for the Bears to scoop up a coach with Super Bowl pedigree.

McCarthy once haunted the Chicago Bears during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, where he won 204 games and Super Bowl XLV. He's enjoyed success with the Cowboys as well, coaching Dallas to an 84-49 record over the last five seasons.

While Bears fans likely prefer a younger option like Johnson over McCarthy -- who could be considered a retread coach at this point -- there's no doubt Chicago's offense would take a huge step forward under his watch. And in an offseason all about Caleb Williams, a McCarthy hire suddenly makes a ton of sense.

McCarthy's contract situation still up in the air

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott (4) celebrate a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cowboys have not yet made a decision on whether they want to retain McCarthy, their head coach since 2020. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Monday he's willing to let anyone interested speak with McCarthy, but other reports indicate that permission has not yet been granted.

The idea of an experienced offensive-minded head coach work with Williams makes sense on the surface. While McCarthy has failed to deliver a championship in his tenure in Dallas, it's hard to argue he hasn't been a part of the success experienced by Dak Prescott (runner-up MVP in 2023) and Aaron Rodgers (best years under McCarthy).

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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