The Dallas Cowboys did not renew Mike McCarthy's contract this offseason. After a seven-win season, Jerry Jones finally decided to bring a new head coach in. Meanwhile, McCarthy immediately fielded requests from the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints for their head coach vacancies. He completed his interview with the Bears on Wednesday.
McCarthy spent 13 years as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006-2018. In those 13 years, he made the playoffs nine times and won a Super Bowl. While he led their mortal enemy for so long, he could be the next Bears head coach. But the coaching carousel could land in plenty of different places.
For McCarthy, the carousel could stop in a different familiar place. He was the offensive coordinator for the Saints before joining the Packers. Mickey Loomis was the general manager then and is still running things in New Orleans. Connections lead to a lot of jobs in the NFL so don't be stunned if McCarthy lands there.
But the Bears head coaching job is a better opportunity than the Saints job. They have a top pick at quarterback and some solid pieces around him. New Orleans is in salary cap hell and does not have a quarterback.
Should the Bears hire Mike McCarthy?
The Bears have interviewed every big candidate, and some smaller ones, in this head coaching cycle. Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Pete Carroll, and Ron Rivera are some notable candidates for the role. McCarthy has head coaching experience and should be considered heavily for this role. But should he be the final choice?
Everything about the 2024 Bears needs to change immediately. Their offensive line is disastrous, their wide receiver room was disappointing, and Caleb Williams showed serious flaws. Bringing someone in who can change the culture immediately is very important. McCarthy has done that before and could do that again with one of the NFL's most storied franchises.
The Bears should hire Mike McCarthy to get the most out of Caleb Williams. He was captaining the ship for multiple Aaron Rodgers MVP seasons and Dak Prescott's best years. His offensive pedigree has carried him to a remarkably long coaching career and Williams is the franchise's top priority.
Other candidates could fill that role. Ben Johnson is the hottest coordinator on the market, they've also interviewed offensive coordinators Drew Petzing, Mike Kafka, Arthur Smith, and Thomas Brown. None of those coaches have the same pedigree McCarthy does. He best fills the Bears' needs and should be the next head coach.
