Mike McCarthy: New details emerge in Chicago Bears request to interview Cowboys HC

Now a day since the Chicago Bears requested permission to interview Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, new details have continued to emerge. For the time being, Dallas reportedly hasn’t given permission for that interview to occur.

“One day after the Bears sought permission from the Cowboys to interview Mike McCarthy for their vacant head coaching job,” ESPN insider Adam Schefter wrote. “Dallas still has not responded to Chicago’s request, per source.”

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When coaches are under contract in the NFL, teams need permission to interview them. Typically, this is seen with coordinators or other assistant coaches. While rare, it’s not unheard of to request to interview a sitting head coach. It’s also uncommon for those interview requests to be denied.

Mike McCarthy is still under contract for another week. Once his contract expires, he will be free to interview with new teams, including the Chicago Bears, and take a new position. This comes after McCarthy’s future in Dallas became unclear in large part because he was coaching on the final year of his contract without an extension. However, the Cowboys still have the option of offering him a new contract to return to Dallas for the 2025 season as well.

Dallas does have an exclusive one-week window to negotiate with McCarthy starting on Wednesday, January 8th.

The question is now whether or not the Bears are going to want to wait to make their next head coaching hire. Chicago fired Matt Eberflus in the middle of the season. He was the first head coach Chicago ever fired mid-season. Now, they’re looking for the long-term solution to work with young quarterback Caleb Williams. That should make the Bears’ job fairly well-regarded.

If Chicago is willing to wait for McCarthy’s contract to end with Dallas, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler previously reported there could be mutual interest.

“I’ve talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago,” Fowler said.

Mike McCarthy has experience in the NFC North. He spent 13 seasons as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers winning a Super Bowl and going to the playoffs nine different times. He also has a record of 19-7 against the Bears during his career.

In 2020, Mike McCarthy would sign a five-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. During that stretch, he went 49-35 and made the playoffs three straight seasons. However, Dallas is coming off a frustrating season in 2024 where they finished with a losing record and dealt with numerous injuries.