NFL insider reveals two favorites to land Mike McCarthy after Dallas Cowboys part ways with HC

Following the news that the Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy will part ways after five seasons, two franchises have emerged as the early front-runners to land him, according to an NFL Network insider.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints are at the top of the list.

Both have openings after firing their respective coaches in recent days.

Chicago, of course, has already made its interest in Mike McCarthy clear, trying to set up an interview with him while he was still the coach in Dallas. Dallas denied permission to speak to McCarthy at the time, as it presumably worked through whether McCarthy would return to the franchise for the 2025 season.

McCarthy entered this season in the final year of his contract, but the Cowboys still had an exclusive negotiating period with him through Jan. 14. Prior to that date, any other team had to request permission from the franchise to speak with him about an opening.

Now Chicago will be free to pursue that as an option. So too will New Orleans.

Mike McCarthy doesn’t have any direct history working for the Bears, though he does with the Saints. McCarthy was the offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2000-04.

The Saints enjoyed a lot of success under McCarthy’s tutelage, with receiver Joe Horn and running backs Deuce McCallister and Ricky Williams turning into stars.

Naturally, the franchise will have an affinity for the recently dumped Dallas coach.

For his part, Mike McCarthy’s record has been solid, despite the lack of finishing in the postseason.

He compiled a 49-35 overall record in Dallas, winning the NFC East twice in five years. For three straight seasons, the Cowboys went 12-5 overall prior to the playoffs.

Needless to say, he’ll be one of the hotter commodities on the coaching carousel this offseason.