Mike McCarthy will not officially be considered for the Chicago Bears job yet.
The Dallas Cowboys rejected the Bears’ request to interview McCarthy for their head coaching job Tuesday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While McCarthy’s status with the Cowboys is still uncertain, the team clearly isn’t ready to give up its trading window for him just yet.
Source ESPN: The Dallas Cowboys denied permission to the Chicago Bears to interview their head coach Mike McCarthy.
–Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2025
McCarthy is under contract with the Cowboys until Jan. 14, when his initial five-year deal with the team expires. Until then, the Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights with him. If they don’t reach an agreement by then, the Bears — or any other team in the league — could choose to interview McCarthy.
So while this doesn’t preclude the idea of McCarthy leading Caleb Williams and the Bears next season, it does delay it for at least another week.
McCarthy spent the last five seasons with the Cowboys, where he compiled a 49-35 record. However, he only won one playoff game with the franchise and spent the entire season coaching without a contract extension. The Cowboys were one of the league’s biggest disappointments this season, going just 7-10 and missing the playoffs.
The Bears are looking for a replacement for Matt Eberflus, who they fired earlier this season.
This article will be updated with more information soon.
