The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly denied the Chicago Bears’ request to interview Mike McCarthy for the head coach position.
Chicago is in the process of hiring a new head coach after releasing Matt Eberflus from his duties during the season. The team recently contacted the Cowboys to inquire about McCarthy’s availability for an interview.
However, the Cowboys, who have an exclusive negotiating period with McCarthy until January 14, denied the request, indicating that the team is considering re-signing the head coach to another long-term contract.
On Monday, Jane Slater of the NFL Network reported that McCarthy met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to discuss the most recent season and future, adding that many believe McCarthy would like to return to the organization next season.
Although the Cowboys’ denial of the Bears’ interview request does not guarantee that McCarthy will return to the Cowboys, it indicates that the two sides would like to work out a contract extension.
McCarthy has also been linked as a potential candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ head coach position, but opposing teams will likely wait until the exclusive negotiating period has closed to approach the former Super Bowl champion.
Despite the Cowboys’ finishing with a record of 7-10 in the 2024 season, McCarthy has put together an impressive regular-season resume during his five seasons in Dallas.
The Cowboys finished the previous three seasons with an overall record of 12-5, following a difficult first season in which the team finished with a record of just 6-10. This resulted in an overall record of 49-35 in his five seasons.
The real struggles have come when the team matches up against other impressive teams in the playoffs. Dallas has a record of only 1-3 over the past five seasons, including just one playoff appearance in which the team has advanced past the wild-card round.
All three playoff disappointments also involved losing games to rival organizations, as the San Francisco 49ers knocked the Cowboys out twice, and the Green Bay Packers embarrassed the team during its most recent appearance in 2024.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who missed most of the season due to hamstring surgery, has raved about McCarthy’s coaching and said it can be “tough to get your job done and do your job with all that hanging over your head.”
“But credit to him, credit to his professionalism and really his coaching style of being able to get guys ready to play and go out there and finish and take pride in what we finish and what we put on tape,” he added, per The Cowboys.
Jones will likely consider previous successes, failures, and players’ opinions when negotiating a potential contract with McCarthy, though nothing is guaranteed with the franchise’s current state.