The Chicago Bears are searching for a new head coach to lead the team into 2025 and, potentially, beyond. This list will not include Mike McCarthy.
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According to ESPN, sources say that the Dallas Cowboys shut down the Chicago Bears' interview request for McCarthy. The longtime head coach's contract expired on Jan. 8, but the Cowboys hold exclusive negotiating rights through Jan. 14.
This means that teams must send any interview requests to the Cowboys. The NFC East team can then approve or deny these requests, as it did with the Bears this week.
However, if the Cowboys and McCarthy do not agree to a deal by Jan. 14, he will become a free agent. He will be able to interview with any team that requests his presence.
The Bears are very familiar with McCarthy due to his time in the NFC North. He previously coached the Packers from 2006 to '18. He compiled a win-loss record of 125-77-2 while leading the historic franchise to six NFC North titles. The Packers won Super Bowl 45.
McCarthy coached the Packers to 19 wins and only seven losses against the Bears. He was fired midway through the 2018 season, so the Bears' win in the fall was over interim coach Joe Philbin. McCarthy also led the Cowboys to a win over the Bears in 2022.
The Bears can't interview McCarthy, but the team will meet with multiple other options while going through the search. This list includes Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and current interim coach Thomas Brown.
One new addition to the list is former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who has expressed interest in the job. The Super Bowl-winning coach will meet with the Bears on Thursday as he eyes a return to the NFL.
"We're going to cast a wide net," Bears GM Ryan Poles said during his postseason press conference. "It's going to be a diverse group. This will be different backgrounds from offense, defense, special teams, college, pro.
"We're turning every stone to make sure we're doing this the right way. We believe that is going to be really, really important. There's going to be some names that you don't expect that are going to surprise you because we're digging deeper than we ever have before."
