Mike McCarthy has left the Dallas Cowboys after five seasons with the franchise, and is currently a free agent. He is a candidate for the Chicago Bears’ head coaching position as the NFC North franchise aims to replace Matt Eberflus with an offensive-minded head coach for Caleb Williams.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the fan favorite to get the job. However, Colin Cowherd thinks McCarthy will be a better option for the Bears at this moment.
Colin Cowherd Explains Why Mike McCarthy Is an Ideal HC for Bears
Cowherd talked about McCarthy and the Bears on his show “The Herd With Colin Cowherd.” He discussed how Chicago currently needs a head coach who could provide stability to a franchise that has finished over .500 once in the last 12 seasons.
The FS1 analyst also highlighted that the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Washington Commanders hired experienced head coaches and immediately made the playoffs.
“I know Mike McCarthy’s ceiling is not Andy Reid, it’s not Sean McVay, I get that,” said Cowherd. “But his floor, in 18 years, 12 times in the playoffs. The Bears currently are not a high-ceiling team. This is what his résumé proves, that Mike McCarthy very quickly stabilizes you and makes you a winning team. I’m not talking 13, 12, 11 wins, you become a winning team.”
Cowherd also said if McCarthy can’t get results in the playoffs like in Dallas, the Bears could go for someone like Johnson.
"Instead of dumping your net worth into Bitcoin, how about you just open a savings account first and get the basics down?"@ColinCowherd says the Bears should hire Mike McCarthy pic.twitter.com/Qil5y0BOvU
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 15, 2025
“Then in four years, you’re like yeah, but we only won one playoff game, we’ve hit a ceiling, that’s the worst-case scenario,” added Cowherd. “Then, as Caleb Williams signs his second contract, his first massive contract, you go get the whizz-kid, and then you need stability… So, my take is 9-8, 10-7 is a great place for Caleb Williams to be going forward.”
The Bears finished the season 5-12 and had a 10-game losing streak entering Week 18. Such a situation is unlikely to happen under a head coach like McCarthy, who, despite injuries to Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs, helped the Cowboys finish with a record of 7-10.
McCarthy wouldn’t be as exciting a signing as Johnson, but he will help Williams develop. The 61-year-old head coach will get the best out of the young quarterback. What Bears general manager Ryan Poles will do remains to be seen, but if he hires the former Cowboys head coach, the fans shouldn’t be disappointed.
New Orleans Saints Are Also Interested in McCarthy
Aside from the Bears, the New Orleans Saints have also emerged as a potential landing spot for McCarthy. Unlike Chicago, New Orleans has a veteran quarterback in Derek Carr, while the team aims to manage its way from salary cap hell.
The Bears are by far a better landing spot for any head coach, as the Saints will likely have to go on a multi-year rebuild to fix their salary cap issues. There will be no expectations for a head coach in New Orleans, so McCarthy might accept the job offer, as he has had to deal with a lot of stress during his time in Dallas.
He could also be useful if the NFC South team drafts a quarterback. McCarthy had success with Aaron Rodgers and Prescott, so he will certainly elevate the level of whichever quarterback he gets to work with in New Orleans or in Chicago with Williams.
Saints fans, like Bears fans, are not particularly excited to hear McCarthy being linked with their team. But he would be an ideal head coach for them at a time when the front office has to tear down the roster to compete in the future.