Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract with the Dallas Cowboys and could leave the franchise after this season. While Jerry Jones has hinted the franchise could keep McCarthy, the head coach might be open to a new challenge.
The Chicago Bears will hire a new head coach this offseason, and McCarthy’s name has been floated among the potential candidates. However, NFL analyst Danny Parkins believes the Bears should not even entertain the idea of getting the Cowboys head coach.
Danny Parkins Undermines Mike McCarthy’s Résumé
In a recent segment on “Breakfast Ball,” Parkins highlighted how he believed McCarthy is an overrated coach who has underachieved throughout his career.
“I think that he is one of the most overrated coaches we’ve ever seen,” Parkins said. “He obviously is an NFL coach, like he obviously raises the floor. He has gotten stuff out of quarterbacks and has been good, but I look at him as an underachiever, and I do not trust him in big moments, in big games.”
The Fox Sports analyst further added that the 61-year-old head coach is barely above .500 as a favorite in the playoffs. He discussed the Cowboys’ recent blowout losses in the playoffs, which were quite embarrassing, and is riding on the success he had in the Super Bowl run with the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears potentially hiring Mike McCarthy would be a "nightmare" for @DannyParkins 😭😭
"He obviously raises the floor, but I look at him as an underachiever. And I do not trust him in big moments." pic.twitter.com/RtELOi7KsF
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) January 3, 2025
Parkins continued, “[McCarthy] seems like a guy that has such a low ceiling at this stage of his career that it would be very, very uninspiring, and the amount of crow I would have to eat if he became the head coach of the Bears would just be very uncomfortable for me.”
Heading into what is potentially his last game with the Cowboys, McCarthy is 49-34 in the regular season as the team’s head coach. Since Dallas has failed to make the playoffs in 2024, their head coach could finish his playoff career with the team with a record of 1-3.
McCarthy deserves to be a head coach in the NFL, but for the Bears, who have a young quarterback in Caleb Williams, the franchise should maybe consider other candidates as they need a complete culture change.
Bears Should Narrow Down Their Choices to a Pair of Candidates
Having a quarterback like Williams makes the Bears’ head coaching opening quite enticing. Plenty of candidates will be interested in the job, but the NFC North team should narrow their choices to only two candidates.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel should be the priority for the Bears among other NFL teams. Johnson and Vrabel are two completely different head coaches, but they can help their team achieve success.
Johnson seems like he would be perfect for Williams stylistically, whereas Vrabel will help instill toughness in the players and revamp the team’s culture. The former Titans head coach recently interviewed for the New York Jets’ role, so the Bears must act fast if they want Vrabel.
Getting an offensive-minded head coach is usually better for teams with young quarterbacks, which is why McCarthy’s name has been linked with the Bears. However, if the Bears want a head man who can work on offense and fail to get Johnson, they could look at Kliff Kingsbury, who also worked with Williams at USC.