The Chicago Bears will officially start searching for a head coach after the team’s Week 18 game against the Green Bay Packers. Many names have been thrown around in the NFL world for the position, including Pete Carroll, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and others.
Although none of the above have been made official, we are now in rumor season. The most recent? Current Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
NFL Insider Suggests Another Super Bowl Champ for the Bears HC Position
Insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler recently gave their insights on the upcoming head coaching carousel that awaits the NFL world as it enters its 18th week.
Pete Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their only Super Bowl victory, making him a promising candidate for the role. Last year, the Seahawks announced Carroll was out as head coach. A few weeks later, Seattle hired former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach.
Recently, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carroll has begun discussing a return to the NFL.
“I get asked a lot, so I’m pretty familiar with answering that I could coach tomorrow,” Carroll said on 93.9 KJR last August. “I’m physically in the best shape I’ve been in a long time. I’m ready to be ready to do all the activities that I’m doing and feeling really good about it. I could, but I’m not desiring it at this point.”
However, Fowler also suggested that another Super Bowl-winning head coach might be a good fit for the Bears role.
The NFL insider shared that Mike McCarthy is currently reaching the end of his contract with the Dallas Cowboys, with minimal hopes of resigning from the franchise following their disappointing 7-9 season.
“Pete Carroll might not be the only Super Bowl-winning coach vying for the Bears job. I’ve talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago. He would give the Bears much-needed experience and offensive acumen.”
MORE: Potential NFL Head Coach Candidates
“Despite his rocky tenure in Dallas, McCarthy would stack up well if parachuting into this candidate pool and providing leadership. He turned 61 in November but seems to have the energy for the job. He’s quite familiar with NFC North football, too. This might not graduate from a working theory stage, but enough people have mentioned the scenario to make it worth mentioning here.” Fowler said.
Fowler also stated that “more industry sources” than he expected believe McCarthy has a little chance of staying with the Jerry Jones-owned franchise, making the Bears head coaching job a possibility for McCarthy.
McCarthy’s contract expires on January 14, making the days before that crucial for both Bears and Cowboys fans. McCarthy is 49-34 in five seasons with the Cowboys. The Cowboys went 12-5 in McCarthy’s second, third, and fourth seasons but earned no more than one playoff win in those three appearances.
This is a results-driven business, especially when playing for a marquee franchise. The Cowboys finished with a losing record just once in nine seasons prior to bringing in McCarthy (eight double-digit win seasons with the Packers), but they have had two such seasons in five years since making the move. The three 12-win seasons in the middle of those disappointing seasons are what this franchise expects, making the valleys more notable than the peaks.
Before Dallas, the HC went 125-77-2 in 13 seasons in Green Bay, leading the Packers to win in Super Bowl XLV. He took the Packers to the postseason in 9 of the 13 seasons, with four appearances in the NFC Championship game.
A former NFL quarterback, Chase Daniels, also weighed in on the potential union of McCarthy and the Bears and said, “You (Mike McCarthy) know that division,” Daniel said. “You have a rookie quarterback who you would say at the time when he’s coming out is more developed than Dak Prescott was as a fourth-round pick. You have an old-school mentality, which the Chicago Bears need. And you don’t have to deal with a crazy owner.”
Chase Daniel thinks. The Bears should consider Mike McCarthy who’s contract ends this year in Dallas. 👀
Thoughts on this Chicago? #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/tt2mSSt8xi
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 24, 2024
However, Pro Football Network’s David Bearman recently shared his thoughts on McCarthy and made the case for Dallas to keep the Super Bowl-winning coach with the team.
“I know I am in the minority here, but I don’t let one poor season take away from 36 wins over the previous three seasons. McCarthy is a Super Bowl-winning coach who has had success in Dallas despite the playoff losses and isn’t the main reason for the Cowboys’ woes. Not sure there’s a guy out there that is going to do better with this season, so I would keep him.”
Fans would be interested to see how the head coaching carousel takes place following the 2024 regular season.