It was confirmed on Jan. 13 that Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys had mutually agreed to part ways. The head coach is now set to be a free agent and is reportedly a subject of interest for the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints finished last season with a record of 5-12 and fired Dennis Allen, who spent three seasons with the franchise. Darren Rizzi was the team’s interim head coach for the last eight games of the season, but the franchise is expected to hire someone else.
Saints Fans Are Unhappy With Franchise’s Interest in Mike McCarthy
The Saints haven’t had any success since Sean Payton left, and many of their fans are not pleased with the team’s interest in hiring McCarthy. Here’s how some of them reacted on the team’s subreddit on Reddit (r/Saints):
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“One of the least exciting possible hires,” said a fan.
Another fan added, “Permanent purgatory, here we come.”
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“Tank commander McCarthy, welcome,” wrote a fan, hinting at the team’s plan to rebuild from the 2025 season.
“We hire McCarthy, and I will set myself on fire in front of the Superdome in protest,” joked a fan.
Some fans showed optimism, as they think McCarthy would be an ideal fit for a team without Super Bowl aspirations and with salary cap issues.
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“Wouldn’t be a top choice for me, but I guess we need someone to hold s**t together for a couple of years while we work on the cap, then we can recruit a top candidate,” said a fan in support of McCarthy.
The majority of the Saints’ fans seemingly want the franchise to hire an exciting young head coach or someone like Aaron Glenn. However, the head coaching job in New Orleans is not one of the most attractive opportunities as the team doesn’t have a young quarterback and will have salary cap issues for several years.
McCarthy will surely provide some stability to the franchise, and it will be a safe hire for the franchise. The team’s ceiling may not be as high as with the likes of Glenn or Ben Johnson, but the former Cowboys head coach can undoubtedly raise the floor, which will be an ideal situation for the team.
Saints Need To Follow in the Footsteps of Denver Broncos
The Saints are projected to be over $61.6 million over the cap ceiling for the 2025 season, and they should start looking at tearing down the roster and entering a multi-year rebuild.
It seems unlikely that they can win the Super Bowl with their current roster and should look to move on from Derek Carr to set up the team for success in the future. The Denver Broncos did the same by releasing Russell Wilson and taking on a significant cap hit. The AFC West team was fortunate to hit on the quarterback they selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but so can the Saints.
New Orleans has the ninth overall pick in the upcoming draft, but it could be wise to avoid selecting a quarterback. Unlike last year’s draft class, the upcoming draft class doesn’t have multiple talented quarterbacks. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are regarded highly and will likely not be available by the time the Saints select.
McCarthy did well with Dak Prescott, who was a fourth-round pick. If the Saints hire him, they should let the 61-year-old head coach work with Spencer Rattler. The 24-year-old quarterback was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Although he did start six games for the team this season, nobody knows how he will look with a good head coach and a healthy Saints offense consisting of Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and Rashid Shaheed.
The worst-case scenario with Rattler is that he isn’t a good quarterback, and the team ends up with a poor record. However, this will also benefit them, as the Saints will then have an opportunity to select a quarterback early in the 2026 NFL Draft who could potentially save the franchise.
Texas’ Arch Manning could be available in the 2026 NFL Draft, should he declare and he could be a home-run pick for the Saints. Moreover, New Orleans could also get the opportunity to draft LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, who could be a hometown guy.