Are you sitting down, Chicago Bears fans? Because the latest candidate rumored to be interested in the team’s head coaching vacancy is a doozy.
According to a January 2 report courtesy of ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, current Dallas Cowboys and former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is eyeing the Bears’ job should he either choose to move on or be relieved of his duties in Dallas.
“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,” Fowler wrote, adding:
“Despite his rocky tenure in Dallas, McCarthy would stack up well if parachuting into this candidate pool and provide 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.”
A Look at McCarthy’s Time in Green Bay & Dallas
As most Bears fans know all too well, McCarthy served as the head coach of the rival Packers from 2006 to 2018. He amassed a regular-season record of 125 wins, 77 losses and 2 ties, netting a .618 winning percentage in that span.
In the postseason, he had a 10-8 mark with the Packers. His 10 playoff wins remain the most by any head coach in franchise history. His tenure was highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl 45 in 2010, where the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31–25.
Overall, he achieved 125 wins Up North, making him the second-winningest coach in franchise history behind Earl “Curly” Lambeau. McCarthy also compiled a 16-7 record against the Bears during his tenure there, including playoff games.
In 2020, he took over as head coach of the Cowboys. McCarthy’s cumulative regular-season record with them stands at 49-34, with a 1-3 mark in postseason play. The team finished with a 12-5 mark in 2021-2023, but had losing seasons in 2020 and 2024, the latter of which can partly be attributed to the loss of starting quarterback Dak Prescott due to injury.
Despite his relative success — he does have a Super Bowl ring, after all — the primary knock on McCarthy is that his offenses haven’t been all that innovative in recent years, and he hasn’t done well in the playoffs since that Super Bowl win in 2010. He also doesn’t have a reputation for getting the most out of his players, which is something the Bears desperately need.
Naturally, Bears Nation had a lot to say about the idea.
Bears Fans React to Idea of Mike McCarthy as Next Head Coach
If nothing else, the #Bears must avoid Mike McCarthy. All kinds of hard pass.
It’s safe to say Bears fans do not like the idea of McCarthy in Chicago.
“I’m telling everyone right now. This happens, I’m officially OUT. Done. Gone. No longer a Bears fan. Will be accepting any and all interviews for a new NFL Team,” one Bears fan wrote on X.
“If nothing else, the #Bears must avoid Mike McCarthy. All kinds of hard pass,” one fan account wrote.
“If #DaBears actually considered hiring Mike McCarthy can we just send the team to the CFL?” Irish Bears Network wondered.
Another fan said they’d be OK with McCarthy — as an assistant. “Ben Johnson should 100% be the Bears’ head coach. … I can see Robert Saleh or Mike McCarthy (if fired) being great assistants to help him navigate the early years of his tenure.”
As it stands heading into Week 18, McCarthy is still the coach in Dallas. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has publicly supported McCarthy, even suggesting the possibility of a contract extension. However, speculation about McCarthy’s future persists, and as long as it does, rumors like this one are likely going to continue. Bear down, as they say.
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Latest Name Linked to Head Coaching Job Has Bears Fans Running Scared