Before the Dallas Cowboys announced they’d be moving on from Mike McCarthy, it appeared all but certain that he’d land somewhere else as an NFL head coach this offseason. The New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears expressed initial interest in interviewing him, but Ben Johnson has since filled the vacancy in the Windy City.
Six NFL teams have hired new head coaches. Only the Saints remain, and McCarthy is still in the running to land in the Bayou. Yet, it’s looking more and more likely that McCarthy might end up like Bill Belichick, taking a year off from being a head coach.
Related: Top 2025 NFL free agents: Ranking top 30 players in NFL free agency
New Orleans Saints organization ‘not enamored’ with Mike McCarthy
Of all the remaining coaching candidates who have yet to be hired elsewhere, Mike McCarthy is by far the most qualified option available. He won a Super Bowl in his fifth season on the job with the Green Bay Packers and led them to a respectable 125-77-2 record across 13 seasons.
Then after the Packers moved on in 2018, McCarthy took a year off before landing the Dallas Cowboys’ head coaching job in 2020. McCarthy once again performed admirably, leading the Cowboys to a 49-35 record, but with his contract expiring, Dallas used it as an opportunity to move on. The biggest complaint regarding McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas was a lack of postseason success, as the Cowboys only went 1-3 in the playoffs.
Both Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury withdrew their names from consideration. Even if they hadn’t, McCarthy would still be the most qualified candidate linked to the Saints’ head coaching vacancy since he’s the only one with previous NFL head coaching experience.
While McCarthy would appear to be a frontrunner to lead the Saints in 2025, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline indicates initial negotiations haven’t gone well. In fact, those inside the Saints organization reportedly aren’t so fond of hiring McCarthy anyway.
“What the Saints will do for a head coach is anyone’s guess. Time and time, people say they have no clue what the organization will do, as they are the only team left with an open vacancy. Rumors at Shrine practice had McCarthy getting the Saints job but people on Wednesday told me initial conversations with the team have not gone well and people in the New Orleans organization are not enamored with the former Cowboys coach.”
Pauline on Mike McCarthy/New Orleans Saints
Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: Latest Round 1 projections
Pauline went on to note that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis wants to retain multiple assistant coaches who are currently on staff. Some believe this is a potential hold-up during the Saints’ ongoing negotiations.
