“I think success is the biggest challenge you have to handle in the National Football League; that’s something we talk about a lot,” said Mike McCarthy. His coaching career has been nothing if not a rollercoaster ride of success and failure. From the Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers in 2011 to his more recent days in Dallas, McCarthy’s entire career is about a single player: the quarterback. Whether he was molding Aaron Rodgers into an All-Pro or coaching Dak Prescott, McCarthy never shied away from molding quarterbacks of the highest caliber. But now, with a troubled retirement from the Cowboys, McCarthy wants another chance at the job: to move on.

What McCarthy might do for the Bears

“I’m looking for someone who is strong-minded and a leader of men,” said Caleb Williams. The Bears have to get a guy who can run like hell and get this team out of the NFL basement, and Mike McCarthy is just that guy. There wasn’t exactly an ending in Dallas, of course, but McCarthy’s stint in Green Bay was a QB school. He turned Aaron Rodgers into the Hall of Famer he is and if the front office in Chicago can land Caleb Williams, McCarthy’s background on big-time quarterbacks could be exactly what the Bears need. Who better to oversee a high-potential QB under 25 than the man who made Aaron Rodgers into a video game character?

Caleb Williams, the dynamic young quarterback for the Chicago Bears, said when asked about his preference “Selfishly, I’d like an offensive-minded coach—someone I can build with and stay connected to for the next 15, 17, or even 19 years. I want to learn and grow under their guidance” he has already made waves with his impressive stats, including over 4,500 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 106.7 in the 2024 season alone. His growth as a leader was evident when he took responsibility for the offense’s struggles, saying, “I apologize for my role in this,” showing maturity well beyond his years.

Enter Mike McCarthy—his wealth of experience and history of refining quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers, could be just the thing to elevate Williams’ game to the next level. McCarthy’s offensive prowess and knack for tailoring schemes around his quarterback’s strengths could provide the perfect platform for Williams to grow into a superstar. With McCarthy’s guidance, Williams has the chance to fine-tune his game, focusing on decision-making, deep ball accuracy, and overall consistency, potentially making the Bears offense a force to reckon with in the NFC North.

Caleb also added “I also think it’s important to have a coach who excels in the grand scheme of things, someone who’s great with time management and game clock management. Ultimately, I hope we can find the right person to lead us to championships, because that’s the ultimate goal.”

And let us face it, the Bears have spent decades in quarterback hell. Mitch Trubisky to Justin Fields, a wheelbarrow of QB players that haven’t clicked yet. McCarthy, meanwhile isn’t shy about taking a risk and tinkering with young stars. If he can make Chicago what he made Green Bay in its day, he will have the chance to make Williams or Fields (whoever becomes QB of the future) their best. You may even see a Bears offense that isn’t running backs and slingshots (there we go, Khalil Herbert and Roquan Smith). A McCarthy-type offense could know how to score a touchdown pass once in a while.

McCarthy also brings with him the kind of experience and expertise that the Bears could use as a safety net. He has a Super Bowl ring, and you know when you coach Rodgers and Prescott you know. His offense didn’t exactly fire up the scoreboard in Dallas, but the man is a killer on occasion. He might not be the flashy, gambler sort (which frankly, could be what the Bears need after all those wild years), but his focus and calming presence could be an asset in a city that’s longed for stability since the 1985 Super Bowl champions.

And don’t even get me started on McCarthy’s time as a game manager. The Bears need a coach who will not wave his arms in the fourth quarter and McCarthy has been there, done that. He has the pieces, he can dial in what changes are important, whether it’s playing the right plays on offense or when to dial up a timely blitz on defense. If McCarthy can replicate that sort of thinking at the helm in Chicago, then the Bears won’t be “the sweet losers” anymore, they’ll be an actual NFC North contender.

Cowboys move on without McCarthy

After a disappointing 6-10 finish in 2024, Jerry Jones finally made the call to part ways with McCarthy, ending his four-year tenure in Dallas. Although McCarthy had carried the Cowboys to the playoffs twice (in 2022, he led them 12-5), they failed to win big games or stay close enough in McCarthy’s absence. The Cowboys offense, once potent, fell from grace in 2024 and was 18th in rushing yards per game. After his five-year contract expired on January 14, 2025, McCarthy had room to do whatever he wanted, even interview with the Bears for their unfilled head coach spot.

So when the Cowboys first denied the Bears an interview with McCarthy, Chicago fans were quick to cheer. There were a lot of Bears fans who didn’t want to sign a losing coach and offensive system. As one Bears fan put it: “If we wanted a coach with a losing record, we could’ve just kept Matt Nagy.” With McCarthy now out for interviews, Bears fans can breathe easy knowing that the door is still wide open for a more exciting hire. McCarthy’s exit from Dallas has put all the attention back on Chicago finding a head coach who can restore order and win to a franchise that desperately needs to turn the corner.

McCarthy’s stay in Dallas was an ebullient one until 2024 when McCarthy’s term came undone. The Cowboys went 6-10 and their offense didn’t gel. Dallas was 18th in yards allowed per game, and his once-bombing attack came crashing down under McCarthy. Quarterback Dak Prescott couldn’t lead full-on and the Cowboys’ failure to get things right in the final seconds cost them the game. McCarthy’s ad hoc playcalling that worked so well in Green Bay sat tired and clunky in Dallas, and it hurt the locker room as much as the fans. In the end, McCarthy’s failure to bring his group up on occasion was his downfall.

Mike McCarthy’s career record in Dallas: 30-24, twice to the playoffs. His offense, despite being great in 2022, struggled in 2024 and was 18th in total yards per game. His tenure in Green Bay (2006-2018) was, by contrast, a better one, going 125-77-2 with nine playoff appearances and a 2011 Super Bowl. If McCarthy is going to be a success in Chicago, he’ll have to get his way back and take the magic that made him one of the best coaches in NFL history and work it onto a Bears team in desperate need of a leader.