After the Dallas Cowboys chose to move in a different direction by not re-signing Mike McCarthy, he chose to take a break from coaching. It’s not like McCarthy didn’t have opportunities elsewhere. He gave the Bears an interview before they chose Lions OC Ben Johnson for their head coaching gig. He also received an interview request from the Saints but opted against a return to his former club. New Orleans went looking elsewhere and ultimately picked Super Bowl-winning OC Kellen Moore from the Eagles. So, with the new season rolling down in the next few months, McCarthy may have already spilled his plans for the future. And let’s just say the Super Bowl-winning head coach may return sooner than expected.

It’s not the first time McCarthy has opted for a breather in his coaching stint in the NFL. The last time he was fired by the Packers in 2018, he didn’t return until 2020 with the Cowboys. He then led them to three consecutive postseason appearances. But when it came to the playoffs, McCarthy’s Cowboys only won one game. His lack of playoff success also pressured McCarthy, no matter how well his team performed in the regular season. However, once the 2024 season came by, everything started to fall apart.

Dan Quinn left for the Commanders’ job, leaving the Cowboys’ defense porous. They had the worst running game among 32 NFL franchises, dealing with injuries all over the roster. Those issues culminated in a 7-10 finish as McCarthy wasn’t fired, but instead left when his contract expired. Well, after 4 months of radio silence, Mike McCarthy has finally spoken about his intentions to return. Days after he made a guest appearance on Pat McAfee’s 2025 Draft Spectacular show, the former Colts punter said, “He is going to get back into ball. There’s no questions about him obsessed with ball.”

Obviously, there’s no doubt McCarthy doesn’t know anything apart from coaching for the last two decades. His time in Green Bay saw him finish with a 125-77-2 record while adding a Super Bowl to his resume. McCarthy’s 174 career regular-season wins rank 3th among the active coaches in the NFL. He is only behind Chiefs coach Andy Reid (273) and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (183). And 13th in the all-time list. So, given what he has achieved so far, you can’t see McCarthy taking a long break.

But considering how his time with the Cowboys ended. The burning question is, does McCarthy hold a grudge against his former team for no longer trusting him?

Mike McCarthy gave his honest opinion on the Dallas Cowboys

Only one bad season was all it took for Jerry Jones to throw Mike McCarthy out of Dallas. Ignoring how the Cowboys dealt with injuries to their star QB, Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, and even CeeDee Lamb. Jones threw Mike out and instead chose to rally behind his offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, who has no prior coaching experience. So, after witnessing how things panned out in Dallas, he could have definitely had some resentment towards them. However, McCarthy ain’t like that. He doesn’t hold any grudge for his former team. It’s all filled with love. McAfee said on his show that McCarthy doesn’t have “no hard feelings towards Dallas at all.”

He may not be happy with how things spiralled between the two. But there’s no hatred for his once beloved Cowboys. Even on McAfee’s show, McCarthy spoke highly of the Jones family, saying how wonderful his experience in Dallas was. “I love my time in Dallas. I’m actually getting to enjoy the city the last couple of months. Great city. Phenomenal organization. Cannot say enough about Jerry and Eugenia and the Jones family.” He also went on to add how he is a better man today than he was when he went to Dallas.

This shows McCarthy is constantly trying to hone his coaching skills before getting back into the game. And once he does return, it’s surely going to be a spectacle. But will it happen in the next coaching cycle or midseason, after certain coaches lose their jobs?