The Dallas Cowboys waited over a week after their season ended to make a decision on Mike McCarthy, but at least we finally have a resolution. After failing to agree to length of a new contract, McCarthy and Dallas have decided to go their separate ways.
It is a shocking ending all things considered. Jerry Jones had praised McCarthy at every possible turn in recent months and NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, who broke Monday's bombshell, reported just last week that the two sides agreed to move forward together.
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McCarthy reportedly wanted a multi-year deal and Jones seemingly had every intention of low-balling him with an incentive-laden contract. Now, McCarthy is a free agent and immediately becomes one of the most desirable head coaching candidates.
It is well-documented that McCarthy would have suitors if Dallas moved on. The Saints, who fired Dennis Allen mid-season, are rumored to have interest, but there is another potential landing spot that feels like a perfect fit.
Mike McCarthy becoming the Bears head coach feels obvious after Cowboys exit
It has to be the Chicago Bears, no?
The Bears requested to interview McCarthy last week, but the Cowboys denied them permission. That looks absolutely cruel now, but you have to think Chicago will circle back in short order in light of his dismissal.
While the Bears have a long list of candidates, including Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, they might prefer McCarthy's experience and track record of success over an unproven, albeit talented, commodity like Johnson, to pair with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Williams' body language on the sidelines throughout the season was poor. The roster around him isn't perfect, but lack of talent is not why Williams had a rocky rookie year. It became clear over the course of the season that Chicago needs a proven winner at the helm.
This isn't to say McCarthy doesn't have flaws. Similar to Jason Garrett before him, McCarthy failed to take the Cowboys beyond the Divisional Round in five years at the helm. Despite all of the regular-season success, he managed just one playoff win in his tenure.
However, we are talking about a head coach who has won over 60% of his games in almost two decades on the job. That is nothing to sneeze at. Still just 61 years old, McCarthy's been to the playoffs in 13 of 18 seasons and has won eight division titles in his career.
We are hard-pressed to think of a better candidate for the Bears job. Assuming general manager Ryan Poles stays the course and doesn't try to outsmart his peers, this should be McCarthy's job to lose. The Bears