Mike McCarthy, a Green Bay Packers legend, is on the verge of rewriting NFL rivalry history. Could the man who once dominated the Chicago Bears become their next head coach? This intriguing possibility has fans of both teams buzzing.

There's just one open head coach position in the NFL, and Mike McCarthy will not be the candidate filling it as he instead focuses on next year.

McCarthy, whose contract expired with the Cowboys and wasn't signed to an extension, will sit out the 2025 season, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero. McCarthy removed his name from consideration for the New Orleans Saints' vacancy. The Saints are the last team to have a head coaching job open this offseason.

Reports late Tuesday night surfaced that Mike McCarthy is no longer in consideration for the New Orleans Saints head coaching vacancy. McCarthy, 61, had been th

Former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy does not plan to coach this year. The New Orleans Saints are the only team still looking to hire a head coach, with six other franchises previously filling their vacancies.

The Dallas Cowboys didn't renew the contract of McCarthy following a 7-10 season in 2024. He was 49-35 with two NFC East titles in five seasons in Dallas. He is 174-112-2 in 18 seasons as a head coach, including 125 wins and a Super Bowl championship with the Green Bay Packers (2006-18).

The Bears didn’t pick former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, but Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now staying inside the NFC North.

"Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle and will not coach in the NFL this season, sources tell me and @RapSheet," Pelissero wrote on X. "McCarthy, who has made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons, is expected to be a strong candidate a year from now."

Mike McCarthy has decided against coaching in 2025, removing himself as a candidate to fill the NFL’s last remaining head coaching vacancy with the New Orleans Saints

McCarthy is the third high-profile candidate to pull out of the Saints' search, joining Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

If the Cowboys played things differently, they could have had their all-star coaching staff. | From @ReidDHanson