What's old is new again for Mike McCarthy. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the former Dallas Cowboys head coach will not coach in 2025 and intends to "focus on the 2026 hiring cycle."
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.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025
McCarthy, who has made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons, is expected to be a strong candidate a year from now. pic.twitter.com/Vr8mMijIkq
The Cowboys allowed McCarthy's contract to expire following the regular season and eventually promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach. McCarthy managed a 49-35 record over his five-year tenure with the team, but his 1-3 record in the postseason clearly left the organization wanting more.
McCarthy also took a year off following his separation from the Green Bay Packers in 2018. McCarthy amassed a 125-77-2 record with the Packers from 2006 to 2018, even winning a Super Bowl following the 2010 season. He eventually took over the Cowboys in 2020.
Temporarily stepping away from the NFL worked out pretty well for McCarthy last time, but it's difficult to imagine this move is of his own volition. He's 61 years old, and it's hard to see why he'd be any more enticing as a head coaching candidate in the next hiring cycle.
Still, if teams know what's good for them, McCarthy should find a job next season. He's an incredibly accomplished offensive mind: As an offensive coordinator or head coach, his offences have finished in the top five for points scored in an amazing 11 seasons. He's also accomplished that feat with four different leading passers, including Aaron Brooks, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Dak Prescott. McCarthy would be an ideal choice for a team in desperate need of a steadying presence on offense.
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