Mike McCarthy could complete ultimate Packers betrayal arc if he leaves Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys just have one more game to go in their 2024 season, which fell way short of their Super Bowl goals. Granted, team owner Jerry Jones made zero "all-in" moves last offseason. But now they have an important decision — what are they to do with head coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy has been firmly on the hot seat for quite some time by the fans, especially since he hasn't been able to get them past the roadblock that is the NFC Divisional Round. McCarthy is set to be a free agent at the end of this season, and various Cowboys players have openly expressed their desire for him to stay. Even though Jones would like to make a decision on McCarthy's future, he could walk away on his own accord.

But where to exactly?

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (subscription required), multiple people have told him that they believe McCarthy has his eyes set on the Chicago Bears job. That's right, the hated rival of the team he coached before the Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers.

"Despite his rocky tenure in Dallas, McCarthy would stack up well if parachuting into this candidate pool and provide leadership," writes Fowler. "He turned 61 in November but seems to have the energy for the job. He's quite familiar with NFC North football, too. This might not graduate from a working theory stage, but enough people have mentioned the scenario to make it worth mentioning here."

Mike McCarthy reportedly has eyes set on Bears HC job

This would be quite the jump if it were to come to fruition. McCarthy willingly walking away from the Cowboys and joining a Bears team that needs some desperate help in terms of coaching.

Matt Eberflus was a lame-duck head coach who did such a bad job this year, he was fired the day after a brutal Thanksgiving loss. Interim head coach Thomas Brown hasn't fared much better filling in, and may have pushed himself out of contention for the job.

McCarthy may not be a popular pick for the Bears if he were to leave Dallas. The Bears have been heavily linked to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, both of whom are viewed as the top head coaching candidates in the entire NFL. Not to mention, ex-Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has interest in the Bears gig. But McCarthy can rack up wins in the regular season.

With the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy had a 125-77-2 regular season record, a 10-8 playoff record, and a Super Bowl title in 13 years. In his five years with the Cowboys (prior to Week 18), McCarthy holds a 49-34 regular season record, but holds a 1-3 record in the playoffs.

The Bears are seemingly looking at all options for their next head coach. If McCarthy leaves the Cowboys, it will be interesting to see if the Bears will give him a call to set up an interview.