The Chicago Bears put in a request last week to speak with Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who had an expiring contract. They were denied by Dallas, who seemed hopeful they could still work out an agreement to extend him. A few days later, talks had gone nowhere. McCarthy officially became a free agent on January 14th. Just 24 hours later, the Bears are meeting with him in person. Such a rapid turnaround, along with the reported first-class treatment he’s receiving, leads many to wonder if he’s the favorite for the job.
It is hard not to feel like this is a deliberate effort by the organization to woo somebody they covet. McCarthy does check a lot of the boxes GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren desire. Poles wants an offensive-minded coach who can develop quarterback Caleb Williams. Warren prefers somebody with previous head coaching experience. McCarthy has coached for 18 seasons between Green Bay and Dallas, posting a winning record in 12 of them. He developed Aaron Rodgers and maximized Dak Prescott. The Bears have good reasons to be serious about him, and according to Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, they very much are.
Mike McCarthy is a perfectly sensible option for the Bears.
Fans don’t like it because his presence interferes with the prospect of landing Ben Johnson, the hottest name on the circuit. Many see him as the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan. That might be true, but it’s important to remember that luring coaches to your team isn’t guaranteed. Others are vying for his services too. Even if the Bears make the best pitch possible, Johnson could end up going elsewhere. It would be a mistake to throw all of their efforts into landing him and not have contingency plans in place.
There is no question Mike McCarthy is a solid one. For all the criticism he gets for not achieving enough during his runs in Green Bay and Dallas, the fact is his track record is almost identical to Sean Payton, who many see as a future Hall of Famer. Both have a Super Bowl ring. Both have over 170 wins in their careers. If people believe Payton can win another championship in Denver, why is it crazy to believe McCarthy can’t in Chicago? It may not be a sexy idea, but it’s also not a bad one.
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Barry: between the profound and the profane. Keep on thinking free (ly).
Hear, hear, Arnie. She may not be the prettiest, but I’d be grinding all up in McCarthy’s business on the dance floor.
They could’ve already hired Ben Johnson LAST OFFSEASON, at a lower price and with less competition for him. Fucking loser franchise is a joke.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward for a coach like McCarthy. For starters, if the Bears do hire him, he’d instantly be the most qualified coach we’ve had in my lifetime. I also don’t put much stock in his playoff record. Having watched most of those games, I don’t recall thinking once that it was the head coach who cost them the game. I remember seeing star QB’s shit the bed or defenses being allergic to tackling fast QB’s like Vick and Kaeprrnick though. Regardless, it also doesn’t hurt to let Ben Johnson know he’s… Read more »
Because British music was misused in a few comments on this thread, I should state my preference for Donovan’s Sunshine Superman and Hurdy Gurdy Man. The only Elton song on my Top 2000 Playlist is Rocket Man. Any of these three songs would work with their psychedelic flavor.