Mike McCarthy has decided that he will not coach in the NFL in the 2025 season, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, as the former Cowboys and Packers head coach has decided to instead focus on the 2026 hiring cycle.

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.

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

Between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy has been coaching in the NFC for 18 years, and he's accrued a record of 174-112-2 in that time. Despite three consecutive 12-5 seasons in the middle of his tenure with the Cowboys, a 7-10 campaign in 2024 was all Jerry Jones needed to see before deciding to go in a different direction.

"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."

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).

Al Harris comes to the Chicago Bears after serving as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive backs coach the last five seasons.

The New Orleans Saints are the final remaining team to have a head coaching vacancy, and they know at least one name that won't be on their sideline in 2025. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy removed his name from consideration and will be focusing on the 2026 head coaching cycle, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The 12th-winningest head coach in NFL history will reportedly spend 2025 focusing on the 2026 hiring cycle. It’s a tactic he’s used before.

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.