The Chicago Bears wasted no time getting former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in the building to interview for their head-coaching job.
On Wednesday night, the Bears announced they completed their first interview with McCarthy as a candidate for their head-coaching vacancy, bringing him in just two days after his split with the Cowboys and making him their 12th interview of the hiring cycle.
“We have completed an interview with head coach candidate Mike McCarthy,” the team wrote on its official X account on January 15.
The Bears have not been shy about their interest in McCarthy. They asked the Cowboys for permission to speak with him about their head-coaching job before Dallas had even decided against bringing him back for the 2025 season, but the Cowboys denied them. Chicago then got an interview on the books with him less than 24 hours after his exit.
Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Kalyn Kahler, the Bears also broke from tradition in their approach with McCarthy. Not only did they make him one of just two known in-person interviews so far in the hiring cycle, but they also flew him out in a private jet.
“Per a league source, the Chicago Bears are conducting their in-person interview with Mike McCarthy this afternoon, their second known candidate to interview in person after Ron Rivera did on Sunday,” Cronin wrote Wednesday on X. “McCarthy flew from Dallas to Wheeling, Ill. in private accommodations, which is a departure from previous team protocol.”
The question now is are the Bears honing in on McCarthy as their top candidate or are the NFL rules holding them back from more conversations with other frontrunners?
Bears Face Restrictions Amid Head-Coaching Search
The Bears clearly believe McCarthy could be a good fit for their team, but don’t let the media zealots twist the in-person nature of his interview into something disingenuous.
McCarthy is one of the first candidates to have an in-person interview with the Bears, but NFL rules are mostly to blame for the Bears not bringing in more in the same way. Many of the candidates with whom they have met virtually — including Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Arthur Smith and Mike Kafka — are not eligible to interview in person with teams until after the divisonal-round games in the NFL playoffs have concluded.
For example, if the Bears want to bring in Johnson — a popular candidate this hiring cycle– for an in-person interview, they must wait until after the last divisional-round game is played on January 19. Even then, Chicago can only request Johnson for an in-person meeting if Detroit does not advance. If the Lions make the NFC Championship Game, the Bears would need to wait until the bye week before the 2025 Super Bowl.
Put simply, the Bears may want to schedule more in-person interviews but cannot until their best candidates are free from NFL interview rules restrictions in another few days.
Of course, the Bears have sidestepped in-person interviews with a few eligible coaches. They declined to hold in-person interviews with interim head coach Thomas Brown or former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, but that does not mean they could not circle back for in-person conversations when they make calls for second interviews.
For now, McCarthy’s interview looks flashy, but let’s wait and see how the Bears treat their other candidates in the process when they are eligible for red-carpet treatment.
Bears Book Interview With Vikings DC Brian Flores
The Bears have interviewed 12 candidates, including McCarthy, in the first 11 days of their head-coaching search and will add at least one more to the list this weekend.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Bears will hold a virtual interview with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Saturday for their head-coaching vacancy. News of Flores’ interview comes 10 days after ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that Chicago wanted to speak with Flores about its head-coaching job.
Flores is another popular name on the 2025 hiring market after two strong seasons as the Vikings’ defensive boss. He is seeking his second head-coaching opportunity after previously holding the role with the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, missing the playoffs in all three seasons. He also had a tumultuous relationship with first-round quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, casting uncertainty on his ability to develop Williams.
The Bears have also requested interviews with the following head-coaching candidates:
—Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
—Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach
—Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach
—Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
—Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
—Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator
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