One of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL right now is that Mike McCarthy will not be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys beyond this season. Jerry Jones refused to give him a contract extension in the spring, making McCarthy the lamest of ducks. His intention of lighting a fire under the Cowboys completely backfired as the team is in the midst of their worst season in the McCarthy era.
As a result, McCarthy’s contract will almost certainly not be extended. While the attention has been on who the Cowboys will hire next, where McCarthy will end up is a similarly intriguing question. Jeff Howe of The Athletic took a look at the coaching landscape for the 2025 offseason. There, he predicted that McCarthy would be a top candidate for the New York Jets.
“McCarthy, who coached the Green Bay Packers for 13 years before his five-year stint with the Cowboys, may not be on many short lists, but he could make sense for the New York Jets because of his history with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. There’s also no need to worry about the way the 61-year-old would handle the pressure of the New York spotlight, which is a necessary personality trait for that media market”
– Jeff Howe, The Athletic
On paper, this makes a lot of sense. The New York Jets have been one of the biggest disappointments of the season, sitting at 3-7 with no hopes of making the postseason. They already fired Robert Saleh mid-season and currently have interim Jeff Ulbrich in charge.
Aaron Rodgers has recently expressed his desire to play for at least one more season. Hiring McCarthy, who worked with him for over a decade in Green Bay and helped him win his only Super Bowl, makes plenty of sense.
McCarthy certainly harmed his reputation in his Cowboys tenure, struggling to get over the hump in the playoffs. Yet, he remains a respected head coach who has built consistent regular-season winners over the years. Whether Rodgers will green-light this reunion remains to be seen but McCarthy will likely be on the sidelines elsewhere next season.
