Mike McCarthy on the Bears? The pros and cons for the Packers if that ultimately happens
There is a street called the Mike McCarthy Way in Green Bay. After all, the head coach won a Super Bowl with the Packers and spent 13 seasons on the franchise. Their connection is undeniable, even though the last few years of McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay weren't as glorious. Eventually, the now Dallas Cowboys […]
There is a street called the Mike McCarthy Way in Green Bay. After all, the head coach won a Super Bowl with the Packers and spent 13 seasons on the franchise. Their connection is undeniable, even though the last few years of McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay weren't as glorious. Eventually, the now Dallas Cowboys head coach will be a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
But… could he be back in the NFC North soon? Mauricio Rodriguez, who covers the Dallas Cowboys for A to Z Sports, brought this topic up. McCarthy's future in Dallas is uncertain, but the coach also has control over the situation because he is under an expiring contract.
The Bears have already fired Matt Eberflus, and they reportedly want an experienced option to guide the franchise and to try to recover first overall quarterback Caleb Williams. That would certainly be a mix of feelings for Packers fans. So let's analyze the good and the bad if that happens.
The bad
Mike McCarthy's QB school
You might think that McCarthy is a product of Aaron Rodgers, which might be true to a certain degree. But Aaron Rodgers would be the version we know without Mike McCarthy. The perception people have around McCarthy now might be bad, but he was perceived as a big quarterback guru in the mid 2000s. And if you look at the tape from Rodgers in the 2005 preseason, with that high and weird throwing mechanics, you will understand where I came from.
McCarthy also allowed Dak Prescott to have the best individual performance of his career in 2023 — there is a real argument that Prescott should have been the MVP. So with McCarthy, Caleb Williams would have a better shot at developing than he had with Eberflus and Shane Waldron.
Competency
Since Lovie Smith was fired by the Bears after the 2012 season, the list of Chicago head coaches is atrocious. Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus. Nagy is by far the one who did the best job, being named the coach of the year in 2018 and reaching the postseason twice.
Whether you like Mike McCarthy or not, he brings a level of competency that is not a given in the NFL, especially for first-time head coaches.
In his first four years with the Cowboys, McCarthy had three 12-win seasons and a playoff win. To find the previous three 12-win seasons in Dallas' history, you have to go back 12 years. His predecessor Jason Garrett spent 10 years with the Cowboys and won two playoff games, so the postseason failures go well beyond McCarthy.
Weirdness
As previously mentioned, it's hard to deny what Mike McCarthy did for the Packers. He revived Brett Favre's career, developed Aaron Rodgers, and led a difficult quarterback transition, just like Matt LaFleur did from Rodgers to Jordan Love 15 years later. He will be a Packers Hall of Famer.
However, just like we saw with Brett Favre, the connection with a divisional rival will inevitably leave a bitter taste for everyone involved. The Cowboys are somewhat of a rival for the Packers, but going back to the NFC North would take that to a completely different dimension.
The good
Limited ceiling
While Mike McCarthy brings a sense of competency to the franchise, it's hard to deny that his recent results haven't been that impressive based on the talent level of his teams. Last year, for example, the Cowboys were clearly a better team than the Packers, and when it's time to face these new top head coaches in the NFL, you can see a gap in coaching.
For the Bears, competency would be an upgrade over what they've had. But it doesn't mean it's what they expect from the next head coach.
Scheme issues
McCarthy modernized his offense a little bit in 2023, which allowed Prescott to have a strong season. But even then, the team was 23rd in motion rate — a position the Cowboys have kept to start this season. The Cowboys are not at the top of screens, playaction, and RPOs either.
He runs a classic version of his West-Coast offense, and while it's possible to be effective this way with superior talent, teams would probably prefer a scheme that makes things easier for the quarterback, especially if it's a young one like Williams.
Head-to-head
So far, Mike McCarthy has faced the Packers twice as a head coach. It's fair to say that the Cowboys were the better team both times, and they were favored to win both games. However, the Packers beat them in the 2022 regular season with Aaron Rodgers in overtime and won big with Jordan Love in last season's playoffs.
If McCarthy goes to the Bears and keeps the head-to-head trend, Packers fans will be more than happy.
Mike McCarthy could take Cowboys’ decision out of their hands by taking another NFL job when his contract expires
Would be a wild scenario for the league.
