Why the Saints will have interest in hiring former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
The NFL world got a surprise on Monday morning. After reports last week that the Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy were working towards a new deal together, that has changed. McCarthy will not return as the Cowboys head coach next season. The two sides have agreed to mutually part ways. Will New Orleans have interest […]
The NFL world got a surprise on Monday morning. After reports last week that the Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy were working towards a new deal together, that has changed.
McCarthy will not return as the Cowboys head coach next season. The two sides have agreed to mutually part ways. Will New Orleans have interest in the veteran HC? I expect it.
Mike McCarthy
McCarthy already has a relationship with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. The long-time head coach began his NFL play-calling career in New Orleans.
Plus, it's possible that the Saints target a proven option to provide some stability within the organization. McCarthy has a legitimate coaching pedigree as a HC in the pros over the years and is held in high respect around the NFL.
Mike McCarthy's biggest calling card that will attract NFL teams like the New Orleans Saints is the fact that he's known as a quarterback guru. And to be candid, the evidence backs it up. He unleashed Dak Prescott in his first year as a play-caller in 2023 when the quarterback finished as the MVP runner-up to Lamar Jackson. He developed Aaron Rodgers into one of the best QBs in the NFL for a long time. Additionally, he knows how to build the right environment and the locker room loves him. In Dallas, players consistently backed him up and even went out of their way to do so. The question with McCarthy will be the same as it was when he left Green Bay: Can he modernize his offense? For the majority of his time in Dallas, the run game wasn't anything special when compared to what you see from the young, hotshot offensive coordinators around the league. The same goes for passing concepts, which can be predictable at times and oftentimes ignored things working around the league, like crossing routes. — Mauricio Rodriguez
NFL insider Adam Schefter expects McCarthy to be an option for New Orleans as they search for a new coach.
The two sides engaged in no discussions about a new deal, and McCarthy is expected to be a candidate in Chicago and New Orleans. — Schefter
According to Ian Rapoport, the Saints have not put in a request to interview McCarthy yet, but they're expected to do so. McCarthy's deal with the Cowboys ends on Tuesday, but he is allowed to speak with other teams immediately.
Nick Underhill also expects the Saints to be "very interested" in McCarthy.
McCarthy led Dallas to some major offensive success in his time as their head coach. During his tenure, they were a top offense in the NFC consistently but struggled in the postseason.
The Cowboys were an offensive juggernaut from 2021-23, boasting top-five finishes in total yards and scoring during that span. Prescott flourished, producing a 96-34 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 101.6 passer rating over the course of those three seasons. CeeDee Lamb also emerged as one of the NFL's best wideouts along the way, producing the best receiving season in franchise history with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 14 totals TDs in 2023. — Michael Baca
For New Orleans, Loomis has interest in hiring a coach that he already has a relationship with prior to adding him to the staff. McCarthy fits that bill and has emerged as a notable candidate for the Saints this offseason.
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