The search for a new Chicago Bears coach is on in earnest with the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season, and it reportedly includes a surprising new candidate.

Per ESPN, the Bears have requested permission from the Dallas Cowboys to interview their head coach Mike McCarthy. Per the report, the Bears are now awaiting a response from the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones.

McCarthy is under contract through Jan. 14, when his five-year deal with the Cowboys expires. Until then, the Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights with McCarthy. If the Cowboys don’t re-sign McCarthy by then and they don’t grant the Bears’ request in the meantime, Chicago would have the option of interviewing McCarthy as a free agent after Jan. 14.

Where do McCarthy, Cowboys stand?

McCarthy coached this season without a contract extension after leading the Cowboys to a single playoff victory in four seasons. After winning the NFC East in 2023, the Cowboys were blown out at home in the wild-card round by the Green Bay Packers, and McCarthy did not get a new deal. The Cowboys were then one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2024 with a 7-10 record that left them well out of playoff contention.

As of Monday, Jones has left his intentions about McCarthy unclear. He offered a non-committal word salad when asked repeatedly about McCarthy’s future with the team following Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Washington Commanders.

“I’ll follow kind of the timeframe that I’ve done in the past,” Jones said about his decision in the clearest of this three minutes of remarks answering questions about McCarthy.

McCarthy, meanwhile, made his desires clear. He wants to remain in Dallas.

“Absolutely,” McCarthy told reporters Sunday when asked if his preference is to remain the Cowboys’ head coach. “I have a lot invested here, and the Cowboys have a lot invested in me.”

Would McCarthy be a good fit for Bears?

Which brings us to the Bears. If the Cowboys and McCarthy don’t work out a new deal, could McCarthy realistically end up in Chicago? Per Monday’s report, the Bears are clearly interested.

The franchise is at a critical juncture as it approaches its second season with quarterback Caleb Williams. The first was largely a disaster and prompted the Bears to fire a head coach midseason for the first time in franchise history.

Matt Eberflus entered 2024 on the hot seat after coaching the Bears to a 10-24 record in his first two seasons. When he couldn’t provide a competent answer for his game mismanagement in a Thanksgiving collapse against the the Detroit Lions, Bears brass has seen enough. They fired Eberflus the following day.

The next Bears head coach will be tasked with developing Williams and providing stability on the sidelines following years of mismanagement and a playoff drought dating back to 2020.

As an 18-year NFL head coaching veteran with just two stops in Dallas and Green Bay, McCarthy is the definition of stability and a coach who’s garnered the respect of his Cowboys players. A former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, he has a background that’s attractive to a team looking to develop a young quarterback.

He’s also a coach with a lengthy history of game mismanagement that could trigger some unwelcome flashbacks in Chicago. He’d be a hard sell for a fanbase that watched McCarthy coach the rival Packers for 13 seasons. And despite a Super Bowl victory with the Packers, McCarthy’s teams in Green Bay and Dallas have repeatedly and sometimes spectacularly fallen short of expectations in the postseason.

Is that a résumé the Bears are ready to take on with Williams’ future at stake? Only time will tell. But first things first. The ball is firmly in Jones’ court with a deadline on a McCarthy decision looming just eight days away.