Is head coach Mike McCarthy on the verge of signing a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys?
The Cowboys have denied the Bears' request to interview McCarthy for their vacant head coaching position in Chicago, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Tuesday.
The five-year contract that McCarthy signed with the Cowboys in 2020 expires Wednesday. However, the team has exclusive rights to negotiate a new contract with him until Jan. 14, meaning that McCarthy will have to wait until then to interview with Chicago if he hasn't reached a new agreement to extend his stay in Dallas.
The Bears have cast a wide net in their search, requesting to speak to more than a dozen candidates from other teams already.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been mostly mum on McCarthy's fate, but when asked after the regular-season finale about other teams' interest in speaking with McCarthy, Jones said he didn't "want a coach here who wanted to be someplace else."
McCarthy was more certain about his desire to be brought back.
"I'm definitely in a position with Jerry to move the program forward," he said. "There's no question about that in my mind."
When asked if Dallas is where he wanted to be despite interest from other teams, McCarthy said he "absolutely" wants to return in 2025.
"I have a lot invested here, and the Cowboys have a lot invested in me," McCarthy said. "Anytime you invest your time, energy, your belief, the connection and relationships you have here. The understanding of what the organization can do and is willing to do — those are all positive attributes that you take into account ... I'm a builder. I believe in building programs. I believe in developing young players. At the end of the day, it is about winning ... I think we have a very good foundation."
In his five seasons in charge in Dallas, McCarthy losing seasons in 2020 and 2024 and three straight 12-win seasons from 2021-'23. And while he wasn't able to get the organization to its first NFC Championship Game since 1995, he believes he can get the job done if he were brought back.
"I don't like to talk about myself," he said. "But I'll just be clear. I'm a winner. I know how to win. I've won a championship. I've won a championship in this building. And that's who I am. We'll see where it goes."