CHGO Digest: Mike McCarthy interviews for Bears head coach vacancy

Good morning, friends!

What are your fears with the Bears’ coaching search? Too many candidates and an unclear direction from the organization? Waiting up to a month just to be spurned by Ben Johnson?

I get it. The Bears have been bailing water out of the Titanic for more than a decade with each coaching hire since firing Lovie Smith in 2012.

In 2013, Chicago brought in an off-the-radar innovative offensive mind that lacked leadership skills (Marc Trestman) and wound up needing a coach to hold together a fragile locker room. When they hired their morale repairman (John Elway—I mean John Fox) in 2015, the offense completely disintegrated without a plan at quarterback.

Then it was time to fix the offense again (Matt Nagy) before one bad kick sent the locker room culture into a three-year tailspin. Rinse. Repeat. Defensive-minded culture builder (Matt Eberflus) oversees an unfathomably awful offense despite drafting a quarterback and wide receiver in the top ten in 2024.

Where does that leave the Bears? In desperate need of an innovative (preferably) offensive mind*.

*not Marc Trestman.

: CHGO BEARS COACHING TRACKER

What I’ve appreciated from the Bears’ hiring process in 2025 is that, while it seems disorganized simply due to the extensive list of interviewees, there appears to be some internal recognition that they not only need somebody with an unsinkable developmental plan for Caleb Williams but also someone capable of leading the locker room from the front. Proper clock management would be a plus, too.

— Patrick Norton

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Mike McCarthy

Mike McCarthy raises the floor for the Chicago Bears. Then again, so did John Fox (somehow).

Matt Eberflus’ tenure in Chicago ended with just 14 wins in 46 games. In 18 years as an NFL head coach with the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy is 19-7 in 26 games against the Bears.

But how much does one’s record against the Bears matter? Enough to earn an in-person interview with Chicago’s executive search committee at Halas Hall. However, WMVP’s Marc Silverman reported on Wednesday that the trip to Lake Forest was McCarthy’s preference.

Ryan Poles & Co. interviewed McCarthy yesterday afternoon after speaking with Steelers offensive coordinator and ex-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith in the morning.

I know what you’re thinking: Former Green Bay Super Bowl champion. Future saboteur in Chicago? McCarthy was still in charge up north for Khalil Mack’s Bears debut in 2018. Remember? The game that should’ve been the worst memory of that season?

But the ex-Cowboys coach checks the box as a locker room leader. It’s easier to lead the room when you’ve won 185 games as a head coach.

What about his quarterback development? McCarthy navigated a tricky situation in Green Bay, orchestrating the handing of the baton from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. Dak Prescott had already established himself as a star talent before McCarthy arrived in Dallas. Still, the head coach helped Prescott earn himself a hefty chunk of change this past September.

Here’s the reality of the situation for the Bears: McCarthy is not the “shoot for the stars” candidate. He’d be a solid hire, and certainly better than a lot of Bears fans seem willing to admit, but he’s not the best offensive mind on the market.

However, due to the timing of the offseason, the Bears find themselves in an interesting spot with McCarthy. Ben Johnson might not be available for nearly a month should the Detroit Lions make a Super Bowl run. Unfortunately for Chicago, McCarthy almost certainly won’t stick around for the Bears to sort through their process.

If Chicago feels uneasy about the lack of clarity around Johnson’s future, maybe they jump the gun and explore hiring McCarthy before the Jets or Saints have a chance. Otherwise, the longtime NFL head coach could be off the table as a backup plan.

Why Mike McCarthy is an intriguing (and possibly underrated) candidate for the Bears

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Trivia!

Q: Seven head coaches have reached the Super Bowl (as head coach) with two different organizations. How many have won with both teams?

Tweet me @patdnorton with your answer!

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Bulls lose third-straight

You’d think facing the Atlanta Hawks without De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and Trae Young would be easy, right? Wrong. Just ask Coby White, who led Chicago with 16 points last night en route to a 110-94 loss.

The Bulls are 2-5 this season when their high-scorer fails to score 20+. That makes ’em 16-18 the rest of the time, so not much better.

For what it’s worth, and you can ask Matt Peck, but when I read the Bulls were facing a shorthanded Hawks squad, I called a big Bulls loss. Been there, done that.

READ MORE: [Gottlieb] Frustration boils over after loss to undermanned Hawks

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