Mike McCarthy. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Another candidate drops out of Saints’ HC race, will wait for 2026 cycle

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 11:16 PM ET

Another candidate has dropped out of the race for the New Orleans Saints’ head coach job.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday night that Mike McCarthy has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle. McCarthy had been scheduled to interview with the Saints this week.

A report from NFL reporter Tony Pauline that was published on Monday said that initial talks between the Saints and McCarthy did not go well, and those in the organization were not “enamored” with the former Cowboys head coach.

Pelissero’s report saying McCarthy now wants to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle could be a nice way of saying the Saints decided not to hire him. It’s also possible the two sides mutually agreed not to move forward.

Former #Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle and will not coach in the NFL this season, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

McCarthy, who has made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons, is expected to be a strong candidate a year from now. pic.twitter.com/Vr8mMijIkq

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025

McCarthy will now have to hope to get looks next year. That’s what happened with longtime coaches Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick, who both were fired after last season and sat out the 2024 season. Both coaches have since landed new jobs, though not ones many would have expected (Las Vegas Raiders and North Carolina, respectively).

McCarthy, 61, could have some reasons to worry that he might not get another NFL head coach job. He’s been recycled once when the Dallas Cowboys hired him a year after his firing by the Green Bay Packers. Now he will sit out another season and hope to get hired next year.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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