Mike McCarthy has decided against coaching in 2025, removing himself as a candidate to fill the NFL’s last remaining head coaching vacancy with the New Orleans Saints.
A person familiar with McCarthy’s decision disclosed it to The Associated Press on Tuesday night on condition of anonymity because McCarthy and the Saints have not discussed it publicly. FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz also reported that McCarthy had withdrawn from consideration for the New Orleans job.
McCarthy is the third high-profile candidate to pull out of the Saints’ search, joining Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
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New Orleans’ remaining candidates include Philadelphia offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi, Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, all of whom have conducted in-person interviews.
If the Saints plan to hire Moore, they would have to wait until after the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
Rizzi, a career special teams coordinator with the Dolphins and Saints, took over in New Orleans after the firing of third-year coach Dennis Allen in November. Rizzi went 3-5, but started 3-1 before starting quarterback Derek Carr was lost for the season a left, non-throwing hand injury.
The 61-year-old McCarthy, who spent the past five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and won a Super Bowl during his 12 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, was the most established candidate under consideration by the Saints.
Cowboys were reportedly caught off guard by Mike McCarthy’s departure | The Herd
McCarthy had thrived as an offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2000 to 2004 before spending one season in the same post with San Francisco. Green Bay hired him in 2006, and he oversaw the club’s quarterback transition from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, winning a championship with the latter under center in the 2010 season.
He left Dallas after going 7-10 in 2024, just his second losing season with the Cowboys, where he won 12 regular-season games in each of the previous three campaigns.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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