Mike McCarthy has chosen not to pursue a coaching position in 2025, effectively eliminating himself from consideration for the final head coaching opening in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.
A source close to McCarthy’s decision revealed this information on Tuesday night, requesting anonymity as both McCarthy and the Saints have not made any public statements regarding this matter.

McCarthy becomes the third prominent candidate to withdraw from the Saints’ coaching search, following the departures of Buffalo’s offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Washington’s offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
The Saints are now left with several remaining candidates, including Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, interim coach Darren Rizzi, Miami’s defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, all of whom have already participated in in-person interviews for the position.

Should New Orleans have their sights set on hiring Kellen Moore, they would need to await the conclusion of the Eagles’ matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, which will be held in New Orleans on February 9.
Rizzi, known for his extensive career as a special teams coordinator with both the Dolphins and Saints, stepped in as the interim coach after Dennis Allen was dismissed in November. Rizzi recorded a 3-5 record but started his tenure strong at 3-1 before the team lost their starting quarterback Derek Carr to a season-ending injury.

The 61-year-old McCarthy, who has spent the last five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, previously achieved notable success during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, including winning a Super Bowl. He was the Saints’ most distinguished candidate owing to his extensive coaching background.
McCarthy had excelled as an offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2000 to 2004 and briefly held a similar role in San Francisco for a season. He was hired by Green Bay in 2006, where he managed the team’s quarterback transition from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, ultimately clinching a championship during the 2010 season with Rodgers leading the charge.
Following his departure from Dallas, where he ended the 2024 season with a 7-10 record, McCarthy noted that it was just his second losing season with the Cowboys. In contrast, he had previously led the team to a strong performance with 12 regular-season victories in each of the three prior years.