Former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may land with a third NFC team. The Giants will interview McCarthy for their head coaching position next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Their meeting will take place Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
After the Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, he reportedly vaulted to the top of New York’s wish list. The Giants will need a fallback plan if they’re unable to lure Harbaugh, though, and the 62-year-old McCarthy represents another experienced option with plenty of past success.
Like Harbaugh, McCarthy is a former Super Bowl winner. He helped the Packers to their most recent championship in 2010, his fifth season as their coach. Entering the playoffs as a 10-win wild-card team, the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers ripped off four straight victories en route to a title.
McCarthy lasted seven more years as Green Bay’s head coach after its Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers. The Packers made the playoffs in five of those seasons, but a 4-7-1 start in 2018 led to McCarthy’s ouster.
After a year off, McCarthy took over for Jason Garrett as the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020. Dallas struggled to a 6-10 mark in McCarthy’s first year, but the team put together three straight 12-win seasons after that. The Cowboys won just one playoff game out of four during that stretch, though, before taking a significant step back in 2024. Quarterback Dak Prescott missed nine games with a severe hamstring injury, which helped lead to a 7-10 finish. Owner Jerry Jones allowed McCarthy’s contract to expire and went on to replace him with Brian Schottenheimer.
With his time in Dallas up, McCarthy interviewed for HC vacancies in Chicago and New Orleans last winter. Neither they nor anyone else hired McCarthy, who didn’t work in 2025. The offensive-minded McCarthy could resurface with the Giants, who would assign him the task of helping develop young quarterback Jaxson Dart. McCarthy would also attempt to build on an impressive 174-112-2 record as a head coach.
As the Giants wait to talk with McCarthy, they’ve already begun discussions with ex-Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. It was reported Monday that he would interview with the Giants. The two sides had dinner on Tuesday night, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Stefanski’s interview will occur on Wednesday, per Schefter.
My money would be on Stefanski to get the job. Offensive minded and I would imagine Jim Schwarz would be a package deal IMO.
Schwartz under contract for 3 more seasons in CLE. Team or coach would have to release him first.
Dart doesn’t impress me as a QB. Nor does the GM impress me either.
To be fair, the Giants’ collapse in Denver wiped out what would’ve been a miracle finish by Dart.
What does it take for a 22 year old QB lacking surrounding talent to impress you?
From google: Lane Kiffin has coached several key players who became NFL first-round picks, notably Jaxson Dart, Matt Corral, and Elijah Moore.
Not being a kamikaze. I think he went into the blue tent 5 times this season for concussions. & Lane doesn’t have a bunch of high round picks entering the NFL. Which is fine. His job is to win in college.
Yeah, the kamikaze part is 100% accurate.
The same holds for Cam. No matter what he thinks, he’s not Juggernaut. At least try to evade players instead of trying to run through everyone
Dart impressed me a great deal, but as you note, his playing style needs to be altered severely or he won’t last long in the league.
Comparing him to Matt Corral and Elijah Moore seems odd, though. I don’t care who his college coach was. Corral never took an NFL snap and Moore is a WR. Let’s focus on what Dart actually does on a football field. He was great as a rookie.
What’s odd about comparing him to other players Lane developed?
From google: Matt Corral’s key NCAA achievements at Ole Miss include leading the SEC in total offense per game (384.9) in 2020, tying the school record with seven touchdowns in a single game (four passing, three rushing) in 2021, and guiding the Rebels to their first 10-win regular season and a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2021, finishing 7th in Heisman voting that year. He left with over 8,200 passing yards and 57 touchdowns, plus 18 rushing touchdowns, showcasing dual-threat ability.
From google as well: Elijah Moore (Ole Miss WR) set Ole Miss school records in 2020 for receptions (86) and receiving yards (1,193) in a season, leading the nation in receiving yards/game (149.1) and receptions/game (10.8) in his shortened junior year, becoming a consensus All-American, and he also holds the Ole Miss record for most 200+ yard receiving games (3) in a career.
Great college careers; nothing in the NFL.
Dart needs a good offensive coach. Stefanski would be ideal and if the packers lose to the bears again, LaFleur might be fired and he could be an option for giants as well
McCarthy was propped up by Rodgers and his excellence in GB. McCarthy did nothing in Dallas. He is a nothing coach.
Please No No No to McCarthy. Why not bring Bellichek back to New York. My money is on Harbaugh unless he doesn’t want the job
McCarthy went 12-5 three straight years in Dallas and won two division titles. To say he ‘did nothing’ isn’t accurate. Giants haven’t won 12 games in a season since 2008 and haven’t won the division since 2011. I personally don’t want McCarthy as coach, but they could do a lot worse than him.
1 playoff win in 5 years lol. He’s simply just not a good coach.
He is reliable if you want to win meaningless regular season games and then flop in the playoffs and never accomplish anything of actual worth.
Harbaugh of course, could be the frontrunner in NY and other teams, but what if the Steelers, Packers or Bills got blown out this weekend? … could Harbaugh replace a Tomlin, LaFluer or McDermott? Anything is possible.
Well if that happens and Harbaugh goes elsewhere, then there are more candidates to choose from
Sorry, but I feel Stefanski is overrated. Yes, he made the playoffs and developed Baker, but Baker also regressed, trying to play hurt. Chubb carried this team at the time with receivers like Beckham, Cooper and Njoku failing to do more. He did resurrect Flacco but not this year. He has done nothing with Watson, who doesnt care, and is just cashing his checks. A change of scenery will help him but people cant expect miracles from him.
Cooper played well, especially with Flacco but wasnt the same in 2024. Juedy hasnt stayed consistent either.