McCarthy eyes Giants' helm! Fired Harbaugh emerges as top contender, igniting a fierce competition for New York's coaching vacancy.
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are changing their defensive coordinator with the firing of Matt Eberflus. Elsewhere in the NFC East? Eberflus' former boss, Brian Schottenheimer, will no longer be this division's team with the newest head coach.
Brian Daboll, the head coach of the New York Giants for the last four years, was fired this year after the team's 2-8 showing so far season. Daboll was 20-40-1 overall during his tenure in the Big Apple. The team's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka took over in the interim. ... and New York ended 4-13.
What's next in New York? Surely a new head coach who can manage the care and feeding of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Now that the search begins for Daboll's replacement is on, a free agent name has been floated with recent ties to the division - Mike McCarthy - has an official interview on Friday in the Big Apple.
I've been told that McCarthy - formally of the Cowboys as the mentor/predecessor of Dallas' current boss Schottenheimer - is the "buzzy'' name for the job.
But that was at the very beginning of the week.
What's changed?
The Cleveland Browns on Monday fired Kevin Stefanski. He now figures to be in the Giants mix. And then the Baltimore Ravens pulled a shocker and after 18 years, fired John Harbaugh.
And suddenly, Harbaugh is the "buzzy'' name.
McCarthy earned his reputation of a quarterback guru after reaching the pinnacle of the sport with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, as well as constructing some of the league's best offenses with Dak Prescott in Dallas.
With the rookie Dart showing promise now that he's been handed the keys to the offense as a starter, McCarthy could be the best available option to unlock his full potential next season.
McCarthy's failures in the postseason with the Cowboys - notably the beat down in the 2023 Wild Card round at the hands of the Packers - were ultimately what cut his time short with "America's Team". He was 49-35 overall and 1-3 in the playoffs with Dallas.
Since Schottenheimer's hiring ahead of this season, McCarthy vowed to take the 2025 season off and reconnect with his family away from football. Throughout this season, however, he's become a regular guest analyst on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show and has expressed interest in a return to coaching.
Could his next stop be back in the NFC East? He'll get a shot on Friday, with I think especially John Harbaugh's name looming over his shoulder.