Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is being pushed as the “safe choice” for the Giants’ opening, but with New York’s instability and a young roster at stake, questions loom about whether his familiar body of work truly fits their high-pressure rebuild.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks the New York Giants’ top target to replace Brian Daboll should be a very familiar face to Cowboys fans in former Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy.
The idea sounds logical enough, but it deserves a hard look from this side of the NFC East.
McCarthy, who wasn't retained after the 2024 season and was replaced in Dallas by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, went 49-25 over five seasons with the Cowboys from 2020 to 2024 and made three straight playoff appearances from 2021 to 2023. That's a big part of Moton's case.
"Mike McCarthy would be the safe choice among the potential candidates, with the best resume," Moton wrote. "He’s a proven Super Bowl-winning head coach with a winning record at two blue-blood franchises: the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. In Green Bay, McCarthy molded Aaron Rodgers in his early years. Also, under his tutelage, Dak Prescott led the league in QBR (73.4), completions (410) and touchdown passes (36) in a Pro Bowl 2023 campaign.
"If the Giants want an old-school coach who is accomplished and knows how to build a winning program, McCarthy is by far the best option."
There's no denying the hardware or the win totals, but "safe choice" is doing a lot of work here.
Giants ownership is about to hire its fifth head coach in the last decade, and they've just lived through one of the ugliest collapses of the season, a 33-32 Week 7 loss to Denver in which they blew a 19-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
"NFL teams had won an incredible 1,602 straight games when leading by 18+ points in the final six minutes," The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account. "The Giants led 26-8 with six minutes left… and the Broncos came back to win 33-32."
Yes, there's young talent in New York. Because of quarterback Jaxson Dart and a core that includes wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo and edge rusher Abdul Carter, the job has appeal.
"It is the No. 1 job," ESPN analyst and Super Bowl champion Jeff Saturday said on "First Take" on Tuesday. "You’ve got Dart, you've got Cam Skattebo, you've got Abdul Carter … look at the nucleus of players they have in there."
But that's exactly where the skepticism comes in from a Dallas perspective.
The Giants need a program builder who can maximize a young nucleus and navigate an impatient market. Cowboys fans saw the regular-season success but also the familiar January frustrations under McCarthy.
Handing him another high-profile project in the division may be more about comfort than creativity.
McCarthy's name is also floated for the Tennessee Titans, who moved on from Brian Callahan and are building around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
"Though Mike McCarthy isn't quite as exciting as some of the young up-and-coming names on the list, he's a proven winner with decades of experience, and that might be exactly what the Titans need at this point," Bleacher Report's Andrew Peters wrote on October 15.
"… Tennessee just drafted Cam Ward first overall and is hoping he will be the player who turns the franchise around. Having McCarthy in the building could be perfect for the young talent."
Maybe McCarthy does fit better in a reset situation like Tennessee than in the pressure cooker of New York, and maybe that's just fine for Cowboys fans who have already seen how his story plays out in the NFC East.