Mike McCarthy, the former Dallas Cowboys coach who was in the running for the New Orleans Saints job, is no longer planning to coach this year, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has emerged as the favorite for the position,

McCarthy, whose contract expired with the Cowboys and wasn't signed to an extension, will sit out the 2025 season, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero. McCarthy removed his name from consideration for the New Orleans Saints' vacancy. The Saints are the last team to have a head coaching job open this offseason.

Mike McCarthy has pulled himself out of the Saints head coach search. NFL Network reports he’s taking the year off and will look for work in 2026:

According to NFL media, McCarthy has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle. He won’t coach in 2025. The difference between last time and this time is that he had a buyout after the Packers moved on. McCarthy, whose contract expired on January 14, will not be paid this year.

Kellen Moore missed out on landing the Cowboys job but could be the front-runner for the New Orleans Saints after the Eagles dismantled the Commanders on Sunday afternoon, and Mike McCarthy decided to focus on 2026.

The New Orleans Saints are the last team with a vacant head coaching position, and their search is reportedly set to pick up in the coming week. ESPN's

Does anyone want to coach the New Orleans Saints? The former Dallas Cowboys coach decided he will focus on the 2026 hiring cycle, according a report from the NFL Network.

With Mike McCarthy free to interview for other openings, NFL fans believe McCarthy will ultimately wind up with the Bears.

Mike McCarthy’s addition to the coaching cycle could impact a lot of teams. His coaching resume could enamor a team and push other candidates down the board:

Before the Dallas Cowboys announced they’d be moving on from Mike McCarthy, it appeared all but certain that he’d land