Bears interview Mike McCarthy, Arthur Smith for head coaching job

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears interviewed former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for their head coaching job on Wednesday.

McCarthy met with the Bears two days after a split with Dallas after five years in what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones described as a mutual agreement. McCarthy’s contract expired on Jan. 8 following a 7-10 season. Dallas was 12-5 each of the three years before that, but still hasn’t been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since its last Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.

Before taking the Dallas job after a full season out of coaching, McCarthy was with the Packers for 13 seasons and had a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. He was 10-8 in the playoffs and led Green Bay to a Super Bowl title 14 years ago.

Smith was hired by the Steelers a year ago after coaching Atlanta to a 21-30 record from 2021 to 2023. The Falcons were 7-10 in each of his three seasons before firing him.

The Steelers went from tying for 27th in scoring in 2023 to finishing 16th this past season, after signing Russell Wilson and acquiring Justin Fields from Chicago to play quarterback.

The Bears are looking to replace Matt Eberflus, who was fired on Nov. 29. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12 and lost 10 in a row before closing the season with a win at Green Bay.

The development of quarterback Caleb Williams will be the top priority for the next coach in the wake of the Bears’ fourth straight losing season. The No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, he threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. But he was sacked a franchise-record and league-leading 68 times.

The Bears have confirmed interviewing 12 candidates, a list highlighted by Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who got the New England job.

Chicago has also interviewed interim coach Thomas Brown, former Carolina and Washington coach Ron Rivera, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, former Stanford coach David Shaw, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

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