After a year away from the sidelines, Mike McCarthy might be gearing up for a return to the NFL-and he’s already dropping hints about where he could land next.
The former Packers and Cowboys head coach, who stepped away following the end of his Dallas contract in January, appears to have his eyes on a potential 2026 comeback. And if you’re looking around the league for teams in need of a steady, veteran presence at the top, two NFC franchises jump out: the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants.
Both are in the thick of a brutal season and already making changes. The Titans parted ways with Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start, while the Giants dismissed Brian Daboll following a 2-8 skid.
McCarthy didn’t name names outright, but during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he made it clear he’s been watching-and one young quarterback in particular has caught his attention: Giants rookie Jaxson Dart.
“I love the way he plays,” McCarthy said. “When I evaluate quarterbacks, you look at the in-the-pocket ability versus the out-of-pocket. What he does naturally, you can’t teach.”
That’s high praise from a coach who’s worked with both Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott at their peaks. And McCarthy wasn’t just tossing out compliments-he broke down Dart’s game like someone who’s spent real time studying the film.
“His ability to make plays with his feet, whether it’s stepping up in the A or B gap and coming out off the movement stuff… Just the fact they run him on so many designed quarterback runs tells you what the coaching staff thinks of him,” McCarthy said. “Those are all benefits, but it’s the in-the-pocket stuff that’s always, I felt, the real challenge for the guys in the National Football League.”
Translation: Dart’s athleticism is a weapon, but his long-term success will hinge on developing the kind of pocket presence that separates the good from the great. And McCarthy, a coach who’s built his career on maximizing quarterback play, clearly sees something special in the young signal-caller.
Still, McCarthy added a note of caution-especially after Dart took a brutal hit from Christian Elliss in the Giants’ game against the Patriots. Dart avoided serious injury, but McCarthy emphasized the importance of protecting himself. It’s a reminder that while mobility is a plus, longevity in the NFL often depends on learning when to slide or throw it away.
McCarthy’s résumé speaks for itself. A .608 career winning percentage.
Four NFC Championship appearances. One Super Bowl ring.
And let’s not forget-under McCarthy, both the Packers and Cowboys led the league in scoring twice. Dak Prescott posted his best statistical seasons under McCarthy’s guidance.
And while Aaron Rodgers won MVPs after McCarthy’s departure, he hasn’t been back to a Super Bowl since their title run together.
Say what you want about how things ended in Green Bay or Dallas, but McCarthy knows offense. He knows how to build systems that put quarterbacks in position to succeed. And for a team like the Giants-who haven’t sniffed a top-tier offense in over a decade-that kind of experience could be exactly what they need.
If McCarthy is looking for a new challenge, and the Giants are looking for someone to develop their young quarterback and restore credibility to the offense, well… sometimes the fit just makes sense.