Within a few weeks, league focus will shift from the regular season to teams hunting for new HCs. As of now, the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans headline that list after moving on from Brian Daboll and Brian Callahan earlier this year. Additionally, both clubs have young quarterbacks they need to develop in 2026: Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward.

Which is exactly why plenty of names are already popping up on candidate lists. But one stands out: former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. According to Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, McCarthy is viewed by some around the league as the early front-runner for the Titans’ opening.

“McCarthy, 62, is viewed by some as an early front-runner for the Titans’ vacancy given his experience at the quarterback position and the Titans needing to maximize 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward,” Orr wrote. “Though there are some conflicting opinions emerging that Tennessee may value a younger voice in the building.”

The Titans already tried the young head coach route after Mike Vrabel’s exit, hiring Callahan in 2024. That move backfired quickly. Callahan went 4–19, didn’t make it through two full seasons, and was fired. Now, Tennessee is back in the market for a reset at the top. McCarthy’s name has definitely sparked conversation, but as Orr noted, he’s far from a locked-in favorite. This is why it’s too early to lock his name for the Titans’ job just yet.

But on the flip side, while some may raise questions if his candidacy heats up, he still wouldn’t be a bad fit. Despite being let go by Dallas after the 2024 season, McCarthy remains an offensive-minded coach. When Dak Prescott went down last year, he kept the Cowboys afloat, leading Cooper Rush to a 4–3 finish, including a win over the NFC Championship–bound Washington Commanders.

If the Titans need anything right now, it’s an offensive coach who can develop Ward. After all, the first overall pick of this year’s draft struggled through his rookie year. Before parting ways with Dallas, McCarthy delivered three 12-win seasons in five years and went 49–35 overall. His career résumé of 174–112 in the regular season, 11–11 in the playoffs, plus a Super Bowl ring, speaks for itself.

The conversation is still in the early stages, but we’ll see where it ultimately goes. Meanwhile, Mike McCarthy has shown his interest in a rookie quarterback, who requires a new head coach.

Mike McCarthy raved about the Giants’ rookie quarterback

For a moment this offseason, it looked like Jerry Jones might stick with Mike McCarthy. After all, McCarthy left Dallas with a 49–35 record. Instead, Jerry pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer, a move many questioned at first but one that looks pretty smart now. As for McCarthy, he recently stopped by The Pat McAfee Show. And let’s just say the former Cowboys head coach didn’t hold back when it came to praising Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, sparking potential interest from the Giants.

“I love the way he plays, because 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,” McCarthy said. “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.”

While his comments didn’t actually mean anything, many believed that McCarthy was hinting at his desire to coach the Giants. Which naturally raises a question: Will the Giants hire him? After falling to 2-8, New York fired Brian Daboll, and while Mike Kafka is serving as the interim HC, the results haven’t improved.

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If the Giants want to elevate their franchise and speed up Dart’s development, McCarthy is at least a name worth considering. For now, the Titans and Giants remain the two teams in clear need of a head coach. And in a couple of weeks, both will begin their formal searches for 2026. We’ll see if McCarthy lands one of those jobs.