Mike McCarthy, the former Cowboys coach who was in the running for the Saints job, is now not planning to coach this year and will focus on the 2026 hiring cycle instead, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday night.

Mike McCarthy reportedly will not be the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday

McCarthy has reportedly decided to focus on next year's coaching cycle and will take a year off from coaching in the NFL.

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:

Former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will not be coaching in the NFL next season, opting to wait for the next coaching cycle.

Mike McCarthy appears to be ready for a year off. After parting ways with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that McCarthy has decided to focus on the 2026 hiring cycle and will not coach in 2025.

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.

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: