Pros and Cons of Detroit Lions Hiring Mike McCarthy as OC

Could Lions target McCarthy to be next offensive coordinator?

Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) talks to head coach Mike McCarthy before the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions’ hunt for a new offensive coordinator will inevitably include big names, and few possess the resume of Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy. 

With nearly two decades of overseeing NFL offenses, McCarthy would represent a dramatic shift in profile from the Lions’ recent coordinators (e.g. Ben Johnson and John Morton). 

While the thought of hiring McCarthy is intriguing on the surface, it also comes with valid questions about fit, philosophy and timing.

From a pure credentials standpoint, McCarthy is hard to argue against. He has totaled 185 wins, eight division titles and 12 winning seasons in 18 years as a head coach with the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. 

And most importantly for Detroit, his offenses have frequently performed at a high level. Teams under McCarthy finished with the NFL’s highest-scoring offense four times, ranked in the top five nine times and in the top 10 11 times.

Also, quarterback development has long been one of McCarthy’s best attributes as a coach, and that could be especially appealing for a Lions team built around signal-caller Jared Goff. 

McCarthy helped Brett Favre get back on track in the latter part of his career, guiding him to one of his most efficient seasons in 2007 after a 29-interception 2005 campaign. 

He also was the head coach in Green Bay for Aaron Rodgers’ first 11 seasons as a starting quarterback (2008-18). He had a solid rapport with the future Pro Football Hall of Famer until things soured between the two toward the end of McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay. 

During those 11 seasons, Rogers had some of his very best seasons as an NFL passer. He was named MVP twice (2011 and 2014), and went 100-57-1 in 158 starts, throwing for 337 touchdowns, just 79 interceptions and a staggering 42,615 yards. He was the very definition of elite during this time, and McCarthy deserves credit for his development. 

McCarthy also spent five seasons as the head coach of the Cowboys (2020-24), and oversaw two of the best seasons of Dak Prescott's tenure as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback (2021 and 2023). In each of the aforementioned seasons, Prescott threw for at least 36 touchdowns, tossed no more than 10 interceptions and completed at least 68.8 percent of his passes. He also threw for north of 4,440 yards in both years, and finished runner-up for MVP in 2023.

I don't believe, though, that McCarthy would be the best fit for Detroit. If he coaches in 2026, I believe it'll be as the head coach of an NFL franchise rather than as a team's offensive coordinator. And I don't know if he would even settle for an OC position at this juncture in his coaching career.

I also don't believe that McCarthy would be an innovative offensive mind capable of elevating the Lions’ offense to the levels that Johnson did during his time in Detroit.

Yet, the Lions could still do worse than an accomplished coach like McCarthy, who I believe would instantly earn the respect of Goff and build a solid relationship with the Detroit signal-caller. And that would go a long way toward Goff being comfortable running the offense in the Motor City.

I, however, don't see Lions general manager Brad Holmes hiring McCarthy to fill the organization's offensive coordinator vacancy. And because of such, I'd say there's only about a five-10 percent chance that the veteran coach ends up as Detroit's offensive play-caller in 2026.