Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy appears to be one step closer to returning to his role in 2025. The Chicago Bears requested permission on Monday to interview McCarthy with his five-year Cowboys coaching contract set to expire on Jan.

As questions swirl around McCarthy's future in Dallas, the Cowboys have denied the Bears' request to interview him.

Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy sat down to talk Tuesday. Later in the day, the Cowboys denied Chicago’s request to interview McCarthy for its head coaching vacancy. The two are related, based on what two people with knowledge of the impending discussions told The Dallas Morning News after the Bears made their request.