The Bears’ head coaching search seems to be heating up — but there’s one option that’s already out of the question.

The Cowboys reportedly denied Chicago permission to interview Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy for their vacant position, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

The Bears had requested to talk to the former Packers head coach whose contract is set to expire on Jan. 14.

Instead, Chicago is expected to bring in Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll for an interview for the job on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. 

Carroll was the head coach of the Seahawks from 2010-23, winning Super Bowl 2014.

He expressed his desire to return to the NFL after being let go by the team a season ago. 

The 73-year-old, along with McCarthy are far from the first candidates the team has been connected to.

The Bears have been linked to more than a dozen names since the season’s end, including Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, former тιтans head coach Mike Vrabel and Steelers OC Arthur Smith. 

McCarthy’s future, however, remains shrouded in mystery as the Cowboys’ offseason begins.

He expressed confidence in his coaching abilities after the Cowboys’ season-ending loss to the Commanders on Sunday despite his status being one of the H๏τtest topics during this round of the coaching carousel. 

“I have a lot of confidence in myself as a head coach. But, you know, I think like anything, body of work and all of the statistics, I think it’s more about the program, the details of what needs to be done, how can we get better,” McCarthy said. 

“All those things go into these decisions of whether you originally get the job or continuing to move forward. So I’m definitely in position with [owner] Jerry [Jones] to move forward. I mean, there’s no question about that in my mind.”

The Super Bowl-winning coach has gone 49-35 in five seasons at the helm in Dallas.