As Jerry Jones begins his process of deciding on whether to give Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy a contract extension, the waters are starting to get muddied.

The Chicago Bears have sought permission to speak with McCarthy about their head coaching job, a source confirmed.

The Cowboys can deny request until Jan. 14 when their exclusive negotiating window expires.

Of course, if they allow McCarthy to speak with the Bears now then it offers a clue into their plans regarding his future in Dallas.

This likely won’t be the only request they receive another team seeking permission to speak to McCarthy.

Look for the New Orleans Saints, where McCarthy got his first opportunity as a offensive coordinator, to do the same.

McCarthy’s five-year deal essentially expired after Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Washington Commanders, putting the finishing touches on a forgettable 7-10 season.

It was his second losing season with the Cowboys after going 6-10 in 2020 before leading the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons.

McCarthy, whose 174 wins are 13th all time in NFL history, has posted a 49-35 regular-season record with the Cowboys, but he is 1-3 in the playoffs in Dallas.

McCarthy entered 2024 in the last year of his deal with the charge of getting to the NFC title game, if not the Super Bowl, to guarantee his return in 2025.

He said he wants to stay with the Cowboys but he has no clue what will happen.

McCarthy spent Monday morning doing final team meeting with his players and staff, offering no indication about what lies ahead.

Jones was non committal on McCarthy’s future Sunday night. He said he would go through a similar process as he has in the past in regards to evaluating McCarthy and making a decision.

“That’s what the next few days and weeks are about now, founded on everything that’s happened this year and everything that’s happened over the last four years, for they’re not really much different than any time that we’ve had a year that is over,” Jones said. “The process involved a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of spending — looking at options of hearing people’s perspective. I’ll visit with coaches and players ad nauseam over the next [several] days.”

Jones said he wouldn’t block McCarthy from talking to other teams if he wanted to go elsewhere before the Cowboys make a final decision.

The Bears’ request is challenging that assertion and putting a kink in the Cowboys waiting game.