With six days to go in the exclusive negotiating window, all eyes are on what the Dallas Cowboys decide on Mike McCarthy’s future. He coached this season in the final year of his contract, and the spotlight grew even bigger after the franchise denied the Chicago Bears’ request to interview him for their head coach position.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently spoke about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, stating that he was fine with McCarthy seeking interviews elsewhere. That elsewhere was revealed when the Chicago Bears formally requested to interview the Cowboys coach for their head coaching vacancy.

On Monday, the Bears did log that interview request, and it’s typical that a team will reply quickly. Because McCarthy’s contract is not up quite year, he is not free to chat with the Chicagoans at his leisure–he needs the team’s permission.