 On January 16, 2017, McCarty was traded to the Chicago Fire in exchange for $400,000 in allocation money.The trade took McCarty completely by surprise, with the move being announced just days after the 29-year-old was married and while he was attending his first U.S. national team camp in years.Since joining Chicago Fire in 2017, the club has had their most successful season in years and he has enjoyed acclaim as the "unsung hero" of the club with which he passed 250 starts in MLS.