Mike McCarthy - What Happened in Green Bay?

[hepcat]

This is a great read on the details of Mike McCarthy's departure from the Packers. I know that his feud with Aaron Rodgers has a lot of Panthers fans concerned about him becoming head coach of the Panthers. This article has some good insights into that situation with quotes from former players.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2828649-what-happened-in-green-bay

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Nobody holds a grudge in any sport like Rodgers. When it comes to Rodgers, grudges do not merrily float away. They stick. They grow. They refuel.

Aaron Rodgers is known to hold a grudge for life. He has documented ongoing feud with his family. There was a rumor that one Christmas, he returned wrapped Christmas presents that his family had sent him. McCarthy tried to help him with these issues.

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Sources say McCarthy welcomed Rodgers over to his house and once even recommended he pick up the phone to call his mother. Rodgers told McCarthy in so many words to mind his own business. McCarthy demanded more of Rodgers "as a man," one ex-friend says, "and Aaron didn't want to hear it. He doesn't want to ever be told he's wrong."

One salient point about McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay is his failure to manage Aaron Rodgers's massive personality.

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"His No. 1 job, and Mike always missed this point, is to manage Aaron," the former teammate says. "That's your driver. That's your engine. Aaron's your engine for the whole team. Whether you want to or don't want to, you have to make sure that guy's happy. At the end of the day—and it doesn't sound like a fun job—if he's happy, you're winning.

"Your job isn't to go out there and throw and catch passes. Your job is to manage people."

 But Rodgers also seems to have had some relevant reasons to hold a grudge. McCarthy was the offensive coordinator of the 49ers in 2005, when they chose to draft Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers #1 overall.

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No, Rodgers would not forget that McCarthy had helped perpetuate his four-and-a-half-hour wait in the NFL draft green room the year prior. His nationally televised embarrassment. McCarthy, then the 49ers offensive coordinator, chose Alex Smith No. 1 overall. Not Rodgers.

No, Rodgers would not take it as a funny accident.

"Aaron's always had a chip on his shoulder with Mike," says Ryan Grant, the Packers' starting running back from 2007 to 2012. "The guy who ended up becoming your coach passed on you when he had a chance. Aaron was upset that Mike passed on him—that Mike actually verbally said that Alex Smith was a better quarterback."

And Rodgers also felt that McCarthy was holding him back, and vented to his teammates about it. 

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But even in the best of times—when confetti should've still been stuck to their clothing—one person who was then close to Rodgers remembers he would regularly call to vent that McCarthy didn't have a clue what he was doing. He'd tell him that McCarthy frequently called the wrong play. That he used the wrong personnel. That they were running plays that worked one out of 50 times in practice. That McCarthy was a buffoon he was constantly bailing out.

And McCarthy reportedly had an inflated ego about his role in the success of the Packers during his tenure there. McCarthy has been fortunate to work with HOF talent in Joe Montana, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers in his coaching career.

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And if Rodgers isn't Brady as a leader, McCarthy sure as hell never managed like Bill Belichick. Whereas Belichick despises the limelight and "removes himself" every way he can, this player says McCarthy loved anointing himself as a quarterback guru. The coach often bragged to players about his time with Joe Montana...in Kansas City.

"He tried to bill himself as this quarterback master," the player says. "It was like, 'Buddy, I just want to let you know, Joe Montana did a lot more before he was in Kansas City.'"

McCarthy felt he was the one who created this monster of an offense. A personnel man adds: "That was McCarthy's big mistake. He wanted to be The Guy. He wanted to be The Reason. And he wasn't that good."

But McCarthy did have success in developing QB's. His greatest success might be in 2000, when he was the QB coach for the Saints. He coached Aaron Brooks to a playoff appearance, and a historic upset of the Rams during the "Greatest Show On Turf" era. Former Panthers QB Jake Delhomme was Aaron Brooks's backup then, and had some glowing things to say about his former coach. https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_f33300ee-ab43-5999-a936-db3b853bcb39.html

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On learning the ropes and college quarterbacks today: I was not ready mentally to play. I was ready physically. I had the privilege of being around Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Packers, for three years in New Orleans, my last three. There's a quarterback school they do in the off-season and you learn any and everything you need to know. Knowledge is power was his big mantra so when you walked on the field there was never any question.

But McCarthy might have been too QB-centric. He reportedly also seemed to ignore the defense, focusing solely on the performance of the offense during training camp, which angered some players.

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The Packers also rarely hit in training camp, and it angered defensive players "every day" how little interest McCarthy showed in them. He was never around their drills, the former starter says, and it was always the defense sprinting to the offense's side of the field for team drills. 

"What guys did on defense did not matter," he says. "This is an offensive-minded team, and our quarterback is expected to bail us out. As defenders, we used to always talk about it. It's like, 'We whupped their ass today in camp. Are they going to finally run to us? Respect us?'"

But overall, it seems McCarthy's departure from Green Bay was for many of the same reasons Rivera was fired in Carolina. His message eventually just fell on deaf ears.

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"When something gets stale, you're not as motivated," Jennings says.

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Grant blames neither Rodgers nor McCarthy but admits so many seasons with the same coach can turn that coach's voice into "white noise." Change was needed. The marriage was years beyond repair. 

Overall I felt this was great insight into McCarthy's history as a head coach.

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Personally, I see McCarthy as an unknown. Despite his long tenure as head coach, he always had Aaron Rodgers at his disposal. Many coaches would see success with one of the best QB's of all time to run their offense. He also has Jake Delhomme, who is currently a part of the Panthers organization and a well-respected voice on the team, as a reference. 

But McCarthy would also be coming to Carolina with some serious baggage. While he has successfully coached HOF level QB's to success, and did win a Superbowl in Green Bay, he seemed to do so while some of his players were kicking and screaming. Whether he works with Cam Newton as his QB, or is picked to develop a rookie QB or even Kyle Allen, could be the deciding factor on the decision to hire him.

Cam doesn't seem to have as big an ego as Rodgers. But he is an established QB who is on his own HOF path. McCarthy and Cam might bump heads a bit. Or they could have great success together. 

Developing a young QB might be a better option for McCarthy, since his history could impress a young QB and create a better relationship than he had with Rodgers.

As with any coach after a long tenure, he was let go because his message just didn't work anymore. It happens. I don't think McCarthy would be an awful hire, but honestly it just feels to "safe" to me. 

Hope y'all enjoy the article. 
 

[ellis]

I’ve done a little more homework on Mike. I wouldn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I’m trying to be a little more open minded about that. I still think he might end up somewhere else, but I’m not totally against it anymore.

[Mr. Scot]

There's pretty ample evidence out there that Aaron Rodgers is a colossal prick.

I'm fairly certain his State Farm agent doesn't even like him.

[Carolina Cajun]

Wow, Rodgers blamed the OC of the 49ers for passing on him?  That is next level idiocy.  While the OC has input, and prlly a lot, the final decision goes to the GM and Coach.  It's looking more like Rodgers prlly fell because he was an asshole, in fact on Alex Smiths Wiki page it says as much.
 

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Nolan thought Smith to be cerebral, introspective, and non-confrontational. Nolan also evaluated Aaron Rodgers but did not believe that Rodgers's attitude could co-exist with him.

Here's the truth, if he could handle Rodgers ego, then he sure as hell could handle the issues with Cam making me suspect there is a far greater chance that Cam stays a panther if McCarthy is his coach.  

[Happy Panther]

1 minute ago, Carolina Cajun said:

Wow, Rodgers blamed the OC of the 49ers for passing on him?  That is next level idiocy.  While the OC has input, and prlly a lot, the final decision goes to the GM and Coach.  It's looking more like Rodgers prlly fell because he was an asshole, in fact on Alex Smiths Wiki page it says as much.
 

Here's the truth, if he could handle Rodgers ego, then he sure as hell could handle the issues with Cam making me suspect there is a far greater chance that Cam stays a panther if McCarthy is his coach.  

I don't get the feeling Cam is really difficult to handle. Rodgers seems egotistical. Cam seems pretty humble behind the fashion. If anything Cam just needs encouragement...

[Mr. Scot]

I doubt you could find a starting quarterback in the NFL that doesn't have an ego big enough to block out the sun.

They're just not all pricks about it.

[philit99]

18 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

There's pretty ample evidence out there that Aaron Rodgers is a colossal prick.

I'm fairly certain his State Farm agent doesn't even like him.

I have heard the same thing from several “sources.” I’m sure McCarthy would be a good choice for us, not the sexy choice Zach and others think. I kind of like hiring a coach with experience, you know what they excel at and what they suck at. McCarthy and Wade Phillips together, I could go for that!

[Smithers]

You can just tell by looking at Aaron and watching his mannerisms that he’s a little bitch.  

[hepcat]

3 minutes ago, philit99 said:

I have heard the same thing from several “sources.” I’m sure McCarthy would be a good choice for us, not the sexy choice Zach and others think. I kind of like hiring a coach with experience, you know what they excel at and what they suck at. McCarthy and Wade Phillips together, I could go for that!

Jim Haslett would likely be his DC

[t96]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I doubt you could find a starting quarterback in the NFL that doesn't have an ego big enough to block out the sun.

They're just not all pricks about it.

The Manning brothers...

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, t96 said:

The Manning brothers...

I'd call Tom Brady the prime example.

[Carolina Cajun]

13 minutes ago, Happy Panther said:

I don't get the feeling Cam is really difficult to handle. Rodgers seems egotistical. Cam seems pretty humble behind the fashion. If anything Cam just needs encouragement...

I actually didn't mean it to come across that way just that there's this dumb perception that he has an ego.  Cam if anything has been too defensive of his coaches IMO.  The reason we held onto Shula for as long as we did was part ron but also definitely part cam.  I also think McCarthy would be the kind of guy who would look at cam and realize instead of starting from scratch, he has a former league MVP that he might be able to mold.

[philit99]

19 minutes ago, hepcat said:

Jim Haslett would likely be his DC

Oh I’m well aware, which is why I put in my wish list item. If Mike is going to be defensively deficient, then we need a great Defensive Coordinator, and Haslett is not it.

[Snake]

46 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

There's pretty ample evidence out there that Aaron Rodgers is a colossal prick.

I'm fairly certain his State Farm agent doesn't even like him.

It makes me smile every time I remember Peppers blasting him out of bounds.