Mike McCarthy ranks second all-time among Packers coaches in victories, won a Super Bowl, and has a street named after him near Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
So, why is he coaching the rival Dallas Cowboys?
The long answer is a complex relationship with former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy and Rodgers made the transition from the Brett Favre era and won Super Bowl XLV together, but the inability to get back to the Super Bowl frayed at the relationship between quarterback and coach.
Here's a look at how the McCarthy era began – and ended – in Green Bay, and where Rodgers fit in.
Mike McCarthy's record in Green Bay
McCarthy spent 13 seasons in Green Bay from 2006-18. He compiled a 125-77-2 record. He is second in franchise history in wins behind Curly Lambeau (209). McCarthy also ranks fifth among Packers coaches in winning percentage (.618) behind Vince Lombardi (.746), Matt LaFleur (.675), Mike Holmgren (.670), and Lambeau (.657). Those are undeniably four of the best Packers coaches of all time, but McCarthy's spot on that list is always subject to debate.
McCarthy had Favre and Rodgers, and that amounted to a 10-8 record in the NFL postseason. He also had complicated relationships with both quarterbacks.
Did Mike McCarthy pass on Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 NFL Draft?
The San Francisco 49ers took Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Rodgers slipped to Green Bay at No. 24. Mike Sherman was the coach at the time, and Brett Favre was entrenched as the starter.
Where does McCarthy fit in? He was the San Francisco offensive coordinator at the time. On April 4, 2019, Bleacher Report ran an investigative piece on the McCarthy-Rodgers relationship. That snub was not forgotten by Rodgers.
"Aaron's always had a chip on his shoulder with Mike," former Packers running back Ryan Grant told Bleacher Report. "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."
Did Mike McCarthy choose Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre?
The Packers traded Favre to the Jets in 2008, which opened the door for Rodgers to start after three seasons as a backup. McCarthy supported Rodgers with the famous "train has left the station" quote before Favre was traded.
"The football team's moving forward," McCarthy said. "The train has left the station, whatever analogy you want."
Rodgers compiled a 52-26 record in his first five seasons as a starter with the Packers.
Did Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers win a Super Bowl?
Rodgers and McCarthy led the Packers to a 31-25 victory against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers passed for 304 yards and three TDs, and the assumption was Green Bay would reach the Super Bowl several more times with that combination.
The Packers finished 15-1 and led the NFL with 35 points per game. Rodgers passed for 4,643 yards, 45 TDs, and six interceptions. Green Bay, however, suffered a shocking 37-20 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC divisional round.
The postseason failures mounted from there, and the relationship between McCarthy and Rodgers began to deteriorate.
Why did Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have a bad relationship?
In the Bleacher Report piece, personnel and scouts saw the relationship begin to fray. According to B/R:
“The problem for McCarthy was that as the talent drained, he failed to innovate. His scheme went stale and he didn't adapt. As one personnel man puts it, McCarthy 'got full of his own juice.' He believed his system -- not the Packers' absurd amount of talent -- was the foundation for the offensive success.
One ex-Packers scout puts it on both. He describes Rodgers as an arrogant quarterback quick to blame everyone but himself -- one who's 'not as smart as he thinks he is’ -- yet kindly points out that McCarthy basically quit on his team.”
McCarthy and Rodgers got into a heated sideline exchange during a 34-30 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 22, 2013. They had to be separated on the sideline by defensive tackle B.J. Raji.
"We're both passionate about the game and competitive," Rodgers said. "We want to win very badly, and, you know, I went over and talked to him after that. Just got on the same page. Needed to talk; we did, and we moved on."
But they didn’t. Rodgers and McCarthy continued to feud about the offense and play-calling for the next five years until a breaking point was reached.
“Basically, things got so bad that receivers weren't sure if they should run the routes that McCarthy had called or if they should run the routes that Rodgers had called,” according to B/R.
McCarthy was fired 12 games into the 2018 season. The Packers were 4-7-1 at the time.
McCarthy told ESPN about his relationship with Rodgers in a 2019 interview.
“When I think about my relationship with Aaron, you're talking about 13 years,” McCarthy said. “That's a very long time. It's been a privilege to watch him grow in so many different ways and see him do so many great things on the field and off. To think you can be in a relationship that long and not have any frustrations, that's unrealistic. As far as coaching him, I'd use a lot of words. He's challenging, very rewarding, and fun.”
Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers since leaving Green Bay
Rodgers led the Packers to two more NFC championships over the next four seasons with LaFleur, but the rift with Green Bay management continued. Rodgers was traded to the Jets on April 24, 2023, and he suffered a season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury in the season opener against Buffalo.
McCarthy took the job with Dallas in 2020, and he’s 42-25 the past four seasons. The Cowboys, however, are just 1-2 in the postseason in that stretch. There is a little more pressure on McCarthy to deliver in the latest postseason installment of the Dallas rivalry with Green Bay.
