Mike McCarthy paid the Green Bay Packers a visit after he was fired.
The Super Bowl winning coach was let go after the Packers dropped a game to the Cardinals last Sunday. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, McCarthy addressed the team at some point on Wednesday in what can easily be considered an unusual move.
Mike McCarthy returned to Lambeau Field on Wednesday and spoke to the team, with the blessing of Mark Murphy, Brian Gutekunst and Joe Philbin.
“His passion for the game and his love for the players was clearly evident,” Philbin said. “He did a great job.” https://t.co/PuedEv7W3J
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 6, 2018
This is a pretty rare event to occur in pro sports. When a coach is fired, their contact with the team generally ends right then and there. It’s the pros. Nobody is looking to get coddled, and the team wants as clean and quick of a break as possible.
The fact he was allowed to address the team is probably out of respect for the fact he won a Super Bowl in Green Bay. If he had only been there a few years with limited success, then there’s absolutely no chance in hell he’d be let in to the building to talk to the players. (RELATED: Here Are The Best Moments From NFL Week 13)
It would be seen as a major distraction.
The good news for McCarthy is that he likely won’t be unemployed for long. Generally speaking, coaches who have won Super Bowls don’t sit on the unemployment line for long.
My best guess would be the Browns. They’re in the market for a new coach, and I’m not sure they’re going to find anybody with more experience than the former Packers shot caller.