Prior to joining the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy spent 13 years as the Green Bay Packers head coach, but it was his relationship with Aaron Rodgers that has prompted plenty of speculation about his firing in 2018. When asked about Rodgers, McCarthy attempted to clear the air ahead of the Cowboys-Packers showdown in Week 10. The Cowboys coach emphasized he has had “great communication” with Rodgers, adding that there is “love and gratitude” for the star quarterback.
“Really looking forward to seeing Aaron,” McCarthy remarked during a November 7, 2022 press conference. “We’ve had great communication. I have nothing but love and gratitude for him. I think like anything in life, I think personal relationships are private. You gotta remember I was born in the 60s, so I’m being better at expressing myself publicly. But no, just a whole lot of appreciation, not only for him but the players, the teams that we had there.
“We had some great times, great moments. When I think of him, I think of all the one-on-one conversations we used to have, especially in the younger days and it always ended with a hug and ‘I love you.’ So, that’s what I think about our relationship. I think he made me a much better coach. You’re talking about a man that’s one of the premier professional athletes of his generation. I’ve spent the weekend watching him play quarterback, he’s still playing [at an] extremely high level. Just the fundamentals and the way he plays, he deserves all the accolades that he receives. But I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
Rodgers Questioned McCarthy’s Football IQ: Report
Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne detailed the rumored tension between Rodgers and McCarthy during a lengthy April 4, 2019 feature. According to Dunne, the tension dated back to when McCarthy was the 49ers offensive coordinator and the team chose Alex Smith over Rodgers in the 2005 NFL draft. One source cited Rodgers’ lack of belief in McCarthy’s football knowledge as part of the reason for friction during their time together in Green Bay.
“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,” Dunne wrote in 2019. “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.
“‘Mike has a low football IQ, and that used to always bother Aaron,’ this source says. ‘He’d say Mike has one of the lowest IQs, if not the lowest IQ, of any coach he’s ever had.'”
Rodgers Called the Rumored Tension a ‘Smear Attack’
“Instead of trashing this guy on the way out, lets remember the amazing times we had together…..” – @AaronRodgers12 on former HC Mike McCarthy.
Listen to Part 1 of our interview with the #Packers QB tomorrow at 9:15 on @ESPNMadison / @ESPNMilwaukee
Rodgers quickly dismissed Dunne’s report labeling it a “smear attack” and calling the sources “bitter players.” Only McCarthy and Rodgers know the true nature of their relationship, but the one certainty is the two will be on opposing sidelines for the first time since the coach was fired as Dallas travels to Green Bay.
“On @WildeAndTausch, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers says he has heard from over 100 current and former players and coaches since Bleacher Report’s story last week,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted on April 8, 2019. “Calls it a ‘smear attack’ featuring ‘mostly irrelevant, bitter players’ with agendas. ‘Outright lies’ stated as facts. Wow.”
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Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Breaks Silence on Rumored Drama With Aaron Rodgers