Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers were a successful coach-QB duo for the Green Bay Packers for more than a decade.
Even though the pair reportedly didn’t always see eye-to-eye and had an ugly ending to their partnership, McCarthy is choosing to remember his former quarterback fondly heading into this weekend’s matchup between the Cowboys and Packers in Green Bay.
The Dallas head coach told reporters he’s “really looking forward” to seeing Rodgers and has “nothing but love and gratitude for him.”
“When I think of all the 1-on-1 conversations we used to have, especially in the younger days. It always ended with a hug and ‘I love ya,'” McCarthy said, via Yahoo’s Jori Epstein. “When I think about our relationship, I think he made me a much better coach. You’re talking about a man who is one of the premier professional athletes of his generation. I spent the weekend watching him play. He’s still playing at an extremely high level, just the fundamentals and the way he plays. He deserves all the accolades he receives.”
Rodgers and McCarthy made eight straight playoff trips from 2009-16 and won Super Bowl XLV. The Packers have not been back to the big stage since, losing four times in the NFC Championship Game in that time span.
Green Bay enters this weekend’s matchup with Dallas with a 3-6 record and a five-game losing streak, the franchise’s longest since 2008. The Cowboys are 6-2 and coming off a bye.