Green Bay Packers
This one isn’t all that complicated. If
Mike McCarthy is fired,
the next coach of the Packers will get a chance to work with one of the
greatest quarterbacks ever for what will likely be the final years of
his illustrious career. The chance to coach a guy like Aaron Rodgers
comes along once in a lifetime, and it’s likely going to have people
lining up around the block to interview for this job.
Green Bay’s offense has been in need of a schematic and
play-calling overhaul for some time.
If the team landed someone of Riley
or DeFilippo’s ilk, the Packers hit the ground running in that coach’s
first season. The offense
has talent, with Davante Adams on the
outside, a quality pass-blocking line in front of Rodgers, and the
explosive Aaron Jones toting the rock. The right offensive mind could
turn this group into a powerhouse.
The Packers’ history as a conservative franchise may give
some coaches pause, though. Green Bay has been hesitant to take big
swings in free agency over the years, and even with a new regime in the
front office—led by Ted Thompson disciple Brian Gutekunst—the Packers
probably won’t be making any big splashes any time soon.
Still, Gutekunst has more than $40 million in projected
cap space to work with next season and two first-round picks. Combine
that with the young, talented players that are already on Green Bay’s
roster, like Jaire Alexander, and the Packers could seen a spike in play
by the start of next season. There’s no reason to overthink this one:
The chance to coach Rodgers for one of the most storied franchises in
sports—one that typically employs its head coaches for more than a
decade—is as good as it gets.