Former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy had some good years in Green Bay, but things soured by the end.
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Amazingly, studies show that 8% of divorced couples wind up re-marrying their former spouse.
If Mike McCarthy chooses that path with Aaron Rodgers, he’d almost certainly regret it.
McCarthy was named the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday. McCarthy was the Green Bay Packers’ head coach for 12 ¾ seasons and led that franchise to a Super Bowl win in 2010 before he was unceremoniously fired with four games left in the 2018 campaign.
McCarthy worked with Rodgers for nearly 13 seasons in Green Bay, helping the high-maintenance quarterback become the NFL’s MVP in both 2011 and 2014. Their relationship was never one of roses and chocolates, though, and Rodgers was a major reason the Packers eventually dumped McCarthy.
The 42-year-old Rodgers, who helped Pittsburgh win the AFC North title in 2025, hasn’t said if he’ll retire or not. No matter what Rodgers does, though, McCarthy would be foolish to go down that rocky road again.
Rodgers always held a grudge that McCarthy — who was San Francisco’s offensive coordinator in 2005 — was part of the 49ers’ brain trust that took Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick in that draft instead of Rodgers. Green Bay eventually selected Rodgers with the 24th overall pick.
When Rodgers was asked about his disappointment that night he said: “Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn’t draft me.”
Rodgers also didn’t like the fact McCarthy received credit for helping alter his throwing carriage.
When Rodgers stepped out from under center as a collegian and during his 2005 season in Green Bay under then-coach Mike Sherman, he immediately brought the ball up near his ear hole, which is a about a foot higher than most quarterbacks.
When McCarthy arrived in Green Bay in 2006, he and his staff slowly tinkered with Rodgers’ release point. Instead of a mechanical motion where Rodgers was throwing the ball too high, McCarthy helped gradually lowered the delivery. Suddenly, Rodgers’ throwing motion looked more natural and effortless and his game improved immensely.
During their years together, Rodgers was often passive-aggressive in his criticism of McCarthy. Rodgers also believed McCarthy’s offense grew stale and he’d often ignore or override McCarthy’s play calls.
A 2018 Sports Illustrated article said: “McCarthy might call the same play three times in a game, without the play actually being run as he called it. And if McCarthy calls a play that Rodgers doesn’t like early in the game, that can sour the mood for the rest of the game. Several sources familiar with the inner workings of the organization say that it devolved into a competition over who can call the better play, and both want the credit when things go right.”
During that 2018 season, Rodgers was highly critical of the offense called by McCarthy. And in a 2019 Bleacher Report story, an unnamed source said: “Mike has a low football IQ, and that used to always bother Aaron. He’d say Mike has one of the lowest IQs, if not the lowest IQ, of any coach he’s ever had.”
McCarthy posted a 125-77-2 regular season record in Green Bay (.618) and had a 10-8 postseason mark (.556). McCarthy led the Packers to six NFC North titles, nine playoff appearances in 13 seasons and four conference championship games (1-3).
The 62-year-old McCarthy then went 49-35 in five seasons with Dallas and led the Cowboys to the playoffs three times.
Rodgers, on the other hand, hasn’t come close to playing championship level football since winning his last MVP in 2021. Over the last four seasons — one in Green Bay, two with the New York Jets and one in Pittsburgh — Rodgers is just 24-27 overall.
Rodgers had a solid 2025 season, throwing 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions and posting a 94.8 passer rating. But his mobility in the pocket — which was once among his greatest strengths — is largely gone, and his yards per attempt of 6.7 were a career-low.
In Pittsburgh’s 30-6 playoff loss to Houston in the Wild Card round, Rodgers continued his 15-year string of playoff disasters. Rodgers posted a 50.8 passer rating, had an interception returned for a touchdown, threw for just 146 yards and completed only 51.5% of his passes.
McCarthy and the Steelers could choose to get the band back together and hope for the best. But based on their turbulent history and Rodgers’ declining skills, a reunion tour would almost certainly flop.
Rodgers played a huge role in McCarthy’s firing in Green Bay just more than seven years ago. Now, McCarthy holds all the cards — and would be wise to remain divorced from Rodgers.