A lost season for the Packers has just taken another surprising twist, as following Sunday’s miserable three-point home loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the team has relieved coach Mike McCarthy of his duties as head coach.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that McCarthy was not expecting the move, and that for now, Joe Philbin will take over as interim coach for the rest of 2018.
Packers have fired Mike McCarthy and named Joe Philbin interim HC.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2018
Packers brought in Mike McCarthy after the game and fired him; he was not expecting it, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2018
“The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately,” Packers president Mark Murphy said in a statement.
“Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field. We want to thank Mike, his wife, Jessica, and the rest of the McCarthy family for all that they have done for the Packers and the Green Bay and Wisconsin communities. We will immediately begin the process of selecting the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers.”
The Packers after the loss to the Cardinals sit at 4-7-1, and they are basically finished as far as looking for a possible playoff spot in the NFC.