Much has been made of Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s frustration with general manager Ted Thompson.
McCarthy and Thompson’s own personnel department reportedly had their frustrations reach a boiling point last season due to Thompson’s relative inactivity on the player acquisition front.
We don’t really know what did or did not go on behind the scenes, but we do have a pretty good idea that someone higher up in the Packers organization suggested McCarthy get out there and publicly tell everyone it’s all good.
So that’s what McCarthy did when he sat down with Packers’ in-house reporter Larry McCarren last week.
McCarren tossed McCarthy a softball about the consistent success he and Thompson have had together and Big Mike hit it right out of the park.
“I think the program Ted and I have built speaks for itself,” McCarthy said. “I think the consistency is probably our biggest strength because of our approach and the belief of how we go about it. Our relationship is as good as it’s ever been. To a man, Ted, myself, all the way through our personnel department, our coaching staff, support staff, the organization obviously, but the football operations, it’s all about getting back to the big game and bringing that trophy back home. Ted and I need to keep looking forward and build this team to be the best team it possibly can be and he’s got his head down now, he’s into the draft, getting ready for the combine, but we’re forging ahead like we always do.”
There are two parts of that statement that stick out.
The first is the that the relationship is as good as it’s ever been.
Was that the case for the entirety of the past 12 months? We have our doubts, but we’re sure McCarthy and Thompson have had discussions to quash any sort of frustration since the season has ended.
The second part that stands out is this right here.
Ted and I need to keep looking forward and build this team to be the best team it possibly can be…
All we’re going to say there is, maybe with some free agent signings?