The Green Bay Packers moved on from Mike McCarthy but didn't banish the former coach from the facility.
Interim coach Joe Philbin said the team allowed McCarthy to address the team on Wednesday. Team president Mark Murphy, manager Brian Gutekunst, director of football operations Russ Ball and Philbin also permitted McCarthy to speak to the coaching staff on Tuesday.
"We all saw him as a staff, which was great," Philbin said Thursday, via ESPN. "Then we talked, and he wanted an opportunity to speak with the team. I was 100 percent, fully supportive of [it], and he did a fantastic job talking to the team. Not just about football and winning football games, but his passion. His passion for the game, his love for the players was clearly evident. I'm sure it was emotional for him and everybody in the room. It was awesome. I thought he did a great job."
"He spoke to the team yesterday and that was good," Murphy said on WTMJ radio. "I think Mike wanted some closure with the players and some of the other coaches to be able to thank them and say goodbye to them as well."
As for McCarthy, don't expect a Hue Jackson-type post-firing media frenzy.
ESPN's Rob Demovsky spoke to McCarthy and the ex-Packers coach said he plans to "lay low and try to finish this professional chapter on the high road."
Demovsky also reported, according to an unnamed source, that McCarthy is debating whether to pursue another coaching job this offseason or take the year off and remain in Green Bay with his family.
