Cowboys' Mike McCarthy Talks Lambeau Return, Says Firing as Packers HC 'Left a Dent'

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will be in a familiar place when his team travels to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

"The exit, it left a dent, just to be honest, with our family," the former Packers head coach said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "But it's been four years.

"We're so much better because of it. We've had time to process it all and it's a little unique. I mean, I don't recommend anybody that goes through it to stay in the town there while you go through it."

McCarthy was the head coach in Green Bay from 2006 until the team fired him with four games remaining in the 2018 campaign.

The 58-year-old said "the people" is what he misses most about his time with the Packers and added that he didn't take his firing personally. He even said he is "really looking forward to seeing Aaron" Rodgers even if his relationship with the quarterback was a subject of scrutiny at times during his tenure.

While McCarthy was just 4-7-1 during his last year in Green Bay, it is impossible to call his time with the iconic franchise anything but a success.

He won Super Bowl XLV, reached the NFC Championship Game four times, made the playoffs nine times and won the NFC North six times. That Super Bowl victory to cap off the 2010 campaign was the only time the Packers advanced out of the NFC playoffs with Rodgers under center even though the quarterback has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success.

McCarthy also seems to be in a better position than his former team this season, as the Cowboys are 6-2 after going 12-5 in 2021.

By comparison, the Packers are arguably the NFL's most disappointing team at 3-6 and enter the contest with a five-game losing streak. The offense in particular has been a concern and is 27th in the league in points per game (17.1).

Dallas is chasing the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East but also has a chance to knock a perceived contender even further from the wild-card picture with a head-to-head victory Sunday.

There may even be some extra motivation from its head coach.