Mike McCarthy Says Hit That Caused Aaron Rodgers' Injury Was 'Illegal Act'

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy wasn't a fan of Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr's hit that broke quarterback Aaron Rodgers' collarbone Sunday. 

"I didn't like the hit," McCarthy said Monday, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. "I had a chance to watch it last night on the plane. He's out of the pocket. He's clearly expecting to get hit. To pin him to the ground like that, I felt it was an illegal act. To sit here and lose any of your players on something like that, it doesn't feel very good."

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noted McCarthy also said Rodgers will need surgery on his collarbone, which will likely end his 2017 campaign.

McCarthy wasn't the only one in Green Bay to take issue with the play.

"He didn't have to drive him into the ground," linebacker Ahmad Brooks said, per Wood. "That's the problem."

Right guard Jahri Evans added, "As far as our side, yeah, you would say (it was dirty)," per Wood.

Green Bay fans can take solace knowing their team still made the playoffs in the 2013 season when Rodgers missed seven games with a fractured left collarbone, but the two-time league MVP returned for the postseason then.

What's more, the Packers are in a tight NFC North race following Sunday's 23-10 loss to Minnesota seeing how both teams are 4-2 with the 3-3 Detroit Lions on their heels. Even the 2-4 Chicago Bears are coming off a win and have promising rookie Mitchell Trubisky under center at this point.

The Packers' playoff hopes lie on the shoulders of Brett Hundley, who threw one touchdown and three interceptions in the loss to Minnesota after Rodgers' setback. He will need to play much better than that in the immediate future to allow the Packers to move past the play McCarthy described as "an illegal act."

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