Aaron Rodgers on Packers Firing Mike McCarthy: 'We Accomplished a Lot'

Aaron Rodgers has been a big part of the Green Bay Packers' success over the last decade-plus, but now-former coach Mike McCarthy was also a contributor as he manned the sideline in Green Bay from 2005 until Sunday.

Now that the coach has been relieved of his duties, the quarterback can't help but reflect on their time together.

"We accomplished a lot of things together," Rodgers said on Monday, per Packers.com's Wes Hodkiewicz. "I have a lot of great memories to talk about down the line."

He's certainly not wrong. 

Mike Sherman was the coach who drafted Rodgers, but McCarthy took over in Green Bay in No. 12's second season in the NFL. As a result, McCarthy is the only coach Rodgers has ever known as a starting quarterback.

Together, the two helped the Packers reach the postseason in eight consecutive years, reaching three NFC Championship Games during that stretch. And of course, they brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay with a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

McCarthy went 125-77-2 during his 13-year run in Green Bay and 10-8 in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has racked up no shortage of individual honors while playing for McCarthy: two NFL MVP awards, six Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl MVP award.

Despite all of their success together, their relationship reportedly featured plenty of tension. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on Monday that Rodgers regularly challenged McCarthy's play calls.

Earlier this season, former Packers receiver Greg Jennings revealed on Fox Sports' The Herd With Colin Cowherd that Rodgers has never forgotten how McCarthy, then the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, chose Alex Smith over him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft:

The former Cal star wound up falling all the way down to No. 24 in one of the most memorable draft slides in NFL history.

McCarthy was fired after the Packers fell to 4-7-1 with a 20-17 loss to the previously 2-9 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. 

"I'm the only one in this locker room who was around in '05 when Mike Sherman was let go at the end of the season and it's a weird day. It’s a tough day," Rodgers said, per Hodkiewicz. "Obviously emotionally, frustrating defeat at home. A game we expected to win. Then, you get the news later on last night."

Green Bay president Mark Murphy revealed, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, on Monday that Rodgers did not play a role in McCarthy's firing nor will he have a role in the coaching search.

Rodgers and McCarthy may not have always seen eye to eye, but the quarterback and coach did develop a relationship that's bigger than football.

"I really always appreciated that time with Mike getting to know him on a personal level," Rodgers said, per Hodkiewicz. "As much as what was made, the conjecture about (our) relationship, it was always built on mutual respect and communication. That's why this is a difficult day for myself and guys in the locker room."