Mike McCarthy Rumors: Cardinals, Ex-Packers HC Have Mutual Interest

The Arizona Cardinals and Mike McCarthy reportedly have mutual interest, provided the team fires coach Steve Wilks after one season.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported McCarthy likes Arizona and would listen if the Cardinals approached him about the position.

Arizona is expected to move on from Wilks, who has struggled to make an impact in his first head-coaching stint. The Cardinals are 3-12 and have particularly failed to make any progress on the offensive side of the ball.

The Green Bay Packers fired McCarthy earlier this month after 12-plus seasons as their head coach. He went 125-77-2, winning Super Bowl XLV. The Packers disappointed each of the last two seasons, and McCarthy drew criticism for not making adjustments to an offense many felt had grown stale. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported there was a "disconnect" between McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers over the offensive direction. Rodgers is in the midst of perhaps his worst season as a starter in 2018. 

The Cardinals could look at McCarthy's work developing Rodgers as a boost to his resume. Josh Rosen has struggled mightily as a rookie under Wilks and could benefit from the team hiring an offensive-minded coach moving forward. 

Regardless, McCarthy will likely be a hot name on the coaching vacancy market. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported some teams have already begun contacting the veteran coach. 

The Packers still owe McCarthy the balance of his contract, which ran through the 2019 season.