Aaron Rodgers 'Happy' for Ex-Packers HC Mike McCarthy After Cowboys Hiring

Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy may not have enjoyed the best relationship when they were a quarterback-coach combination with the Green Bay Packers, but the signal-caller is apparently "happy" his former head coach landed a job with the Dallas Cowboys.

Rodgers said, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

"We've had a lot of success down there, and I think that was probably one of the reasons. We obviously won the Super Bowl there, but we won some big games down there over the years. So I'm not surprised that Jerry [Jones] had an infatuation with Mike, because we've had some really good performances. I don't know. I thought maybe he would go somewhere where he had maybe some GM opportunity as well, but I'm happy for him. I sent him a text, and he sent me a text back."

That Rodgers pointed to Green Bay's success in Dallas and the Super Bowl is notable, considering the Cowboys' Tuesday announcement that McCarthy is the new head coach mentioned the Packers winning the Lombardi Trophy at AT&T Stadium in the second paragraph.

It also underscored McCarthy's experience with Rodgers and Brett Favre as selling points as he prepares to work with Dak Prescott, even though the Cowboys quarterback has not yet signed a long-term deal with the team.

McCarthy coached the Packers for 13 years until he was fired during the 2018 season.

He finished with a 125-77-2 record and made the playoffs nine times, including when he won Super Bowl in 2011. However, it is fair to criticize him somewhat for winning just one Super Bowl despite all those playoff appearances with one of the best quarterbacks in league history.

In April, Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report detailed the ugly relationship between Rodgers and McCarthy that included butting heads over play-calling and receivers not knowing whether they should follow the plays the coach or quarterback called.

What's more, Rodgers was apparently frustrated the San Francisco 49ers selected Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick of the 2005 draft instead of him when McCarthy was the offensive coordinator. Rodgers slid to the No. 24 overall pick, and those lingering feelings impacted their relationship.

That reported contentiousness will serve as a backdrop should the Cowboys and Packers play each other in marquee games over the coming years.