Mike McCarthy’s one-year extension as Green Bay Packers head coach is the football equivalent of damning with faint praise.
Sure, he got an extension through 2019, but the message was clear: You’re on notice, coach.
At some point, the blame had to rest at the feet hard-nosed Pittsburgh native, from the offensive stagnation to the defensive struggles, the special-teams blunders, and postseason shortcomings.
With new management coming to 1265 Lombardi Ave., it would have been fair to wonder if a new GM would give McCarthy the same kind of slack Ted Thompson has always offered.