Mike McCarthy Maintains Aaron Rodgers's Off-Field Interests Never Distracted Packers

The Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy marriage with the Green Bay Packers ended on rocky terms when the Packers opted to fire McCarthy with four games remaining in the 2018 season. Six years later, and with McCarthy now the coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Rodgers the quarterback for the New York Jets, McCarthy appeared in Rodgers's recently-released Netflix docuseries, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma.

McCarthy was interviewed during the docuseries, which details several key parts of Aaron Rodgers's journey and career from junior college to becoming a four-time NFL MVP, including his off the field pursuits. His recovery from a torn achilles in 2023 and his usage of the psychedelic ayahuasca are both at the center of the series.

Over the years, Rodgers has been known to explore and speak openly about unconventional topics and ideas—including ayahuasca as well as his darkness retreat in 2023.

McCarthy, who coached Rodgers on the Packers from 2006 to '18, maintains that Rodgers' off-field interests did not interfere with his leadership and the Packers. Instead, McCarthy was complimentary of Rodgers's interests and what they brought to the Packers' "current event" discussions at the beginning of meetings. McCarthy, who has not watched the docuseries, clarified that these current event talks are a part of every team he has coached, and not just with Rodgers.

“The current events is something I’ve always been a part of," McCarthy said on 105.3 The Fan. "I learned it from our old offensive line coach, Alex Gibbs ... That's a common practice among quarterback rooms I've been a part of. What was really cool about Aaron is Aaron has an eclectic brain, interests, and was always very well read. The current events was always a fun time to start the day."

The tone from both McCarthy and Rodgers in recent years has been a significant change from the end of their time together in Green Bay, which was filled with rumors of tension between the two. According to a 2019 Bleacher Report story from Tyler Dunne, Rodgers believed McCarthy had "low football IQ" and that both McCarthy and Rodgers's egos got in the way of the Packers achieving more success.

Those tumultuous days between the former Packers coach and quarterback duo appear to be long over. Two years ago, both McCarthy and Rodgers expressed "appreciation" for their time together in Green Bay.

“It’s probably normal in any relationship you have,” Rodgers told the media in 2022. “When you’re able to take time away and you have that separation, it’s natural to look back and have a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time.”

McCarthy added at the time: "When I think of him, I think of the one-on-one conversations we used to have, especially in the younger days. And it always ended with a hug and, ‘I love ya.’ So that’s what I think about our relationship. I think he made me a much better coach."