Redskins should steer clear of Mike McCarthy in a coaching search

In the case of a coaching search this offseason, there is a clear path the Redskins should take, and a clear path they should avoid with all their power.

There’s no guarantee yet that the Washington Redskins will find themselves in a coaching search in 2019; as of now, the team is 6-5, with a chance to reclaim control of their destiny with a win tonight against the Philadelphia Eagles. If Jay Gruden can adapt, and lead the team to a win when they most need it, then he’ll take a crucial step toward keeping his job.

But if Washington extends their losing streak to three games with a defeat against the defending Super Bowl champs, in a game they almost have to win, then the writing will be on the wall. Gruden won’t be fired after the game, but he could very well be out of lives by season’s end. And the Redskins could opt to go in a different direction.

Whether that’s the right call is a discussion for another day, and it’s something we’ve discussed in greater detail in other articles. But if Gruden goes, then Washington will have to make the right decision in finding a successor. The number of options grows larger every day, and last night, after his Packers lost in disheartening fashion to the Arizona Cardinals, former Super Bowl winning head coach Mike McCarthy was relieved of his duties in Green Bay.

By name recognition alone, McCarthy might stand out as a compelling candidate for the Redskins’ job. But name recognition is where the redeeming qualities end.

McCarthy may have once done great things for the Green Bay Packers, but it’s clear that the way he won the Super Bowl in 2010 isn’t going to win him games anymore. Those observing only the record will see McCarthy’s 125-77-2 mark over his Packers career, a respectable tenure in its own right.

But McCarthy, over the last two seasons, accrued a record of 11-16-1. He has been outdated, and for the Redskins, acquiring McCarthy would be a backwards move, doomed to move the franchise nowhere but backwards.

The Redskins need to find a way to move forward, if Jay Gruden is gone in 2019. McCarthy is a former winner, adrift in the modern NFL with a time-trodden philosophy. Yes, coaches can adapt. But it would be better for the Redskins to take a chance on someone else, someone new, rather than risking getting themselves stuck in second gear.