Why Mike McCarthy is the non-gamble the Jets need to take
If Mike McCarthy is as interested in the Jets as the Jets should be interested in him, if he is as interested in being shown the Atlantic Jets Training Center as Christopher Johnson and Mike Maccagnan should be interested in showing him the Atlantic Jets Training Center, they should summon Sam Darnold back from wherever he might be and have him recruit and lock all the exit doors and make the man an offer he cannot refuse.
And show him highlights of Darnold’s rookie season and remind him that if he and Darnold can work together the way he and Aaron Rodgers did before their relationship frayed, if he can be the long-lost exorcist to end the franchise’s 50-year curse — the anniversary is Jan. 12 — well, yes, he will be a freaking legend here.
The Jets have wisely been doing their due diligence on the candidates who might have a chance to succeed, but in McCarthy, they have the known quantity, a coach who has the pelts on the wall and the respect that comes with them.
In Green Bay, there is a Mike McCarthy Way that runs parallel to Lombardi Avenue, a small-town reward for winning Super Bowl XLV and bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown, USA.
“I love it, man. Look at this place. Got my Starbucks, cruising down Holmgren Way, made a left on that other guy’s street and coming to this. It’s unbelievable,” McCarthy said once upon a time to NFL.com.
Imagine what would be waiting for McCarthy should he make history here — hell, not even Bill Parcells could take the Jets to the Promised Land, although he sure came close two decades ago.
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Jets defensive tackle Mike Pennel knows McCarthy from his time as a Packer from 2014 to 2016.
“Offensive-minded coach,” Pennel told The Post. “He’s all about preparation and recovery for players, making recovery mandatory, like cold tubs and stuff like that for players. He’s a player’s coach.”
Cold tub? Darnold defeated a USC fan last spring in Champs Sports’ Going Numb competition, answering pop-culture questions in an ice tub. A wrong answer meant more ice. So there’s that.
And there’s the third-overall pick of the NFL draft. And there’s $100 million for free agency. And an owner who won’t meddle and will provide the resources you need. And a quiet town in Florham Park, NJ, that reminds no one of New York City.
And yet at the same time, no better place to win than New York.
McCarthy can ask Broadway Joe about that: Joe Namath, Pennsylvania guy. McCarthy, Pennsylvania guy. So there’s that.
No one can say with certainty whether there is a dragon-slayer head coach out there because you just never know. Who imagined Bill Belichick as a five-time Super Bowl champion after his disaster in Cleveland? Pete Carroll was fired twice. Norv Turner was fired three times. Rich Kotite had NFL head-coaching experience when Leon Hess hired him. Good luck landing the hot young coordinator — the Sean McVay, the Matt Nagy, the Mike Tomlin. Todd Bowles was supposed to be can’t-miss.
There are no can’t-misses. Parcells didn’t win a playoff game during his four years as Cowboys head coach. McCarthy blew a 12-point lead with 3:52 remaining in the 2014 NFC Championship with ghastly conservative playcalling. So there’s that, too.
But McCarthy (10-8 in the playoffs) is not a gamble. He is not, as Forrest Gump said, a box of chocolates. You know what you’re gonna get with McCarthy. And what you’re gonna get is the best guy available.
“I wouldn’t be here without my family,” McCarthy told the Catholic Herald in March 2016. “I wouldn’t be here without my faith. Football is important. It’s the way I make a living. It’s a game that I love, a lot of people love. I’m fortunate to have the best job in professional sports, but faith and family are first. That’s the story for me.”
Long-suffering Jets fans could tell him all about faith, family and football. And undoubtedly would. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Maybe even a Mike McCarthy Way one day.
