Broncos legend suggests Mike McCarthy held back ‘spectacular quarterbacks’

Mike McCarthy is suddenly the man of the day as reports have surfaced that his time in Dallas is over. The former Cowboys head coach now has multiple opportunities lining up to potentially join another team, per Adam Schefter.

However, to do so, he'll need to convince them that he was the one to create success in the various eras of his career.

One NFL analyst isn't bought in. Speaking on a January 13 edition of "First Take," NFL analyst Shannon Sharpe credited Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre for his success with the Green Bay Packers, which arguably laid the foundation to get him the Cowboys gig. Even that success was a fraction of what he should have gotten, Sharpe argued.

Shannon Sharpe: [00:01:46] "I think we've seen Mike McCarthy and - look, that's not to say that he's not he's a good coach. I don't think he's great. He had a great run of spectacular quarterbacks," he said.

"He had Brett Favre for about 4 or 5 years and then he had Aaron Rodgers for about ten years. So he's had exemplary quarterback play and he had one Super Bowl to show for it," he added. [00:02:14][27.3] First Take

McCarthy went 125-77-2 with the Packers in his career. With his days in Dallas done, McCarthy's record wraps at 49-35.

Mike McCarthy's exit comes with just one major player off the board. Over the weekend, the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, taking them out of the coaching search.

Exploring Mike McCarthy landing spots following Dallas exit

Mike McCarthy at Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn

The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys is suddenly a free agent and depending on what the various general managers think of his abilities, he might be the top remaining coach option. McCarthy's resume boasts recent three 12-win seasons, a playoff win over Tom Brady, and a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

Such a resume seemingly would make him a top contender with the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets.

Depending on McCarthy's desire to coach this season and how picky he will be about the franchises, his dream list could narrow down to the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints. The Bears offer him an opportunity to beat the Packers, the team that had fired him before joining the Cowboys.

The Jacksonville Jaguars also could be a good fit as a similar offensive-minded coach like Doug Pederson. The New Orleans Saints might not be the best of the bunch as they head into a potential rebuild, but if McCarthy wants to prove he can build a franchise from scratch, the Saints might be his best opportunity in a far-from-conquered division.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "First Take," and H/T Sportskeeda.