Mike McCarthy has been fired as Packers head coach in the middle of his 13th season with the team. Today’s loss as two-touchdown favorites against the lowly Arizona Cardinals was the final nail in the coffin of what has been a profoundly disappointing season. As I’ve written numerous times, McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay was more successful in aggregate than he is generally given credit for, and Aaron Rodgers has certainly not been blameless in the slide. Nevertheless, this was the right time for the move. The tenure had run its course.

A version of this candidates list ran earlier this week, but has been updated to include Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Eric Bieniemy

Bieniemy is in his first year as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid’s coaching tree has been more appropriately a forest of late. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl with Philly. Matt Nagy is on the way to winning the NFC North in his first season with the Bears. With Bieniemy at offensive coordinator and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, the Chiefs’ offense has been more explosive than ever. Bieniemy surely deserves some of the credit for that performance, and should at the very least be among those interviewed for open head coaching opportunities this season, starting with the Packers.

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