5 candidates to replace Steve Wilks as Arizona Cardinals coach

4. Mike McCarthy

The end of McCarthy’s tenure with the Green Bay Packers went off the rails, to a point no one would blame him if he took a year out of coaching next year. But he’ll have a job if he wants one, and the New York Jets may be the leader for his services as they prepare to fire Todd Bowles at season’s end.

But in Arizona’s situation is similar to New York’s, with a rookie quarterback drafted in the top-10 last spring and talent deficiencies around him. There are convenient personality comparisons to make between Aaron Rodgers and Josh Rosen, but otherwise McCarthy should have interest in the Cardinals’ job if he also has interest in the Jets.

McCarthy’s failure to evolve his offense in recent years makes it easy to forget his role in developing Rodgers early in their coach-starting quarterback relationship. Offensive acumen is what the Cardinals have to be focusing on in their search for a new head coach, and McCarthy’s track record as a winning head coach stands out among less-proven commodities.

After Wilks came with almost no resume beyond being a position coach, McCarthy is the opposite. That is enough to put him on this list, even if Cardinals’ fans might yawn if he’s hired.