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The Cleveland Browns are once again looking for the right head coach to lead them out of the gutters. Mike McCarthy could be that guy.
Despite encountering an abundance of praise throughout the past offseason — receiving some potential Super Bowl hype along the way — the Browns finished the 2019 regular season at just 6-10, prompting the team to part ways with former head coach Freddie Kitchens on Sunday.
The Browns most recently lost to the 2-14 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, which all but sealed Kitchens' fate in Cleveland. As a result, the Browns are currently searching for their next head coach, while this has seemingly become an annual occurrence for Cleveland.
With Kitchens lasting only one season as the Browns' full-time head coach, Cleveland needs to secure a leader that lasts this time around. Although that was the goal from the start, Cleveland has seemingly taken chances that haven't paid off.
With former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera already reportedly headed to the Washington Redskins, the only other option for the Browns should be former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
3. McCarthy knows how to win
Although Mike McCarthy did not coach in the NFL this past season, he's a veteran leader and sharp football mind has done what no other head coach on the open market has previously done. While serving as the head coach of the heralded Packers between 2006 and 2018, McCarthy notably led Green Bay to a championship by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers as a result of Super Bowl XLV.
McCarthy, 56, currently owns a lifetime winning percentage of .613 as an NFL head coach. As it stands today, he has produced a 135-82-2 record, which includes a winning record in postseason play across 18 outings.
Not only does McCarthy know how to win, which he has repeatedly proven over the years, but he also knows how to win consistently — something the Browns don't know anything about these days.
2. He can develop quarterback Baker Mayfield
In addition to serving as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers for more than a decade, Mike McCarthy notably served as an offensive coordinator for both the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints as well. Ultimately leading to his time as the Packers head coach.
McCarthy previously served as the franchise's quarterbacks coach, which also helped move him in the right direction with the aforementioned 49ers and Saints.
This experience at a variety of different levels in the NFL would surely aid McCarthy in his attempt at helping develop current Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Baker Mayfield.
After a stellar rookie season in 2018, Mayfield had quite the mediocre sophomore season as a member of the Browns.
Starting all 16 regular-season games in 2019, Mayfield only managed to lead the Browns to six wins this time around. With the second-year passer struggling not to turn the football over, — even with possessing a litany of talented weapons to pass to — the Browns were still unable to reach the postseason in 2019.
However, not all is lost for Mayfield, who has already shown glimpses of greatness as an NFL quarterback. McCarthy's caliber is just what the former Heisman Trophy winner needs to turn things around in Cleveland.
It is also worth noting that McCarthy helped develop future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers during his time in Green Bay, which seems to have turned out pretty well for the Packers in the end.
1. He can serve as the long-awaited long term solution for the Browns
The lowly Browns have rarely shown signs of life over the last 10 seasons or so. Even with tiny glimpses of hope peaking out at times, the Browns are certainly not known for the team's ability to sustain success on an annual basis.
Because the Browns do not possess the ability to build upon the team's workload and experience from season's past, Cleveland is unable to get better year after year.
However, the eventual addition of former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy could change that notion in mere seconds as the longtime NFL leader knows how to sustain long term success at the highest level.
