Coach McCarthy signs extension with Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Mike McCarthy didn't want to think or talk about his accomplishments or his potential legacy as the Green Bay Packers coach Monday.

He wanted to change the subject to Sunday night's game against Chicago.

So shortly after the team announced that he'd signed a multiyear contract extension, McCarthy lasted all of six questions before he tried steering the discussion in another direction.

''Can we talk about the Bears now?'' McCarthy said, referring to the Packers' upcoming game Sunday night against their NFC North rivals.

But more questions followed about McCarthy's place in one of the NFL's most-storied franchises.

It made sense considering he's five victories behind Vince Lombardi in Packers history. With a 93-53-1 record including the playoffs, McCarthy ranks third in team history behind Curly Lambeau (212) and Lombardi (98).

''I'm not going to compare myself to Coach Lombardi. Let's be real here,'' McCarthy said. ''I understand my place, my opportunity and I'm very thankful for the people that came before me.''

In McCarthy's nine seasons as coach, the Packers have made six playoff appearances, won four division titles, appeared in two NFC championship games and won a Super Bowl.

The Packers did not release specifics of McCarthy's deal.

General manager Ted Thompson signed an extension in July that reportedly runs through the 2019 draft.

''We are very happy to extend our relationship with Mike,'' Thompson said in a statement. ''Over the past nine years, he's provided great stability and consistency to the Packers organization and our community as an excellent coach and leader. He's a good man and we look forward to the future with Mike as our head coach.''

A Pittsburgh native, the 50-year-old McCarthy was the Packers' quarterbacks coach in 1999 before spending five seasons as the New Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator (2000-04) and one year as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers (2005) before being hired to replace Mike Sherman as Packers coach in January 2006.

McCarthy began his NFL coaching career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.

Coming off a bye, the Packers enter their Sunday night game against the Bears at Lambeau Field with a 5-3 record following a 1-2 start. Only the Packers and the New England Patriots have made the postseason each of the past five seasons.

The Packers have won three straight NFC North titles under McCarthy and won at least 10 games in five of his nine seasons.

McCarthy, who had previously signed extensions after the 2007 and 2010 seasons, said he was happy with the new deal but admitted that the timing - even though it occurred during the team's bye week - was slightly awkward for him because it happened during the season.

''This is a great place. I'm very blessed, very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach here,'' McCarthy said. ''This is something that the organization wanted. I was thrilled about the opportunity to continue, (and) all I'm really thinking about is moving forward.

''Frankly, I'm a little uncomfortable talking about it this time of the year. This is something we haven't done in-season in the past. We're thrilled as a family to be here, and we're focused on the Bears.''

NOTES: McCarthy said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who left the team's Oct. 26 loss at New Orleans with a hamstring injury, ''did everything'' during the team's modified Monday practice and ''looked good.'' ... Right guard T.J. Lang (ankle) did injury rehabilitation work during practice, McCarthy said. Cornerback Sam Shields (knee) ''looked good'' and did everything at practice while safety Morgan Burnett (calf) ''pretty much did everything,'' McCarthy said. ... The Packers released often-injured 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod Monday to make room on the 53-man roster for center JC Tretter, who was activated from the injured reserve/designated for return list. Sherrod, who broke his leg in a December 2011 game that required emergency surgery and sidelined him for most of the next two seasons, had been the team's No. 3 offensive tackle behind starters David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Sherrod played 20 games with one start - earlier this season in place of an injured Bulaga - in four seasons.

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