NEW YORK _ If the Giants believe the primary responsibility of their next head coach is to develop Daniel Jones, the man they met with Friday might be the one they hire for the job.
They interviewed Mike McCarthy, the former Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Packers, who has the most complete overall resume among the known candidates for the Giants' opening. And when it comes to quarterbacks, he is the only one who can boast a pair of MVPs under his tutelage and the development of one into a future Hall of Famer.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can point to Tom Brady, but Brady was a Super Bowl champion long before McDaniels worked with him.
McCarthy, during his tenure with the Packers as a quarterbacks coach for one year and a head coach for 13, helped Brett Favre in his final seasons in Green Bay and then groomed Aaron Rodgers for his success in the NFL. The Giants are familiar with many of his philosophies and coaching techniques; his former assistant, Ben McAdoo, brought them with him to the team as a coordinator and head coach and helped retool Eli Manning into a more efficient passer.
If McCarthy, 56, came to the Giants, his big selling point would be the promise to usher Jones from his impressive rookie year into a more polished and productive professional.
"I think any young quarterback would like him," Favre said of McCarthy on Friday on SiriusXM's NFL Radio. "Obviously, he's had Aaron Rodgers, and that certainly helps. I do think he brings a level of toughness, but also a confidence that as a player, as a quarterback for him, you feel confident that he's going to call plays that cater more to your ability rather than maybe a previous guy he had."
Although Jones certainly is the centerpiece of any offensive plans the Giants have, the front office has been adamant that they are not looking only for a quarterback whisperer.
The Giants have said several times (and their list of candidates illustrates) that they are open to head-coaching candidates who come from a variety of roles. The belief is that if they hire someone without intimate quarterback knowledge as the head coach, they can supplement that hire with the addition of a quarterback guru who will serve as Jones' personal Yoda. They already might have such a person on the staff if they consider offensive coordinator Mike Shula or offensive assistant Ryan Roeder for that task.
McCarthy is one of only four coaches to lead a single franchise to eight or more consecutive postseason appearances, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Tom Landry and Chuck Noll as well as New England's Bill Belichick.
McCarthy, who has interviewed with the Panthers and Browns, is said to be intrigued by the possibility of working with Jones, whose athleticism and skill set are similar to that of Rodgers (and whose personality is very different, which also could be a plus for McCarthy, who often clashed with Rogers).
The Browns were thought to be an enticing option for McCarthy as he could be reunited with former Packers assistant general manager Eliot Wolf for that team's front-office opening. But as one league source said regarding the comfortability of that potential connection: "Eliot doesn't play quarterback on Sundays."
Daniel Jones does. McCarthy could be the coach to get him to do it better.
