The Green Bay Packers have fired head coach Mike McCarthy after 13 seasons at the helm on Sunday. They've replaced him with interim coach Joe Philbin.

As is being reported by Adam Schefter, after the Packers 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers brought in McCarthy after the game and fired him; he was not expecting it, per source.

When the news broke, it was after the Packers had lowered their record to a lousy 4-7-1. In an effort to turn things around, former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will serve as the interim head coach, likely until the end of the season or a full-time replacement can be found. McCarthy then spoke with Fox Sports' Jay Glazer about the firing, saying, "I'm proud I was part of the Packers family, proud to be part of such a great organization."

President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy released a statement on the team's decision saying that the 2018 season has not been up to the standard expected by the Green Bay Packers. While it was a difficult decision to move on from McCarthy, the change reflects the organization's unwillingness to be anything but one of the best teams in the NFL. "Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field," Murphy stated. He then thanked Mike, his wife and the rest of the McCarthy family.

He finished with, "we will immediately begin the process of selecting the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers."

What This Means

Part of the decision likely had to do with the fact quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing with a new big-money contract. The Packers inability to move forward with Rodgers making huge money and in the prime of his career likely played a major role in the release. The organization does not want to waste any of Rodgers big years.

McCarthy won't likely be out of work for long. There are already rumors the Browns are thinking about hiring him.

Next: Aaron Rodgers Deserves A Better NFL Team Than The 2018 Packers