Just to clarify from this mornings Athletic article ~
Analysis: This is the big one. For the legions of fans imploring general manager Brian Gutekunst to send the ultimate message by firing McCarthy, consider this a friendly reminder: He can’t. When Murphy transitioned former general manager Ted Thompson to a new position as senior advisor to football operations, he also overhauled the power structure and gave himself wide-ranging authority over football matters. The new chain of command placed Murphy at the top and created a second tier with Gutekunst, McCarthy and executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball on equal footing beneath him. It’s Murphy who has the sole power to hire and fire a coach. It’s Murphy who has the sole power to hire and fire a general manager. He created a system in which Gutekunst, McCarthy and Ball report directly to him. That’s not to say Murphy wouldn’t value Gutekunst’s opinion on certain things, especially for something as serious as parting ways with a head coach, but the final decision belongs to the man at the top. Murphy and McCarthy have been meeting on a weekly basis throughout the spring, summer and into the regular season as a means of increasing communication within the new organizational framework. Both sides seem pleased with the consistent dialogue after Murphy vowed to tear down the “silos” that had formed under Thompson. McCarthy said Friday that he and Murphy have never discussed his job security and are focused instead on the 2018 season. But if things continue to go south during the next few weeks — or even if they don’t and the Packers sneak into the playoffs — Murphy is surely contemplating one of the biggest decisions of his career. Will he fire McCarthy after 13 seasons to give the team a fresh start? And if he does, how much input will be afforded to Gutekunst when selecting McCarthy’s successor? The answers to those questions should serve as a case study of Murphy’s delicate hierarchy.