McCarthy: 'I've never sweated' contract extension

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has two years remaining on the five-year contract he signed after the team's victory in Super Bowl XLV, but that could change soon.

After announcing an extension with general manager Ted Thompson on Wednesday, both Thompson and team president Mark Murphy have made it clear the next priority to get something done with McCarthy.

McCarthy's contract pays him more than $5 million per year, but he could be due for another raise. The Packers are 88-50-1 in his nine seasons and are one of only two NFL teams that have made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who was hired the same year as McCarthy in 2006, surpassed New England's Bill Belichick as the highest-paid coach in North American sports with the five-year, $38 million extension he signed in January 2013.

"Well, to me, everybody that works here has a business part of their place here," McCarthy said Thursday. "That's just part of it. I'm focused on training camp, there's a process in place that will take its course. I've never sweated it. I love it here. I'm not worried about it."

The details of Thompson's extension were not made public, but the Packers have typically signed extensions in five-year increments. If that's the case, Thompson would be signed through the 2018 season, one year before quarterback Aaron Rodgers' current contract expires.

There was some question whether or not the 61-year-old Thompson would be interested in another contract past his previous deal, which ran through the 2016 NFL draft, but he's expressed his desire to continue on at every turn.

McCarthy said last year he considers himself at halftime of his career, but added last week that he really isn't sure how long he'd like to continue coaching. Now 50, McCarthy is the fourth-longest tenured coach in the NFL.

As Thompson's only head-coaching hire in his 10 years as GM, McCarthy was asked Thursday what his reaction would have been had Thompson retired or not been issued an extension.

Whatever the outside perception might have been, McCarthy said he never was concerned about Thompson's future.

"I was never concerned about it," McCarthy said. "I haven't given it any thought. You know, once again, we work together every day, so I wasn't as surprised as maybe you were (Wednesday) that it was done. So I wasn't concerned about that."

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