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What they’re saying about Mike McCarthy: Why Dez Bryant called him a ‘real one’

The NFL world weighs in on the ninth head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys dragged out their official split with Jason Garrett for more than a week. Then, it took less than 24 hours to secure their next head coach.

Mike McCarthy, the former Green Bay Packers coach, agreed to a five-year deal with Dallas to fill its coaching vacancy on Monday.

McCarthy spent 13 years as the head coach of the Packers, compiling a 125-77-2 mark. He won Super Bowl XLV at AT&T Stadium with the Packers in 2011 and defeated the Cowboys twice in the playoffs during that span.

McCarthy reached the postseason nine times finishing with a 10-8 record. His offenses were considered among the best in the NFL during his tenure in Green Bay. The Packers offense ranked in the top 10 in total offense nine times and were ranked in the top 10 in points eight times.

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The early reviews on the hire are generally supportive, including positive responses from former Cowboys quarterback and current Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman, as well as former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

Here’s a look at what some prominent names around the football world have been saying about the addition:

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Troy Aikman on The Rich Eisen Show

Aikman: “I think you’re going to see probably a little bit of a different Mike McCarthy in what he wants to do offensively, maybe as well on the management side of things. But I think it was a really good hire. He’s obviously been hugely successful by any measurement as a head coach. I think the Cowboys picked the right guy.”

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Tim Cowlishaw, The Dallas Morning News

Cowlishaw: "On paper, the Cowboys made the most logical decision in the history of Jerry Jones coaching hires Monday. But remove the paper and turn on the microscope and question marks hover just beyond one’s focus.

“I will give the club credit for hiring Mike McCarthy as the franchise’s ninth head football coach. He’s a man who became accustomed to taking teams to the playoffs (eight straight seasons, nine out of 13), while in Green Bay and he already knows what it’s like to not only hoist a Lombardi Trophy but to do it in AT&T Stadium.”

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Brett Favre on SiriusXM NFL Radio

Favre: "Mike’s a smart guy. He knows that, and he knows that maybe, at times, Jerry will interfere or say things that you don’t necessarily agree with or don’t like. But it is what it is. I’ll say this, Mike is one of those guys from Pittsburgh. He’s hard-nosed. He’s tough. He is an aggressive personality. If there’s anyone out there presently that can handle that, it’s Mike. I believe that wholeheartedly. ... I think it’s a good fit for Mike, and I think it’s a great fit for the Cowboys.”

Kevin Sherrington, The Dallas Morning News

Sherrington: “Dak [Prescott]’s liable to be the Cowboys’ quarterback for a long time, which is fine with me, but he’ll never be as good as the one McCarthy left in Green Bay. No one rises to that level. What the Cowboys must hope is that McCarthy’s track record and newfound interests can make Dak Super Bowl-worthy.”

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CBS analyst, former NFL QB Brady Quinn

Quinn: “He was the best candidate for I think where this team is at right now. He’s a proven winner, won a Super Bowl, I think he is going to be great for Dak Prescott moving forward given his past experience working with Aaron Rodgers. And so it makes the most sense as opposed to some of the candidates that didn’t have any NFL head coaching experience before, or didn’t have the resume that Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones are ultimately looking for.”

Michael Irvin on TMZ

Irvin: “When [head coach] Mark Jackson left the Warriors, everything they needed to win championships was there. And, Steve Kerr came in and put in the right system that fit the talent, gave them the right leeways and brought the best out of everybody and they went on to start winning a lot of championships.”

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“I’m looking for Mike McCarthy to ‘Kerr’ the situation.”

Former NFL WR Terrell Owens, on 95.7 The Game

Owens: “(He’s) a guy that is a proven winner. (He) won a Super Bowl. I think it’s a smart move to bring somebody in here with experience. I think the guys (on the team) are going to rally around this guy. ... This is the first step I think in the right direction to getting the Cowboys back to where everybody wants them to be.”

Former Cowboys WR, Dez Bryant

During his introductory press conference, McCarthy weighed in on whether or not Dez Caught it.

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McCarthy: “I think it was clearly a technical rule at that time. Stephen [Jones, Cowboys vice president,] has since gotten it changed on the Competition Committee. I can’t tell you how many people from Dallas have told me about that play, so it’s funny. It was a great catch, I can say now. But it wasn’t then, technically.”

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Cowboys play-by-play broadcaster Brad Sham on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]

Sham: “He’s clearly a down to earth — he’s a Pittsburgh guy. There are very few Pittsburgh guys that I’ve ever met who are put on or are affected. They’re real. It’s a real place and he seems to be all of those things.”

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