Green Bay Packers

Mike McCarthy calls out Eddie Lacy's offseason work ethic

Published Jan. 18, 2016 7:06 p.m. ET

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Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy struggled through a season full of ups and downs in 2015.

We now know what caused Lacy's unpredictable drop-offs in production. In his end of the year press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy said the 25-year-old running back didn't work hard enough last offseason and never reached his full strength as a result.

Via Ryan Wood of Press-Gazette Media:

McCarthy on #Packers RB Eddie Lacy: "He has a lot of work to do. His offseason last year was not good enough. He never recovered from it."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) January 18, 2016

After back-to-back seasons with at least 1,100 rushing yards to start his career, Lacy only rushed for 758 yards in 2015. The once-dominant back had four puzzling outings in which he carried the ball five times or fewer. During his first two seasons, he failed to record double-digit rush attempts just once (Week 2 of the 2013 season) and it was because he suffered a concussion on his first touch of the game.

Lacy's most successful stretch of the season was from Week 11 to Week 14, when he eclipsed 100 yards in three out of four games. The game in which he failed to reach the century mark, however, was a five-carry outing against the Detroit Lions that yielded just four yards. His limited role in that game was the result of a missed curfew, further illustrating a troubling lack of preparation.

By calling him out publicly, McCarthy has opened the door for members of the media to scrutinize Lacy's work ethic. Perhaps this challenge will motivate him to return to camp in better shape next summer.