Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he was surprised and stunned at the timing of his firing last December and believes his dismissal was handled poorly.

McCarthy told ESPN in a story posted Wednesday he knew it might be in trouble if the Packers missed the playoffs. But he was fired with four games left after the Packers lost at home to Arizona, dropping the team to just 4-7-1.

"If we missed the playoffs, I expected change might happen," McCarthy said. "But the timing surprised me. It couldn't have been handled any worse."

McCarthy said he was summoned to a meeting with team President Mark Murphy after the loss and fired in a discussion he said was impersonal and "hard to swallow." He said he always tried to be gentle in releasing players and he didn't get the same treatment.

Packers spokesman Aaron Popkey declined to comment.

McCarthy was in his 13th season as coach and won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. He finished his tenure in Green Bay with a record of 125-77-2.

McCarthy said he is taking a year off but working hard to prepare for a possible coaching job next season.

>>Bears Re-Up With Long Snapper

The Chicago Bears have re-signed long snapper Patrick Scales to a one-year contract.

Scales played in all 16 games last season — his fourth in Chicago — after missing the 2017 season with a knee injury. He has appeared in 39 games over five years with the Baltimore Ravens (2014) and Bears (2015-18).

The team announced the move on Wednesday. Chicago won the NFC North at 12-4 last season.