GREEN BAY -- Mike McCarthy said he will be among those on the sideline joining in to lock arms during Thursday night's national anthem.
"I was proud of the players, their statement," McCarthy said, referring to the team's request for all the fans at Lambeau to stand with locked arms during the anthem before the Bears game. He was appreciative of the process the players went through, meeting as a team to decide how to proceed.
"They had a chance to discuss and each and every guy express his opinion. Like anything in life, you're not going to have everyone feel 100 percent the same way.
"I always want to make sure the 'why' we're doing this is explained. You want them to have the opportunity to disagree, but once the decision is made, it's not OK to be disagreeable. I think this is an example of that. Their approach is one of a positive nature, and that's definitely the preference. Locking arms and honoring the flag is a very good thing."
As for the team's injury situation, the only player McCarthy does not give much chance of playing is CB Davon House, who did not practice at all on Tuesday. The team's workout on Wednesday will be at a higher speed than the prior day, which will provide a good test for the injured players looking to get back to action.
"That's where we'll get the real evaluation," McCarthy said. "This is normal short-week stuff. The medical staff needs to see everybody practice so guys can get clearance."
While McCarthy said he'd like to see the Packers' defense "get in position more" for chances at turnovers, he exects a similar challenge from a Chicago defense that has made things difficult for Pro Bowl QBs Matt Ryan of Atlanta and Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh during the season's first three weeks.
"You can't just go out there and run the same plays from week to week, that's for sure," McCarthy said. "They're scrappy, they're tough. Really their whole football team starts at the line of scrimmage with these guys, both on offense and defense."
