GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Kennard Backman was on his way out of the locker room on Thursday, no doubt headed out of town following the conclusion of the Green Bay Packers' minicamp, when he bumped into coach Mike McCarthy.

Backman stopped briefly and told his coach: "Be safe."

Mike McCarthy said he stresses off-field safety to his players throughout the offseason, not just at the end of minicamp. Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini

At least the rookie tight end got the message.

Never mind that it was McCarthy who made that his parting words to his players before they left for their five-week break prior to the start of training camp.

"Just be safe," rookie linebacker Jake Ryan said when asked what McCarthy told the team following minicamp. "You're adults, be safe and be with your family and then come back and get to work."

McCarthy said that's not just a message he delivers before the players depart but rather something he stresses throughout the offseason.

"We had our NFL security meeting yesterday, so I think that was a great lead into the vacation," McCarthy said after Thursday's final minicamp practice. "They talk about all the things you shouldn't do or that have been done in the past. Obviously you offer all the things from education and services to help prevent or get in front of situations. That's a great lead into the vacation from an overall professional standpoint.

"But yeah, you don't give one talk and [think] things are just going to fall together. A lot of this is individual relationships, and coaches and players will be in touch with one another. So it's ongoing. But yes, we have to all be safe and smart, enjoy time with your family, and make sure we're ready to go to take full advantage of this great opportunity we'll have when training camp starts."

Rookies surely will get more of that message at the annual NFL Rookie Symposium. AFC rookies attend June 21-24 followed by the NFC rookies June 24-27.

Players don't have to be back at Lambeau Field until the July 29 reporting date on the eve of the first training camp practice, but it's not unusual for players to return early.

"I think the norm is everyone will want to get away," McCarthy said. "Obviously, the rookies have to go to the symposium, so they'll travel and spend time there, and responsibility of doing that. But for the most part, you'll see everybody will get away and really after the Fourth of July you'll start to see people start to filter back in. Clearly within the 10 days prior to training camp, there will be a number of guys working out."