Mike

McCarthy

There’s certainly no denying the Steelers made the playoffs in 2025, but with no quarterback of note on the team and no notable receiver behind DK Metcalf on the depth chart, it’s hard to definitively say the Steelers have a playoff roster in place for next season. Add in two aging veterans on the defensive side in Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt and things get even more complicated. That said, McCarthy said he does not view the Steelers’ job as “a start-over opportunity,” so it will be interesting to see what the team’s roster turnover looks like in the coming months. As was the case with Mike Tomlin for several years, the Steelers still have to find a quarterback who can be a mainstay on the roster for more than two seasons.

Not exactly earth-shattering news here, especially with no offensive coordinator tied to him yet. This should always have been the expectation for McCarthy. Steelers fans should get ready to get re-acquainted with slant/flat combination routes with Arthur Smith off to Ohio State.

Pelissero reported yesterday that he believed that veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be most likely to play for one coach in 2026, naming Mike McCarthy as that coach. Not 24 hours later and the Steelers are reportedly working to hire McCarthy as their next head coach following the departure of Mike Tomlin. The dominoes certainly appear to be falling into place to get the franchise what they want, which appears to be Aaron Rodgers for another season. McCarthy last served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys between 2020 and 2024 but coached Rodgers for 13 years in Green Bay at the beginning of the aging veteran’s career. It also serves as a homecoming for the 62-year-old coach, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area.

Pelissero noted that this wouldn’t be the Steelers “trying to lure” Rodgers to come back, but instead frames it as “a bonus” that might not be available if Pittsburgh hired a different head coach with no previous relationship with Rodgers. Given how the Steelers seem locked into a mindset of trying to win games rather than rip it down to the studs, you can squint and understand how they’d come to McCarthy as a good option compared to the more unproven coaches in this hiring class. We will be writing blurbs about Aaron Rodgers until the end of time.

McCarthy took the year after being relieved of his duties with the Cowboys following the 2024 season. McCarthy also interviewed with the Giants and Titans, though both organizations chose to go with other candidates. McCarthy’s 2024 Cowboys squad averaged just 5.0 yards per play during the regular season, ranking 27th among NFL offenses.

McCarthy had interviewed with the Titans, who filled their head coaching vacancy on Tuesday by hiring former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. McCarthy, who was raised in the Pittsburgh area, would seem to be a natural fit for the Steelers as they look to keep their postseason streak alive even if they are not Super Bowl contenders. McCarthy has shown he can do just that during his stints in Green Bay and Dallas. McCarthy has won 61 percent of his games over 18 years as an NFL head coach. The Steelers are reportedly open to McCarthy’s former QB Aaron Rodgers returning in 2026.

It was reported over a week ago that McCarthy would interview with the Titans on January 17th, but according to Schefter, the team also spoke with McCarthy “once in late December in Green Bay,” while the season was still going on. This certainly throws a bit of a wrinkle in how we should view the Titans’ head-coaching vacancy, as the early decision to speak with McCarthy in-season could hint at him being the favorite in the clubhouse. McCarthy is also expected to speak with the Steelers in the coming days, giving him another potential suitor if things don’t work out with the Titans.

As Schefter notes, McCarthy was born in Pittsburgh and worked under Steelers GM Omar Khan during his time in New Orleans in the early 2000s. For a team that just moved on from Mike Tomlin because of his recent lack of playoff success, McCarthy would be a bit of an odd choice. He made the playoffs three times during five seasons in Dallas but managed to win just one postseason game. McCarthy was, however, more successful in Green Bay. He won a Super Bowl over the Steelers and made the NFC Championship three other times. His track record in the postseason is a mixed bag at best, but the Steelers could do worse in this head coaching cycle.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the interview will take place “next Saturday.” McCarthy worked with Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker during their time together with the Packers. Whether that gives McCarthy an edge remains to be seen. The Titans are casting a wide net. McCarthy will also interview for the Giants’ open role.

McCarthy last coached the Cowboys in 2024 and has made the postseason in 12 of 18 seasons as an NFL head coach in Dallas and Green Bay. With a history of quarterback development and a QB-friendly offensive system, McCarthy would be a natural choice to develop Jaxson Dart as he enters his second NFL season. McCarthy, who has won 61 percent of his games as an NFL head coach along with 11 postseason contests, would likely be a short-term option for the Giants, one who could stabilize the situation around Dart and give him a chance to establish himself as a high-end NFL starter.