Jan 27, 2026
3 min read
A Pittsburgh native and former Dallas Cowboys coach, the team has questions starting with QB.
Sixteen years after replacing Mike Tomlin in Super Bowl XLV, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy succeeds him as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers have entered into a verbal agreement to hire the 62-year-old Pittsburgh native as their fourth coach since 1969, the team announced Saturday afternoon.McCarthy is now the oldest coach in franchise history.Chuck Noll, who retired 10 days before his 60th birthday, was previously the oldest.
His selection, which comes 11 days after Tomlin told his team he was stepping down after 19 seasons as the Steelers' coach, is a big departure from the organization's previous history of hiring up-and-coming defensive minds without previous NFL head coaching experience, signaling the team's desire to win now.
After failing to reach an extension with the Dallas Cowboys after the 2024 season, McCarthy took a hiatus from coaching until the 2025 season. McCarthy is now the first head coach of three iconic NFL franchises in the Steelers, Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
Steelers reporter Brock Pryor, NFL reporter Kevin Seifert, national NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, NFL draft analyst Matt Miller and NFL analyst Ben Solak answer all the burning questions following McCarthy's appointment.
Why did the Steelers choose Mike McCarthy as their next head coach and how much did his Pittsburgh past play into the decision?
Days after Tomlin left as Steelers head coach on Jan. 13, team president Art Rooney II said he wanted to run "from day one."He also said that he did not like the word "rebuild".By hiring McCarthy over younger, less proven candidates, Rooney underscored his desire to win with the league's third-oldest active head coach (behind Andy Reid of Kansas City and John Harbaugh of the New York Giants).
None of the three former Steelers head coaches have had NFL head coaching experience, while McCarthy has 310 games of NFL head coaching experience.He also has the sixth-most wins (185) among all NFL coaches over the past 20 seasons.Tomlin finished his Steelers career with 201 wins, including the playoffs.
Rooney's rush comes on the heels of another Steelers season that ended with a playoff appearance, this time a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the team's first game since the 2020 season. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
McCarthy is 11-11 in the playoffs, most recently with the Cowboys after the 2022 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.But he's also 11-10 since his first stint as a head coach in 2006, the fourth-best by a head coach in that span.
McCarthy, a native of Pittsburgh's Greenfield neighborhood, understands the Steelers' blue-collar culture better than most.The hiring of McCarthy, a veteran coach who has a deep knowledge of the city and the team's tradition, allows the Steelers to stay true to their old-school roots in a way that could be challenged by a promising young candidate.
Not only does McCarthy know the city, but general manager Omar Khan knows McCarthy from New Orleans.McCarthy was the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator from 2000-2004, and Khan, who first joined the Saints as a coach in 1997, worked closely with McCarthy when he came on board.-- Pryor
How does McCarthy's hiring affect Aaron Rodgers' chances of returning next season?
However, Rodgers remains a wild card. But Steelers insiders believe that hiring McCarthy as coach could help bring a quarterback to the team for at least another year.
Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers a year ago, helping them to a 10-7 record and another wild-card berth.Although Rodgers averaged just 207.6 yards per game, a career low when playing at least 16 games, his completion percentage improved to 65.7% for his best mark since the 2021 season, one in which he earned MVP honors and completed 68.9% of his attempts.
Rodgers and McCarthy combined for 13 seasons in Green Bay and won 107 games together.During that span, Rodgers won four MVP awards, and the Packers won the Ninth Super Bowl between a coach and a quarterback who coached and started on the most teams, according to Research.
Although Rodgers' relationship with McCarthy was rocky and Green Bay eventually fired McCarthy in 2018, Rodgers has spoken fondly of his former coach, referencing McCarthy's stories about his hometown throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh.-- Pryor
What Rodgers and McCarthy's QB-coach relationship like in Green Bay?
Rodgers and McCarthy spent most of 13 seasons together in Green Bay;Enough time to experience a Super Bowl championship, a 15-1 regular season, and troubled times along the way.But any animosity that might have built up during their long football marriage is long gone.
In 2022, before a game against the McCarthy-led Cowboys, Rodgers waxed nostalgic about the time they spent together. He said they had resumed regular communication, adding, "As time goes on, the gratitude for the time when you look back on your career path grows a little bit. ... You appreciate the little things a little bit more."
There was no talk of a possible reunion at the time, but anyone who has heard from Rogers doesn't think he holds any grudges.- Seifert
What's the buzz around the league about the Steelers' decision?
The first league reaction was mildly surprising, but not shocking.Not only is McCarthy a native of the city of Pittsburgh, but he also overlaps with Khan in New Orleans more than two decades ago, a Pittsburgh lineage and last link.
Rooney has known McCarthy for a long time and is comfortable with him.He has a .608 winning percentage in 18 years with Green Bay and Dallas.Those things have worked in his favor.But given the team's penchant for finding young, up-and-coming coaches, this is a departure from the mold.
"I think the team will follow a new path with a tangible young coach and can build something," said an industry source on Saturday."McCarthy is a good coach, but this is not an inspirational hire."- Hunter
What does this move signal about the Steelers offense?
It may not signal a change in offensive philosophy, but it certainly signals an emphasis on improving the offense since the Steelers hired their first offensive coach before 1969.2017, according to Research.
The Steelers haven't been able to pass the ball consistently since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and even with Rodgers back, the team still needs to find its quarterback of the future.McCarthy coached in Kansas City and Green Bay before becoming the Saints' coordinator in 2000.
By bringing in McCarthy, the Steelers are hoping they can quickly develop the next signal-caller, potentially selected in the upcoming 2026 draft, whether that be 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard or another prospect.-- Pryor
What are the Steelers' biggest needs in the offseason, and who could they target with the No. 21 pick?
The Steelers' needs once again revolve around the quarterback position, regardless of whether Rodgers is in the mix next season.21 will consider Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson if he's still on the board.His strong pocket play would fit well with McCarthy's West offense.But if Simpson is gone when Pittsburgh is on the clock, the wide receiver might get a look.
The Steelers still need someone opposite DK Metcalf.And USC's Makai Lemon would be the ideal No.-- Millet
The "Get Up" team discusses the rebuilding needed in Pittsburgh after the departure of Mike Tomlin.
How would you rate employment?
C. It's hard to get excited about McCarthy's third season as an NFL head coach, especially when you consider that he didn't make any stops in his previous two stops.McCarthy has appeared in three straight playoff appearances in five seasons in Dallas, but never went beyond the relegation, which is a good line-up for Bayart's Coach as a coach.He won a Super Bowl (2010) and did not repeat it for the next eight years.
So why should Pittsburgh fans reasonably expect McCarthy to cure their Tomlin-era playoff woes, especially when facing a quarterback problem they've never had before?-- Solak
