Pittsburgh Steelers stumbling into uncharted territory with Mike McCarthy hire

McCarthy last coached in 2024 for the Cowboys and went 7-10. Over 18 seasons as Cowboys (2020-24) and Packers (2006-2018) head coach, McCarthy has a 174-112-2 record, as well as an 11-11 record in the postseason, including a Super Bowl XLV win in February 2011 with Green Bay.

He's an accomplished coach, but that hardly means his past success will translate to 2026 and beyond. Among 13 prior post-merger hires on their third NFL team, only Pete Carroll won a Super Bowl. Dan Reeves is the only other to lead his third franchise to a Super Bowl, taking the Atlanta Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII.

It's more of a risk than one would expect hiring an established coach. Retreads can provide stability and raise the floor of underperforming teams, but that's not necessarily where Pittsburgh finds itself. No one can successfully argue against Tomlin maximizing the talent on the Steelers roster during his final years as head coach.

The same questions still exist under McCarthy, most prominently at quarterback. The hire has raised the possibility of Aaron Rodgers, who seemingly signed as a one-year rental last offseason, could be back, which might be unwise.

Following reports of McCarthy's hiring, NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote, "This opens the door for a return."

Rodgers played as well as one could reasonably expect someone in their age-42 season in 2025, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards (6.7 yards per attempt), 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 

But for Pittsburgh to contend in the AFC moving forward, it needs to move into the present instead of residing in the past. A McCarthy-Rodgers pairing in 2026 would be laughably behind the times.

It's jarring to see the Steelers go with McCarthy after successfully plucking unproven coordinators for their head role during their previous two searches. Long the quintessential model of consistency, the hire marks a new, bleaker reality. Pittsburgh doesn't have a secret blueprint. Rather, it's stumbling through the dark like everyone else.