Aaron Rodgers wants Steelers fans to know the truth about Mike McCarthy: 'Never gets any credit'

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the headlines ever since Mike Tomlin elected to step away from coaching, officially ushering the franchise into a new era. That era now belongs to 62-year-old head coach Mike McCarthy. A Super Bowl-winner with decades of NFL experience, McCarthy arrives in Pittsburgh having been part of the league since 1993. He spent 13 seasons leading the Green Bay Packers and five more as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, bringing instant credibility to the Steel City.

With McCarthy now at the helm, Steelers fans have quickly turned their attention to the future of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers’ long history with McCarthy in Green Bay has sparked widespread speculation about what comes next. Will Rodgers return for another season in Pittsburgh, retire from the game or explore one final stop elsewhere? While the quarterback himself has remained largely guarded, the prior connection between Rodgers and his former coach has become impossible to ignore as the Steelers chart their next chapter.

Few people understand Rodgers’ mindset better than his biographer, Ian O’Connor. O’Connor authored Rodgers’ book, "Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers," and spent extensive time gaining insight into the quarterback’s personality, motivations and relationships. During a recent appearance on "The Herd," O’Connor offered revealing perspective on where Rodgers’ relationship with McCarthy stands today. His comments shed new light on how that bond could influence Rodgers’ future with the Steelers.

"I did speak with both Aaron and McCarthy for my book," O’Connor said. "I did ask them that question, and their relationship is better now than it ever was when they were together in Green Bay. Rodgers said to me, 'Listen, we did butt heads from time to time, but at the end of the day, we lit it up for a lot of years.'"

During their 13 seasons together in Green Bay, Rodgers and McCarthy did not always see eye to eye. However, according to O’Connor, the two now share a tremendous relationship as of 2026. That insight gives Steelers fans plenty to speculate about when it comes to how their renewed bond could impact Rodgers’ decision, as well as McCarthy’s plans moving forward.

O’Connor also made it clear that Rodgers gives McCarthy significant credit for helping him develop as a quarterback. It is praise few in NFL circles are willing to offer McCarthy, which makes it all the more telling. The compliment serves as a strong testament to just how effective McCarthy may be as a quarterback developer and play-caller.

"What people forget is Mike McCarthy changed Aaron Rodgers' entire style of play," O’Connor said. "When he got him out of Cal, he was very robotic. He had the ball back at his earhole. McCarthy loosened him up and made him a more athletic player and really helped develop him into an all-time great and never gets any credit for that."

No matter how you slice it, McCarthy has done an excellent job working with and developing quarterbacks in this league. That was evident during his time with Dak Prescott in Dallas, where he led the team to three straight 12-win seasons. 

Steelers should be in good spot to find next franchise QB

One of the most promising outcomes of this new hire is that the Steelers should now be in a strong position to identify a long-term franchise quarterback, or at least be in the best possible spot to do so, following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.

Many Steelers fans were initially skeptical about the news that McCarthy would become only the franchise’s fourth head coach since 1969. However, after seeing how he has begun to build out his coaching staff, optimism is starting to grow.