Steelers' Mike McCarthy already fighting for respect in first year with Aaron Rodgers

Head coach Mike McCarthy is back with his longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and this time, the guys are with the Pittsburgh Steelers. What a difference a handful of years makes, right?

So, now that McCarthy is back with the quarterback who helped him win a championship, it stands to reason that he'd be getting a lot of early respect in the NFL. But, he has to earn it first.

That's the message being sent in a new ranking of NFL coaches. CBS Sports has released its tally of the best coaches in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season, and McCarthy isn't in the top 10.

Mike McCarthy falls short in early NFL head coach rankings

McCarthy does land under the "also receiving votes" category, so that's good. But, it's a message that he's obviously going to have to earn the respect of the NFL before they start handing him awards.

Nobody really gets awards in August, anyway. And the reality he even got a mention in this list is a lot, since he hasn't coached one game with the Steelers. He received four points in the coaches poll.

McCarthy wrapped up his time as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys with a regular-season and postseason record of 50-38 in five seasons, from 2020–2024. That's certainly not horrible. But, the Steelers have high expectations. This is a heritage franchise. So, McCarthy will have to deliver, and soon, if he wants to get some love from both Pittsburgh and the NFL analysts.