The wheels are officially turning for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a very intense search to find the franchise's next head coach. There are rumors flying around about which direction the team will go in and, traditionally, the organization will hire a young defensive-minded up-and-comer. That may not be the case in 2026, as the league has changed a lot since 2007. Offense seems to rule the league for the most part, and every squad certainly needs a franchise quarterback to be competitive year-in and year-out. A lot of pressure is currently on Art Rooney II and Omar Khan.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan looks on as the team sets up in front of fans to workout at the annual Friday Night Lights training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
A name that has quickly become relevant is Mike McCarthy. The former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach has a track record of success at the NFL level, but both stints were positive because of strong play from his quarterbacks. It may take a lot more work to create a consistent winner in Pittsburgh, particularly because of the unknown about who will be under center in 2026 and beyond.
On Wednesday, NFL insider Mike Florio joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller to discuss the Steelers' head-coaching search. When McCarthy came up, the reporter brought up some interesting points. He has some concern about the amount of work and effort that the veteran coach would be willing to put in. In the past, he always had a generational talent at the most important position in football.
"I think that if you're going to hire Mike McCarthy, you need to do a deep dive on what went wrong in Green Bay and why it went wrong," Florio explained. "Why didn't they get the most of what they had in Dallas, especially that year when the table was set for them and Green Bay came in and kicked the cr*p out of them, remember that?"
As he continued criticizing McCarthy, a very key trait came to the surface that all coaches must have. Florio is truly warning the Steelers about what they may find out about the Super Bowl champion if he is indeed the pick of Rooney and Khan.
"Attention to detail, how much time is he putting in," Florio wondered. "How much time is he putting in? That's what I would want to — I'd want to go back to Green Bay and do my research. I'd want to go back to Dallas and do my research."
Florio then outlined a scenario that happened in a Cowboys playoff game versus the San Francisco 49ers not too long ago. Dallas had an attempted rush to the line of scrimmage go completely wrong, and it displayed a true lack of preparation, according to Florio.
"That play to me cried out lack of attention to detail, lack of planning, lack of imagination," Florio noted.
It seems as if that not everyone involved in NFL circles is high on McCarthy. He may have some behind-the-scenes flaws that could affect his ability to be the best coach possible.
Smiley N. Pool / Dallas Morning News
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hugs his old head coach, Mike McCarthy, after their team won a big professional football contest.
Lastly, Florio gave some strict final advice to the decision-makers in the Steel City. If McCarthy is one of the top candidates, make sure to dive deeper into how committed he truly will be.
"That would be my advice to Omar Khan [and] Art Rooney and the Steelers. Do your homework on level of attention to detail, level of and number of hours put in. That was one of the things that dogged on Mike McCarthy, especially in Green Bay."
This will be enough to make any fan worry. The Steelers need someone who is fully ready to retool a roster and develop a franchise quarterback. Any potential weaknesses when it comes to attention to detail should be shut down immediately.
Nick Cammett / Diamond Images / Getty Images
Steelers Team President and Owner Art Rooney II stands on the field as Pittsburgh gets set to play a professional football game on the road.
Steelers May Stick To What They Know Best
While McCarthy is receiving a lot of buzz, Pittsburgh has been linked to several defensive-minded candidates. This is how the franchise has always operated and that could continue to be the case. Time will tell, and it seems as if the front office may have some more digging to do in regards to McCarthy. Someone who is not fully bought in cannot be considered as a serious replacement for Tomlin.
Do you think that the Steelers are aware of what Florio reported? Let us know in the comments below!
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