Steelers Get Surprising News About Aaron Rodgers With Emergence Of Mike McCarthy In Head Coach Search

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have no head coach at the helm. That's something the team hasn't dealt with in a long time. While candidates continue to emerge, a quarterback solution is nowhere in sight either. Aaron Rodgers has not yet decided whether he will play football in 2025 and the Steelers' remaining quarterbacks are Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. Pittsburgh has already seen Rudolph; he's been with the team since 2018, making a brief stint with the Tennessee Titans. Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025 and it is doubtful for any team, let alone the Steelers, to start the former National Champion in 2026.

When the news broke that former head coach Mike Tomlin was stepping down, many assumed Rodgers was definitely not coming back -- between the organization wanting to move forward, and Rodgers coming to Pittsburgh specifically for Tomlin. Reports then surfaced that the Steelers were open to a Rodgers return. Details of the Steelers' interest in Mike McCarthy, Rodgers' former head coach, made this all the more interesting as well. 

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk went on 93.7 The Fan to talk about the Steelers and where they are in their coaching search. He also spoke about the likelihood of a Rodgers reunion if the Steelers were to hire McCarthy.

"I don't think Aaron Rodgers is gonna be there if Mike McCarthy is, I don't think Aaron Rodgers is gonna be there if Vince Lombardi is somehow," Florio said. "I don't think Aaron Rodgers wants to go down that... I'd be surprised if either guy wants to sign on for that again."

Rodgers and McCarthy beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, giving both guys their only championships. They had great success even outside the said championship. The apparent assumption was that McCarthy would bring Rodgers back to run it back one last time. However, now that seems to be shut down according to Florio. 

The Steelers are now set to have a new starting quarterback, marking five straight seasons since the 2021 season going into Week 1. Rodgers will be the toughest to replace of the five. While his numbers weren't stellar by any means, his command at the line of scrimmage was something the Steelers hadn't had in a long time. 

Steelers Must Figure Out Their Quarterback Situation By Any Means Necessary

The Steelers haven't had a losing campaign in over 20 years. That's the longest in NFL history. That feat is undoubtedly impressive and may not be done again, but it's beginning to cost them. The Steelers' last losing season was 6-10 in 2003. In 2004, they selected future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger, who led the team for 18 seasons and won two Super Bowls. However, the Steelers haven't been able to find his true replacement. They tried with Kenny Pickett, but that move didn't pan out. 

Despite the bad quarterback play over the last few seasons, Rodgers aside, the Steelers have had winning seasons in all of them. Meaning they pick in the low 20s or even the high teens come every NFL Draft. That's no way to get a first-round franchise quarterback. The best quarterbacks are usually found in the top 10 picks. While the Steelers could certainly try to trade up, it would take a massive haul to get to where they'd need to be. The Steelers don't typically trade up that far. The last time they did was for linebacker Devin Bush, and that didn't turn out in the Steelers' favor.

As long as the Steelers continue to sit in the middle of the pack, they will not be able to find a true franchise quarterback. 

What do you think? Do you think Rodgers could still come back if McCarthy is hired? Do you think the Steelers need a "bad" season in order to finally reset? Let us know in the comments. 

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