Former Steelers Safety Ryan Clark Absolutely Goes Off On Art Rooney II For 1 Potential Head Coach Candidate

It's time for a new beginning for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There have been frustrations with how the last bunch of seasons have ended, but with a head-coaching change coming up, there is both excitement and anxiety for the future. Owner Art Rooney II will most likely have to make the most important decision of his football life in the next few weeks, as restless fans are looking for any reason to have hope that this proud organization can go back to being a true threat on a regular basis in the AFC. 

With the recent news coming out of Pittsburgh about certain coaching candidates being considered, fans aren't the only one getting upset. Ryan Clark went on a huge rant while appearing on First Take on Thursday as there is some fear that Rooney is going to make a horrible choice.

"Hiring Mike McCarthy and trying to bring Aaron Rodgers back would signify that there's a delusion within the building about how much the Steelers need to rebuild," Clark said. "It would be the most un-Steeler-like hire to hire McCarthy. It's going to be like, 'Hey, you guys are mad that we didn't win a playoff game. Let's bring in a guy that at his last stop, he don't win playoff games either.'"

The Steelers completed an in-person interview with Mike McCarthy on Wednesday, and he is seen as one of two or three finalists for the head coaching position. However, his name being thrown around has caused a frenzy in Steeler Nation, as people are scared that hiring him would not be a step towards the future, but instead, a continuation of the same mediocrity that has gone on for a long time now. 

After winning Super Bowl XLV, McCarthy has had a lot of trouble winning playoff games, especially as he kept getting more and more into his tenure. After he got fired from the Green Bay Packers, he took a year off before joining the Dallas Cowboys, where he only won a single contest in the postseason and kept up the narrative of the team being big-time chokers when it mattered most. 

For a team that has been historically awful in the playoffs recently, the last thing they need is another coach that has the title of "playoff choker" to run the team as the head coach, as Clark brought up. As an offensive coordinator, there could be some actual intrigue and upside there, but bringing him in would show exactly how delusional Rooney truly is, as McCarthy is not what the Steelers need.

Steelers Should Stick To Tradition For Coaching Search

The last few times the Steelers needed a head coach, they went for a young coaching prospect under 40 years old with a high upside. Each of those hires has produced at least one Super Bowl win and two Super Bowl appearances, as there was no fear of failure with those decisions. Bringing in a high floor / low ceiling candidate in McCarthy would show that fear of failure, as well as the delusion that Clark brought up. 

Chris Shula fits the mold of what the Steelers typically want in a head coach: young, defensive-minded, with a modern take on the NFL, while being overlooked by others. He was not on top of anyone's boards, but that was also the case with Mike Tomlin back in 2007. Pittsburgh has thrived off of taking advantage of the league's mistakes, and they need to keep doing that to bring a seventh championship home.

What do you think about the Steelers possibly hiring McCarthy? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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