"No Way": Legendary NFL Writer Thinks Steelers Great Dan Rooney Would Disapprove Of Mike McCarthy Hire

The NFL world reacted very quickly when the Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to hire Mike McCarthy as the franchise's next head coach. A lot of the immediate views were negative, but some have seen the silver lining behind the move. The organization now has a veteran leader in charge, rather than an individual who is getting his first opportunity to run a locker room. Time will tell how it plays out, but it certainly went against what the team has done for many years, which was bringing in young, defensive minds to take over when there was a coaching change.

Art Rooney II faced a lot of pressure right when Mike Tomlin stepped down. His father, Dan Rooney, passed away in April of 2017 and, coincidentally, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since. This has earned the current owner and president plenty of criticism. Now, his legacy may be on the line with the McCarthy hire, something that couldn't have been taken lightly during the process.

Not everyone has been a fan of Rooney and General Manager Omar Khan's decision to hire McCarthy. Peter King, long-time and legendary NFL writer, provided his thoughts to Steeler Nation and it's safe to say that he has some doubts of his own about the move. He thinks that Art's father, Dan, would not approve of going against what the Steelers have always known.

"So much I don’t like about this hire," King wrote. "Not that the Steelers have to continue their trend of the last 56 yards to hire young, growing assistants with big upsides. But that was the late Dan Rooney’s way, and I’ve got to think there’s no way he would have chosen a 62-year-old two-time head coach who, after winning one Super Bowl 15 years ago, underachieved with a lot of disappointing playoff teams."

Pittsburgh had only employed three head coaches dating back to 1969 prior to Tomlin's resignation. King makes a very good observation regarding Dan Rooney — as the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." It appears that is exactly what Art and Khan attempted to do in this case, which makes King think that they are trying to stick with their version of the status quo.

"This move seems to be about steadying the ship and trying to scotch-tape a contending team into nine- or 10-win range and a Wild Card berth, or if all goes right, maybe a division winner," King noted.

The Steelers were able to win the AFC North in 2025, but it didn't come with any kind of different result once the postseason rolled around. An embarrassing loss by a score of 30-6 to the Houston Texans left fans in a state of shock once again.

There is a lot on the line for Art Rooney and the front office in the Steel City. If the group truly believes that the Steelers can win now, then it makes sense to break tradition and hire the 62-year-old veteran. If the same product is put on the field in 2026, or worse, it is going to lead to more questions about what went into this process and why. King covered the NFL for over three decades, and it's fair to agree with his thoughts on Dan Rooney.

Steelers Trying To Get Back To Winning Playoff Games

Pittsburgh hasn't had a losing season since the 2003 campaign. The fan base is spoiled, and ownership appears to be fully against having a down year or two in order to get back to the top. This leaves plenty of questions following the hiring of McCarthy. If Tomlin couldn't get over the hump, why do the decision-makers believe that McCarthy can? He also has been questionable in the playoffs, as noted by King. McCarthy has just one postseason victory since the 2016 season.

Do you think that Steelers great Dan Rooney would disapprove of his son hiring McCarthy? Let us know in the comments below!

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