Dak Prescott Makes It Clear How Much Steelers' Mike McCarthy Really Shaped His Rapid NFL Rise

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ newest head coach, Mike McCarthy, has a lot of experience and a rich history that makes this hire especially intriguing. McCarthy spent 13 seasons coaching the Green Bay Packers, where he worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. During that time, he helped refine Rodgers’ skills and develop him into one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Many critics claim McCarthy didn’t have much impact on Rodgers’ development, but multiple sources have credited McCarthy with improving Rodgers’ mechanics and throwing motion, which played a role in his four NFL MVP Awards.

After Green Bay, McCarthy spent five seasons as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, where he had a significant influence on star quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott, who had already shown promise, benefited from McCarthy’s coaching techniques, which helped him further refine his game and elevate his performance on the field. The partnership between McCarthy and Prescott highlighted the coach’s ability to adapt his strategies to fit different quarterbacks’ strengths and unlock their full potential.

Prescott recently shared his thoughts with NFL insider Garrett Podell, emphasizing just how much McCarthy contributed to his development. According to Prescott, McCarthy played a major role in shaping his skills and understanding of the game at the professional level. Podell shared Prescott’s insights, revealing the specific ways McCarthy helped him improve, from mechanics to in-game decision-making. This perspective reinforces the idea that McCarthy’s coaching impact extends beyond the headlines and into the tangible growth of the quarterbacks he works with.

"I would say that is fair," Podell said when asked if it's fair to say McCarthy helped develop Prescott. "Dak said he felt like he really grew from setting the protection at the line of scrimmage, pass protection before the snap. Prescott felt like he really grew as a pre-snap quarterback with Mike McCarthy. Mike also gave him more control in terms of audibles and changing different things at the line of scrimmage. He felt like he really grew in the more cerebral elements of the game under McCarthy."

Podell chose to highlight the 2025 season, when McCarthy, of course, was not the head coach. However, Podell believes that much of what he witnessed from Prescott that year reflected the lessons McCarthy had taught him earlier. Prescott started all 17 games in the 2025 regular season, passing for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions while completing 67% of his passes. 

Despite being a fourth-round draft pick, he emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, which underscores the idea that McCarthy played a key role in unlocking Prescott’s potential. Podell, who covered McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas, also agrees that the coach’s influence was evident in Prescott’s continued success.

Steelers Are In Prime Position To Find Their Next Franchise QB With Mike McCarthy In Town

With McCarthy now at the helm, the Steelers are in a prime position to develop their next franchise quarterback. McCarthy’s track record with elite passers like Rodgers and his proven impact on Prescott show he knows how to unlock a quarterback’s full potential. 

Prescott’s success even after McCarthy left Dallas demonstrates that the coach’s lessons have a lasting effect. Pittsburgh fans can be optimistic that McCarthy’s expertise will help mold the team’s future signal-caller into a star. Something the Steelers have been trying to figure out since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

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