New Steelers OC Brian Angelichio May Be Overshadowed By Mike McCarthy's Influence: "Who's Running Your Offense"

The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the biggest decisions of the Mike McCarthy era thus far, hiring former Minnesota Vikings tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio as the Steelers' next offensive coordinator. Angelichio will replace former Steelers offensive coordinator and new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. This move rounds out the Steelers' main coordinator positions, with former Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham joining the staff as well. However, Graham may be much more hands-on with the defense than Angelichio is with the offense.

McCarthy made it clear during his introductory press conference that this is his offense, and for good reason. McCarthy is known as a quarterback whisperer and had immense success with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, including a Super Bowl victory. McCarthy's offensive prowess is well documented, so he'll be calling the plays and running the offense, as he said himself. Unlike Graham, who will be calling the defensive plays and running the defense, despite being the offensive coordinator, Angelichio will most likely be in a similar role to his time with the Vikings as their passing game coordinator and tight ends coach.

NFL insider Mike Florio was on 93.7 The Fan recently and shared his thoughts on the Steelers' new OC.

"Anytime you get one of the great quarterback whisperers of the league [McCarthy], who's running your offense, I don't know what the rest of the guys are contributing to it... It's encouraging the Vikings offense is designed very effectively and thoroughly, I'd like a little more emphasis on the run," Florio said. "I think it's an interesting decision and obviously McCarthy is going to be in charge of the offense."

No matter which side you're on about the Angelichio hire, it's more important how you feel about McCarthy, as make no mistake, this is his offense. If the Steelers swim, McCarthy will get the credit; if the Steelers sink, McCarthy's tenure with the Steelers will most likely be short-lived. What's interesting is that  Angelichio's future is also tied to the Steelers' success, even if he's not calling the plays. If the Steelers have one of the top offenses in the NFL, Angelichio will likely be a popular name in the next offseason as a potential head coach.

If the Steelers' 2026 season is a disaster, Angelichio's time with the Steelers will likely be cut short if the Steelers decide to move on from McCarthy. With the Steelers having win-now expectations, the Angelichio hire is not only a bold move for the team, but also for Angelichio; he's betting on himself, McCarthy, and the Steelers to be successful.

Much of the Steelers' offense will revolve around who the quarterback will be. Rodgers brought the Steelers their highest level of quarterback play they've had since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Unlike last offseason, when Rodgers' decision lingered, Pittsburgh is giving him only about a month to decide on his future. If Rodgers does come back, it will be up to McCarthy and Angelichio to get the most out of Rodgers.

Steelers' Angelichio May Be A Perfect Match For Pat Freiermuth

While Angelichio won't be calling plays, he will be involved in the team's game plans in tandem with McCarthy, and as not just a former passing game coordinator, but also a former tight ends coach, Angelichio might just be what Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth needs. Freiermuth's numbers were down across the board last season, and regardless of who the Steelers' quarterback is next season, they'll need more out of Freiermuth in order for their offense to reach its full potential.

While Angelichio won't have the typical impact of an offensive coordinator, he will still be involved within the offense, just in different ways. It's McCarthy's offense, but if Angelichio can take what he's learned under offensive guru Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota, Angelichio and McCarthy could be the perfect match.

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