Steelers Have Unexpected Obstacle To Get Over With New Head Coach Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through a lot throughout the 2026 offseason, but the team is finally beginning to prepare for the regular season as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) have gotten underway. This is the first real look fans have at new Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff, and it has been interesting to acknowledge the difference between how the current staff is operating and the former staff that worked under Mike Tomlin. The biggest difference between the two coaches is that McCarthy is offensive-minded, and he brought a new offense to Pittsburgh when he was hired by the organization.

McCarthy has always been a head coach that has liked to call his own plays, and he made it clear early on that that is how things will be done with the Steelers. He brings his offense with him, which is something that the players are going to have to learn quickly throughout the remainder of the 2026 offseason. However, this is an offense that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is familiar with from his time playing under McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers. Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan recently spoke about what he has seen from the start of OTAs, and he noted that even Rodgers has had some problems with the offense.

"There's some work to do in trying to get through this offense," Hathhorn said. "I mean there is a lot that is new for these guys. Even for Aaron, there's new stuff, and he was admitting that too. There were times where plays came in and he wasn't exactly sure what to run. So, I think not only for the newer guys, but for Aaron Rodgers, it's going to take some time to catch up to a few things."

It is important to note that the last time that Rodgers played under McCarthy was during the 2018 season. It is not like Rodgers should be expected to remember every nuance from the playbook. He certainly has some familiarity with the offensive system, but it is going to take more than a few practices in May to get fully comfortable under center once again.

Many people wanted to see Rodgers present for OTAs due to the fact that he could help everyone else on the offense when it comes to learning McCarthy's offense, but the veteran might be having some trouble himself. It is only May so that is not a huge deal, and the four-time league MVP will probably know the offense like the back of his hand by the time mandatory veteran minicamp rolls around on June 12th.

Having Rodgers at OTAs is still a good thing as he is able to get some work in with the new players on the offense, while also getting more work in with his teammates from the 2025 season. He has already confirmed that this will be his final year of playing football, and the legend wants to find a way to go out on top with Pittsburgh.

Steelers Will Need To Be Patient With Aaron Rodgers

The Steelers know a thing or two about patience when it comes to Rodgers, and that's going to be needed over the next few weeks as well. Rodgers has not played in this offense in seven seasons, and he is certainly knocking some rust off at this time of the year. He should improve throughout the remainder of the spring and be ready to go when training camp rolls around. He is a great resource to have in the building for the rest of the guys on the offensive side of the ball too, and he should be expected to outperform himself from the 2025 season. 

That is due to an updated arsenal of weapons, as well as a better offensive scheme. Time will tell, however.

What do you think about this report about Rodgers out of OTAs? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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