Steelers' Latest Move Indicates Mike McCarthy May Hold More Power Than Mike Tomlin

Pittsburgh Steelers fans had grown increasingly frustrated with the direction the organization was heading under former Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Over 19 seasons, Tomlin did a tremendous job of never posting a losing regular season. However, since the 2016 campaign, the Steelers consistently did just enough to avoid a losing record, while the recent postseason results were far less inspiring. 

Pittsburgh failed to win a playoff game after the 2016 season, leading many to question whether the franchise had plateaued. Tomlin ultimately felt it was in the best interest of the organization to walk away and decided to hang up his clipboard. Steelers Owner Art Rooney II was disappointed to lose Tomlin, but he quickly found a replacement in Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy arrives in Pittsburgh with 18 seasons of head coaching experience. The 2026 season will mark his 19th year leading an NFL team. He spent his first 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before coaching the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons. Many are beginning to feel more optimistic about what McCarthy can bring to the franchise compared to what Tomlin provided in recent years. Tomlin was widely regarded as a great leader of men, but some pundits started to wonder if his message had simply grown stale.

One example of the differences between the two coaches emerged when Gerry Dulac revealed that McCarthy's training camp practices will be held in the morning. Tomlin's camps were typically conducted in the evening. Although Tomlin attempted morning practices in 2024, he eventually abandoned the idea. He explained at the time that he moved away from morning sessions because the temperatures were not hot enough and he wanted practices to be more challenging in order to help players get into better condition. Dulac, however, believes there was another reason behind the decision. He explained his thoughts during an appearance on the Post-Gazette Sports Network on Tuesday.

"Then it's off to Latrobe and off to training camp July 28th. The Steelers report, and the players, don't forget, Mike McCarthy, unlike Mike Tomlin, he's going to have his practices in the morning," Dulac said. "Mike Tomlin tried that a couple years ago, and they scrapped the idea. I think because they didn't think the crowds were big enough in the morning opposed to what they get in the afternoon."

Clearly, there are two different explanations for why those morning practices were quickly scrapped. 

Dulac and Steelers insider Chris Carter both agreed that they believe it was because Rooney wanted bigger crowds at training camp.

"This is what Mike McCarthy wants to do," Dulac said. "We will see how it all will play out. After this week, the players are done. The coaches are done for five weeks until they get to Latrobe."

If that's the case, then it sort of validates Steeler Nation's sentiment for them. Fans have long believed that sometimes Rooney prioritizes the tradition and business of football and remaining relevant as opposed to actually practicing in the best way possible to improve the team. They would argue the same issue with the fact he hates the idea of a rebuild.

Steelers' Rooney Allows For Large Change Under McCarthy

Whether that's morning or evening can be debated. Clearly, Tomlin either was told or felt it was better in the evening, but now Rooney and the Steelers are allowing the switch under McCarthy, leading many to wonder if he has more trust and will continue to earn more power than Tomlin did.

It's no secret Tomlin got to call plenty of shots, and it sounds like Rooney holds McCarthy in that same regard.

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