Aaron Rodgers Shares Eye-Opening Thoughts On Steelers' Changes Under Mike McCarthy

Obviously, the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of unknowns as the 2026 season inches closer. With Mike McCarthy taking over as head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped away from coaching, there's plenty of excitement surrounding what this offense could look like with Aaron Rodgers returning for one final run.

After the 2026 season, McCarthy and General Manager Omar Khan will have to figure out the quarterback position beyond Rodgers. For now, though, the Steelers are all in on trying to win a Super Bowl. Team Owner Art Rooney II has never been a believer in rebuilding, and with a veteran roster and the way the team was constructed during the 2026 offseason, anything short of competing for a championship would make little sense. 

The Steelers clearly believe they have a roster capable of making a deep postseason run. Whether that belief proves to be justified will be determined over the course of the 2026 season.

As for what to expect offensively, it won't resemble what Pittsburgh ran under Arthur Smith and Tomlin. Rodgers is extremely familiar with McCarthy's offensive philosophy after spending years together in Green Bay, and he recently spoke with Chris Adamski of TribLive about the changes McCarthy has made and what Steelers fans should expect from the offense.

"I spent 13 years in (McCarthy’s offense)," Rodgers said. "He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas. … It’s stuff that we used to run, but he’s just called it something different now."

McCarthy has no shortage of NFL coaching experience, especially with two of the league's most historic franchises. He spent 13 seasons coaching Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers before spending five years as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Naturally, Rodgers pointed out that while the foundation of McCarthy's offense remains the same, there have been some noticeable changes over the years.

"It’s just the next generation of the West Coast offense," Rodgers said. "It went kind of Bill Walsh to kind of what Mike was doing with Paul Hackett, and then it’s kind of grown from there. From a real fundamental level, it’s all about the quarterback’s timing."

During the 2025 season, there were plenty of questions about what Rodgers would bring to Pittsburgh's offense. He answered many of them by starting 16 games and completing 327 of his 498 pass attempts (65.7%) for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.

Rodgers helped lead the Steelers to a 10-7 regular-season record and their first AFC North title since the 2020 season. However, the year ended on a disappointing note with a 24-point home loss in the playoffs.

Steelers Hopeful For An Even Better Season From Aaron Rodgers In 2026

Now, with McCarthy bringing his offensive philosophy to Pittsburgh, additional playmakers helping take pressure off Rodgers, and an offensive line entering another year together, there is a legitimate path for the veteran quarterback to elevate the offense even further. 

If everything comes together, Rodgers and McCarthy could surprise the NFL by turning back the clock and delivering plenty of vintage Rodgers moments in what will be the quarterback's final season. The storylines and drama will be through the roof, as will the pressure, and so will the excitement surrounding the Steelers entering a pivotal and highly scrutinized 2026 season.

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