Steelers' New Head Coach Mike McCarthy Should Have A Major Worry On His Mind

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting dynamic to keep an eye on with the upcoming 2026 season. The franchise went out and hired Mike McCarthy as the team's new head coach, and eventually veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers decided to return on a one-year deal, rather than retiring. He has made it clear this will be his last season playing, and it just so happens to be with the head coach that he won a Super Bowl with. The two had a ton of success together throughout their time with the Green Bay Packers, but it didn't end in the best way.

McCarthy was hired on as the head coach of the Packers during the 2006 offseason, and he became Rodgers' head coach in his second season. Rodgers was still the backup at the time, but the quarterback eventually took over the starting job for the Packers in 2008. The duo had a long and great run together that included taking down the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Their time came to an end during the 2018 season when McCarthy was fired right around the start of December.

There were various reports indicating that McCarthy's relationship with Rodgers had turned rocky, and that was talked about a lot when McCarthy was first hired by Pittsburgh. This was discussed in a recent article by The Athletic's Mike Jones.

"McCarthy will now try to infuse an anemic offense with life and better take advantage of the support of the Steelers’ generally stingy defense," Jones wrote. "Maintaining a quality relationship with Rodgers ranks among McCarthy’s top priorities (frictions between the two ended the coach’s time in Green Bay)."

Jones noted that keeping the relationship with Rodgers in a good place is going to be at the top of the list of priorities for McCarthy. This is probably true, but it is not like the two hate one another. They spent over a decade together before and things grew stale. Things are different now, and both sides ended up in the Steel City. There is no indication that things should grow stale between the duo in Pittsburgh.

There is probably no coach in the NFL that knows Rodgers better than McCarthy, so that is a good sign for fans. It means the two will be able to be on the same page when operating the offense. There seemed to be times during the 2025 season where Rodgers didn't always agree with former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and hopefully there will be less instances like that with this new coaching staff.

Rodgers and McCarthy may have ended on the wrong foot in Green Bay, but the two have said nothing but good things about one another ever since McCarthy was fired back during the 2018 season. They have had one another's back in the media, which shows whatever issues they had, likely had to do with only what was happening on the field.

Steelers Have Some People Worried With New-Look Team

Reuniting Rodgers and McCarthy has been seen as risky by some, but it is only happening for a year (most likely). The franchise is trying to win now while also preparing for the future, which is why a quarterback guru like McCarthy was seemingly the right hire. Rodgers had some of the best years of his career with him, and McCarthy can still develop the younger quarterbacks on the roster as well. The Steelers need a franchise quarterback, and McCarthy could help the franchise find one or develop one.

By no means should Pittsburgh be considered Super Bowl favorites at the moment, but there is also no reason to think the Steelers should be looked at as pushovers either.

What do you think about the relationship between Rodgers and McCarthy? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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