Steelers' Mike McCarthy Makes Powerful Admission About 2 Coaches Pittsburgh Could Soon Have Stolen

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered an entirely new era when Mike McCarthy was hired to replace Mike Tomlin ahead of the 2026 season. A change of that magnitude meant McCarthy needed to build a coaching staff capable of quickly earning the trust of a veteran-heavy roster. Based on how McCarthy has discussed his assistants, he believes Pittsburgh may have assembled something special.

Much of the attention has naturally gone toward Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham. Pittsburgh has invested heavily in that side of the football, giving Graham stars such as TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Patrick Queen, and several other proven contributors. Now he must find a way to turn all of that expensive talent into one of the NFL’s most feared defenses.

The offensive staff also carries enormous responsibility. Aaron Rodgers is entering the final season of his legendary career, while Drew Allar and Will Howard are being developed as possible options for the future. That puts quarterbacks coach Tom Arth in an important position as Pittsburgh tries to compete now without losing sight of what comes after Rodgers.

McCarthy is clearly proud of the group he assembled. While discussing his staff during training camp, the Steelers’ head coach openly encouraged reporters to continue asking about his assistants because he believes multiple coaches could eventually run NFL teams of their own.

"Our coaching staff, please keep asking questions about them because I think we do have some future NFL head coaches. Patrick [Graham], obviously," McCarthy said.

Graham being mentioned first should not come as much of a surprise. He has built years of NFL experience and arrived in Pittsburgh with the responsibility of fixing a defense that repeatedly failed to meet expectations despite its enormous price tag. If Graham gets the Steelers playing at an elite level, his name could quickly appear in future coaching searches.

"I mean, I just go back to when I first met Tom in Green Bay as a player, and just very detail-minded," McCarthy said. "You could see that. [I] was not surprised at all that he went into coaching. He has a phenomenal work ethic. I see Tom. Our offices are right next to each other. He’s in his office extremely early every morning, before 5 o’clock. I walk in there at 5, so he’s rocking and rolling. He has great rapport with the players. He’s a good fundamental coach, but you got to love his resume. He’s played. He’s been a head coach. He’s been at different levels, has really good NFL experience. I think Tom is definitely a future head coach in this league."

However, Graham was not the only assistant McCarthy praised. His history with Arth goes back to their time together in Green Bay, when Arth was still playing quarterback. McCarthy has watched Arth move through several different levels of coaching, and he believes the work happening inside the Steelers’ facility could eventually lead to a much bigger opportunity.

Steelers Could Eventually Pay The Price For Coaching Success

The possibility of losing Graham or Arth will not matter unless the Steelers start winning meaningful football games again. Coaches only become serious head coaching candidates when their units perform and their players improve. Pittsburgh would gladly accept that problem if it meant McCarthy’s staff helped push the organization back into legitimate championship contention.

Arth’s development of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks will be especially important. Rodgers does not need to be taught how to play the position, but Allar and Howard require patience, detailed instruction, and a real developmental plan. If one of those young quarterbacks eventually becomes a legitimate NFL starter, Arth will receive plenty of credit for helping make it happen.

McCarthy may eventually watch NFL teams attempt to steal two important members of his staff. For now, that possibility should excite Steeler Nation. Pittsburgh finally has a coaching structure that its own head coach believes includes multiple future leaders, and success in 2026 could make the rest of the league notice them quickly.

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