Steelers' Aaron Rodgers May Force Mike McCarthy To Go Back And Use Unusual Offensive Scheme

The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to have any sort of offensive consistency for the last seven years, which was part of the reason that they hired Head Coach Mike McCarthy in the first place. The hope is that with him leading the charge, Pittsburgh can actually get quality quarterback play on a regular basis with everyone being on the same page and being able to help him out. That is a lot easier said than done, especially considering how particular Aaron Rodgers can be and how hard he is on everybody. 

That brings up the question of whether the young receivers can step up. One of Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard will be the last starting receiver. That role may flip-flop between them as they try to stay on Rodgers' good side. He has praised them both for their abilities in training camp, but when the regular season starts, it won't take a lot for them to upset him and lose reps as the season progresses.

So happens if both of them struggle? While making an appearance on The North Shore Drive, insider Ray Fittipaldo explained how that situation would go down.

"If Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard really are an issue, who do you think [Aaron Rodgers is] going to lean on?" Fittipaldo asked. "He's not going to go to Kaden Wetjen, he's not going to go to Ben Skowronek... they're going to devise game plans to take advantage of their three experienced tight ends... If there are any issues, he is going to lean on those tight ends because that position group is the position group that he feels most comfortable with right now."

While McCarthy prefers running 11 personnel or multi-running back sets with the fullback, Rodgers could end up having him call more plays that former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would run in Pittsburgh. His jumbo sets and 13 personnel ended up becoming a staple of the offense, especially in 2025 when Rodgers was first signed and wanted to rely on those more experienced players.

Smith had mixed reviews from his players in Pittsburgh based on his rating from the NFLPA report cards, but there were fans that did take issue with how he ran things. He seemed to bring back old narratives, like not utilizing the starters a lot so he could use Jonnu Smith more, as he was on the field for 52% of the offensive snaps.

However, Rodgers is very familiar with the tight end room, especially the backups. He and Robert Tonyan had great chemistry with the Green Bay Packers, so the hope is that they can reignite that flame and get him back to being a touchdown machine. Meanwhile, Darnell Washington is still a living cheat code that could be used as a safety valve over the middle or a checkdown that can run defenders over.

Steelers Can Still Use Good Portions Of Arthur Smith's Scheme

Even for his weaknesses, Smith still had some bright spots in his plan that McCarthy can utilize. For starters, these multi-tight end personnel groupings help out with the unpredictability, as Rodgers is perfectly comfortable passing with fewer wide receivers on the team. If the offensive line is struggling, these big men can come in and help keep the quarterback upright throughout the game.

The single best thing about Smith's scheme was the jumbo set. Even though Spencer Anderson is starting at guard for the time being, the Steelers can still put a swing tackle on either side between the starting offensive tackle and Washington. There were times where Pittsburgh would telegraph the play they were running with this set, and the defense still couldn't stop it. Bringing that back could be a big boost to the offense.

What do you think about the Steelers bringing back some of Smith's multi-tight end sets under McCarthy if the young receivers are struggling? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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