Right now, it's all doom and gloom for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. After it felt like this franchise was going to stick with their 57-year-long proven hiring formula and go with a young, energetic presence to lead the team in the post-Mike Tomlin era, we learned that Mike McCarthy will be the next man up at head coach.
McCarthy, a long-time coaching veteran who grew up just minutes away from Acrisure Stadium, wasn't a hire that got Steelers fans excited. In his previous five-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy led his team to just one playoff win, despite having weapons like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons at his disposal.
While this felt like a win-now decision in an effort to keep Pittsburgh's long-standing non-losing streak going, former Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon thinks it's much more than that.
In fact, Colon went as far as to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers now have the best head coach in the AFC North.
On Monday's episode of Good Morning Football on NFL Network, Colon offered Steelers fans a message of hope with McCarthy as head coach.
"Now, getting Mike McCarthy, I know some people are like, 'What are we doing here? This feels awkward and clunky.' But at the end of the day, the man's a proven winner...
This is about stability and strategy. You understand that the Steelers have a young quarterback in Will Howard that they want to see develop... The Steelers want to be competitive. Right now, in my eyes, they have the best coach in the division."
Colon insists that Steelers fans will forget about the McCarthy hiring drama once this team starts winning football games by playing hard-nosed defense and scoring points. We can only hope this will be the case.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a floor-raising head coach in Mike McCarthy
There's no question that Mike McCarthy is a good NFL coach—nothing he did in his five-year tenure with the Cowboys suggested otherwise. In three straight seasons from 2021 to 2023, McCarthy helped the Cowboys to a 12-5 record before going 7-10 in his final year as head coach.
We all know McCarthy has the coaching pedigree. But it's not about whether he's capable; it's about whether he was the right man for the job.
Considering the current state of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it's not hard to figure out why fans wanted them to go with a younger coach who could change the direction of the team. Many fans have been begging for the front office to tear the roster and coaching staff down to the studs and complete a true rebuild.
While the coaching staff could look completely different this year, fans aren't likely to get the rebuild they've been begging for. Team president Art Rooney II made it clear that he has no interest in wasting a year, and he wants to compete now.
Like Mike Tomlin, there's no question McCarthy can raise the floor of the Steelers. Unfortunately, McCarthy has just one playoff win since his 2016 postseason run as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. It's worth mentioning that McCarthy took a hiatus from coaching in 2019 and in 2025. Still, this means he's recorded just one playoff win in his previous seven seasons as an NFL head coach.
Colon might be onto something. With the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns turning to new coaches in 2026, and with Zac Taylor still leading the Cincinnati Bengals. Mike McCarthy may very well be the best coach in the AFC North.
However, how long that lasts and what it means for the Steelers' future are different questions entirely.