With Mike McCarthy officially in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first order of business is crafting his coaching staff. The 62-year-old coach has plenty of connections, and after two decades of success in the league, Steelers fans are hopeful he can put together a strong staff.
After all, one of the Steelers fans' biggest gripes with Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff is that his proverbial coaching tree had few branches. McCarthy doesn’t have the same issue, but that doesn’t mean every hire in his career has been a slam dunk, of course.
His first hire in Pittsburgh at first glance doesn’t appear to be one either.
Steelers HC Mike McCarthy bets on new WR coach Adam Henry despite recent concerns in Buffalo
According to ESPN reporter Cameron Wolfe, the Steelers are set to hire Buffalo Bills wide receiver coach Adam Henry for the same role. Henry has been with the Bills since 2023, and obviously, that has Steelers fans a bit concerned.
While Josh Allen won an MVP in 2024, the Bills wide receivers took a massive step back in production in 2025. Only Khalil Shakir had more than 50 receptions, and only he and tight end Dalton Kincaid had more than 500 yards on the year.
Meanwhile, recent free agent signings such as Josh Palmer, Curtis Samuel, and Brandin Cooks were more disappointing than productive. On top of it all, 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman regressed on and off the field, having been benched in five games.
Henry’s most recent stop in the NFL should rightfully have Steelers fans a bit worried. Despite the talent of Allen and recently promoted head coach Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator, Henry’s receiving unit was arguably the weakest link on the entire roster.
Still, there’s room to hope that Henry’s stop in Buffalo is nothing more than an outlier. Henry was on McCarthy’s staff in Dallas, and he was a major fixture in Odell Beckham Jr.’s career, working with him at LSU, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. Among other notable names he’s coached to great success are CeeDee Lamb, Stefon Diggs, Anquan Boldin, Amari Cooper, and Jarvis Landry.
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Now, Henry can add DK Metcalf to the list, but how he can work with the receivers behind him is of greater concern to Steelers fans. It’s one thing to help a stud receiver like Beckham or Lamb reach the heights of their elite potential, but it’s another to coach up a player of a lesser stature to be a consistent and productive piece of the offense.
After falling short of that in Buffalo, Steelers fans have justification for their concern in McCarthy’s first staff hire.
Obviously, wide receiver is one of the top items on McCarthy’s shopping list this offseason. If he and Henry are going to have more success than the travesty at the position in 2025, it’s a necessity to bring in better weapons.
Still, Steelers fans could do with a little reassurance in 2026 that Henry can still develop receivers and get the most out of the players he has at his disposal.