The offseason is always full of surprises. By now, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are exhausted by them. Weeks of an intense, emotionally charged search for a new leader followed the unexpected news of Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down, a moment that still feels surreal in the Steel City. Just 12 days later, Omar Khan and Art Rooney II handed the keys to Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy, trusting a Super Bowl–winning, offensive-minded head coach to steady a franchise standing at a crossroads.
McCarthy’s résumé commands respect. A Lombardi Trophy. Decades of experience. A reputation for quarterback development. But just days into his new tenure, he’s already staring down an impossible decision—one that could define his time in Pittsburgh before it truly begins.
McCarthy isn’t the first Steelers head coach to run into this immovable wall. It’s the same obstacle that quietly capped Tomlin’s success after Ben Roethlisberger retired. Continuity vanished. Stability never arrived. Now, McCarthy inherits a roster with only two quarterbacks under contract: rookie Will Howard and familiar face Mason Rudolph.
That’s not a depth chart—it’s a question mark. And of course, Aaron Rodgers does not make things easier.
Rodgers’ decision to step away from football after the season was expected. But expectations have a way of changing, especially when familiar voices re-enter the conversation. Rodgers’ motivation for the 2025 campaign was clear from the start: he wanted to win, and he wanted to do it with Mike Tomlin. Those Tomlinisms are now a part of Steelers history, but Pittsburgh’s new head coach happens to share a bond with Rodgers that runs deeper than slogans.
McCarthy spent 13 seasons coaching Rodgers in Green Bay. Together, they won Super Bowl XLV and compiled a remarkable 108-62-1 regular-season record.
Mike McCarthy must make the best QB decision for the Pittsburgh Steelers future
That history matters. And whether Steelers fans want to admit it or not, it complicates everything.
This isn’t necessarily good news. Rodgers showed flashes last season, but the team's results were the same. He finished 13th in passing touchdowns with 24 and 15th in passing yards with 3,322. His efforts kept Pittsburgh afloat—but he couldn’t stop the ship from slowly taking on water. It was evident, at 43 years old, that Rodgers is undeniably nearing the end. Nudging him toward retirement feels logical. Comfortable, even.
Yet logic doesn’t always win in the NFL.
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The only scenario where Rodgers’ return makes sense is a limited one: mentor, not savior. A steady presence guiding the quarterback of the future—Will Howard. Watching a sixth-round pick lead a Mike McCarthy offense to glory might sound like a Hollywood script, but stranger things have happened in Pittsburgh. It’s ambitious. Risky. But achievable if the franchise is truly committed to development over desperation.
And that raises a fair question. Why hire an offensive-minded head coach if you don’t plan to build something new? Why draft Howard at all if the intention was to keep chasing short-term fixes?
It’s difficult to pinpoint Pittsburgh’s next move, and maybe that’s the point. The goal hasn’t changed. The Steelers plan on competing in 2026. How they get there, though, rests almost entirely on McCarthy’s next decision.
A few days into the job, the pressure is already mounting. The question won’t go away. Who will be Mike McCarthy’s man under center?