The Pittsburgh Steelers are frantically searching for their next head coach following Mike Tomlin's departure after a 19-year run leading the team. Pittsburgh's initial interview request list painted a clear picture early in the process, but Mike McCarthy is now muddying the waters.
McCarthy, a long-time NFL head coach and Pittsburgh native, expressed interest in the Steelers' head coaching job. Now the two parties could be closer than ever to reaching an agreement.
On Tuesday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that McCarthy withdrew his name from the Tennessee Titans head coaching job and has turned down other inquiries. His sole focus is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And in this business, you don't turn down a head coaching job at his age unless you have something in the bag.
While the interest between McCarthy and the Steelers appears to be genuine, it also feels like this could be the ultimate smokescreen.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' hiring history suggests they could be using Mike McCarthy as a smokescreen
There's plenty of reason to believe that the Steelers could hire McCarthy as their next head coach. McCarthy played a hand in helping quarterback Aaron Rodgers become a four-time MVP with a Hall of Fame career, and he brought a Super Bowl victory to Green Bay.
At the same time, the interest in McCarthy feels fishy, as it's gone against everything this organization has ever known and practiced.
Since the NFL merger, the Steelers have looked for two things in the head coach hire: youth and a defensive mind who can set the tone for the defense. This has also been accompanied by only hiring first-time head coaches, not coaches who have been HCs for other teams.
Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin checked all of these boxes. McCarthy checks none of them.
The last three Steelers head coaches were all between 34 and 37 years old when hired to become the head coach in Pittsburgh; McCarthy is 62. Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin were all defensive-minded head coaches and former defensive coordinators; McCarthy is an offensive coach and former offensive coordinator before beginning his head coaching career.
In the same way, the Steelers found all of their success in franchise history by hiring first-time head coaches; McCarthy is a re-tread HC who spent 13 years with the Green Bay Packers and five years with the Dallas Cowboys as head coach.
I'm not saying McCarthy is a bad coach and that he shouldn't be considered for the job. However, the long-time HC doesn't check any of the boxes the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked for with their past hires.
Is he a legitimate candidate, or is this just an elaborate smokescreen while appeasing a fellow Yinzer like Mike McCarthy? We should find out soon enough.