The Pittsburgh Steelers have four quarterbacks fighting for space on the roster. These include the last gasp of Aaron Rodgers' career, two youngsters in Will Howard and Drew Allar who are raw as can be, and a milquetoast veteran in Mason Rudolph. A new young face with a higher floor than Allar may be needed, and the Minnesota Vikings could help Pittsburgh out.
Even amid some camp struggles, it seems like the Vikings are ready to lean on Kyler Murray at the expense of former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. He may need to leave Minnesota to get another shot to prove he is a franchise quarterback, and Pittsburgh's new leading man may be the guy who can turn this ship around.
On the Viking Age Podcast with Adam Patrick and Chris Schad, Patrick proposed the McCarthy-led Steelers as a possible landing spot for the former Michigan star, citing the idea that McCarthy's past work with Rodgers from a mechanical point of view gives them reason to believe that he has the tools needed to get Nine back on track.
Vikings expert believes Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers could fix J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11) last season. While that can be excused for someone in their first season, especially after recovering from a serious injury, performing as he did in an offense led by Kevin O'Connell while throwing to players like Justin Jefferson made the numbers sting even more.
McCarthy, as a coach, has a very finite ceiling, as his one Super Bowl win despite years of prime Rodgers will show. However, his playoff history with Green Bay and Dallas, as well as his ability to get here on the back of some efficient offenses, shows he has the ability to raise an offense's floor. After hitting rock bottom last year, J.J. needs that kind of coach.
The Steelers have largely abandoned the pretense that Howard will ever get on the field in a non-emergency situation, and both Rodgers and Rudolph are unlikely to be with the team beyond this season. With impactful quarterbacks hitting the open market becoming rarer, McCarthy could take advantage of historically patient ownership to try to turn the former Wolverines star around.
McCarthy and Allar could be the team's quarterback room for 2027, which could happen if Pittsburgh wins enough games to play themselves out of a top pick in this stacked class. There's talent worth being developed here, but Minnesota's more dire situation might make them less likely to put up with his shortcomings.
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