As soon as Mike McCarthy moved into his new office, he almost shed his first tears. At his first press conference, the new coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL reacted emotionally and also spoke about the plan with Aaron Rodgers.
The 62-year-old McCarthy made his first statement and immediately had wet eyes. He also lost his voice for a moment and sobbed. “I understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with my job. This city, this franchise and the fans mean the world to me because Pittsburgh is my world. And it’s incredible to be back,” McCarthy said. He beat his heart as he did so and had a gold brooch with the franchise’s logo on his jacket.
He was born in the city on November 10, 1963 and grew up there. Now, after many decades in other places, things have come full circle. He will be only the fourth head coach of the traditional franchise since 1969. The decision came just eleven days after long-time head coach Mike Tomlin surprisingly announced his resignation after nineteen seasons.
McCarthy brings a sparkling resume. In the 2010/11 season he led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl triumph and coached Aaron Rodgers there for thirteen years. After five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, he left the franchise at the end of 2024 because a contract extension could not be agreed upon. McCarthy sat out the 2025 season before the call came from his homeland.
McCarthy wants to bring Rodgers back
Immediately afterwards, the central question was already in the room: Does he want Rodgers back as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers? The new head coach’s answer was clear. “Definitely. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want that,” he said, confirming that he had already spoken to Rodgers.
McCarthy emphasized that he watched many Steelers games last season and saw Rodgers as a clear added value for the team. At the same time, he showed understanding that the veteran needed time to decide about his future after the emotional strain of an NFL season. There is currently no schedule or deadline, and it has not yet been discussed with General Manager Omar Khan.
The situation is reminiscent of last year, when Rodgers also delayed his decision until the summer. For the Steelers, this means renewed uncertainty at the most important position as preparation for the NFL Draft continues. Nevertheless, those responsible are deliberately leaving the door open for the quarterback to return.
The fact that McCarthy takes this task seriously is also underlined by another decision: the new head coach will call the plays himself in Pittsburgh. As he continues to shape his coaching staff, one thing is clear – the future of the Steelers offense depends largely on how the quarterback question develops in the coming weeks.
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