Steelers usher in new coaching era; Mike McCarthy-Aaron Rodgers reunion talk builds

Earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered a caput coaching hunt for conscionable the 3rd clip since hiring Chuck Noll successful 1969.

On Jan. 13, Mike Tomlin announced helium would measurement down aft 19 seasons arsenic the franchise's caput coach.

During the hunt for their adjacent caput coach, the Steelers interviewed a fig of candidates, galore of them young assistants successful the vein of Noll, Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher, each of whom arrived successful Pittsburgh arsenic comparative unknowns and near with Super Bowl rings and Hall of Fame-worthy resumes.

During an introductory property league with the Steelers that got affectional astatine times, McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, beamed with pridefulness astir his 3rd caput coaching opportunity.

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Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager Mike McCarthy astatine a quality league announcing him arsenic the caller Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager astatine PNC Champions Club astatine Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, successful Pittsburgh.  (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

"I thought I’d astatine slightest beryllium capable to get started," the caller Steelers caput manager said, trying unsuccessfully to choke backmost his emotions portion looking retired astatine members of the McCarthy household wrong Acrisure Stadium.

McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers spent respective years unneurotic erstwhile some were portion of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy coached the Packers to a 125-77-2 grounds from 2006-18. Rodgers near the Packers aft the 2022 season. He spent 2 seasons with the New York Jets earlier signing a one-year woody with the Steelers past offseason.

Dallas Cowboys caput manager Mike McCarthy during the archetypal fractional against the Washington Commanders astatine AT&T Stadium Jan. 5, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

While Rodgers had a comparatively productive archetypal play with the Steelers, the 42-year-old backmost is undoubtedly overmuch person to the sunset of his storied vocation than the onset. It is unclear whether Rodgers volition instrumentality to the Steelers successful 2026, prosecute an accidental with different squad oregon simply measurement distant from the game.

The anticipation of a reunion betwixt Rodgers and McCarthy was brought up during Tuesday’s quality conference. McCarthy expressed optimism astir perchance getting different changeable astatine coaching Rodgers. 

"Definitely, I don’t spot wherefore you wouldn’t," McCarthy replied to reporters’ questions astir perchance moving with the four-time MVP.

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In 2022, up of Dallas Cowboys manager McCarthy’s instrumentality to Lambeau Field, Rodgers said the transition of clip had fixed him a greater appreciation of the seasons helium spent with his erstwhile coach.

"It’s astir apt mean successful immoderate narration you have," Rodgers said astatine the time. "When you’re capable to instrumentality clip away, and you person that separation, it’s earthy to look backmost and person a greater consciousness of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time."

Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager Mike McCarthy, right, speaks astatine a quality league introducing him arsenic the adjacent caput manager of the Steelers arsenic proprietor Art Rooney II  listens successful astatine PNC Champions Club astatine Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, successful Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

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McCarthy oversaw the Packers’ 2010 play erstwhile the franchise won its lone Super Bowl rubric during Rodgers’ career, but the narration betwixt the backmost and manager yet soured. McCarthy was fired precocious successful the 2018 season.

Neither McCarthy nor his hometown Steelers person been backmost to the large crippled since. He knows the timepiece is ticking.

"It’s clip to bring different title backmost to this large city," McCarthy said Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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