McCarthy Takes Steelers Helm, Reunites With Rodgers in Familiar System

Mike McCarthy is the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, replacing Mike Tomlin after 19 seasons. At 62, he arrives with three decades of offensive expertise and a Super Bowl ring—exactly what a franchise needs after six straight years outside the top 10 in scoring.

His résumé tells the story. Across 18 seasons as head coach, McCarthy’s offenses finished top 10 in yards 11 times and top 10 in points 12 times. He built that system over 13 years in Green Bay, then spent five years in Dallas—where last season’s offense ranked 21st in scoring.

Reuniting with Aaron Rodgers changes everything. The quarterback is in his second year with Pittsburgh and his 22nd in the NFL. He and McCarthy spent 13 years together in Green Bay, winning Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011, making eight playoff runs together, and reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2016.

Rodgers sees the advantage immediately. “I spent 13 years in (McCarthy’s offense). He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas. … It’s stuff that we used to run, but he’s just called it something different now,” he said. The system, he added, represents “the next generations of the West Coast offense.”

McCarthy views his approach as building on proven foundations. “You have core beliefs, which established during those early years, and then off of those come variations. You look at pro football, (there are) a lot of similar plays, a lot of similar schemes — but everybody runs them a little differently,” he said.

Pittsburgh has loaded the roster to match. The team traded for Michael Pittman from the Indianapolis Colts, signed wide receiver DK Metcalf, and drafted second-round receiver Germie Bernard. Running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Jr., who worked with McCarthy in Dallas, rounds out the continuity.

McCarthy’s head coaching record: 174-112-2 with 12 playoff appearances. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016—the same year McCarthy’s Packers reached the NFC Championship with Rodgers. That history matters as Pittsburgh works to fix its offense.