Steelers hire McCarthy as head coach
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike McCarthy have reached a verbal agreement to make him their next head coach, the team announced Saturday.
McCarthy was out of the NFL last season after a five-year run as the Dallas Cowboys' head coach from 2020-24. He previously served as the Green Bay Packers' head coach from 2006-18, during which he secured a victory in Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers.
The 62-year-old would become just the franchise's fourth head coach since 1969. Mike Tomlin, who had led the Steelers for the last 19 years, stepped down following their loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, worked with Steelers general manager Omar Khan with the New Orleans Saints in 2000. Pittsburgh interviewed multiple candidates for its head coaching vacancy, including Brian Flores, Nathan Scheelhaase, and Chris Shula.
Aaron Rodgers, who played quarterback under McCarthy for 13 seasons in Green Bay, served as Pittsburgh's signal-caller in 2025 after signing a one-year deal in June. The Steelers are reportedly open to bringing back the 42-year-old for the 2026 campaign. Many players on the roster praised the veteran's locker room leadership during exit meetings.
With Rodgers scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are the only two quarterbacks currently under contract for next season.
During McCarthy's tenure in Green Bay, the Packers' offense ranked third in touchdowns and fourth in total yards, according to TruMedia. The Cowboys, meanwhile, ranked sixth in passing yards and 10th in offensive success rate over McCarthy's five seasons at the helm.
Pittsburgh has struggled to find consistent offensive production in recent years, sitting 22nd in EPA/play since 2023, according to Ben Baldwin's database. The team is 0-7 in its last seven postseason contests, failing to advance past the wild-card round since 2017.
McCarthy holds a 174-112-2 regular-season record with 11 career playoff victories.