Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have trotted out six different starting quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger walked away after the 2021 season. As team president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan searched for the Steelers’ next leader, they wanted someone who could help cement that position for the foreseeable future.
Mike McCarthy wound up being that guy. The former Green Bay Packers (2006-18) and Dallas Cowboys (2020-24) head coach has helped tutor a handful of star signal-callers, ranging from Joe Montana to Dak Prescott.
“Since sooner or later we’re going to be working with a young quarterback here, I think Mike’s ability to develop the next quarterback is something that certainly is important to us,” Rooney told the team’s website on Sunday.
McCarthy had previously worked as the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback coach (1995-99) and New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator (2000-05). In the two full seasons he played in McCarthy’s offense, Prescott threw for over 4,400 yards. Prescott led the league in passing touchdowns (36) in 2023.
That group of passers McCarthy has coached also includes Aaron Rodgers, who will now have to decide if he wants to play a second season in black and gold. However, that relationship wasn’t the deciding factor for Rooney.
“We decided to bring Mike on because we believe that he’s the right coach for us at this point to help lead us to a championship,” Rooney said. “We don’t know what Aaron’s plans are right now, and that did not weigh heavily in the decision. We’ll see where Aaron is, and we’ve left the door open, but obviously we all have to sit down and see if that makes sense. So that’ll happen sometime in the next month or so.
“But the decision was made based on Mike being the coach we want, and it really had very little to do with whether Aaron is going to be back or not.”
If Rodgers doesn’t return, the Steelers still roster Will Howard, an Ohio State product and sixth-round draft pick last year, and veteran Mason Rudolph. The Steelers also own the No. 21 overall pick in April’s 2026 NFL Draft, which is slated to be held in Pittsburgh.
“He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him,” Rooney said. “Obviously feels like Mason can be a contributor. … I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Art Rooney II Gives Mike McCarthy a Clear Mandate: Fix Steelers QB Situation
