The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new leader.
One of the most successful franchises in NFL history chose its fourth head coach of the Super Bowl era: Mike McCarthy.
Unlike the previous three hires, McCarthy brings expertise on the offensive side of the ball. Pittsburgh’s trio of coaches since 1970 – Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll – all had backgrounds on the defensive side of the ball.
McCarthy’s also the only one to have been an NFL head coach prior to coming to Pittsburgh. He spent 13 years with the Green Bay Packers and won a Super Bowl in 2010 (coincidentally against his new employer, Pittsburgh). He also spent five seasons (2020-2024) with the Cowboys in Dallas.
This move closes up one of the more attractive jobs in the hiring cycle. Pittsburgh hasn’t finished below 0.500 in a season since 2003, with All-Pro talent on defense.
McCarthy is tasked with bringing the team its first playoff success in nearly a decade. Here are the winners and losers from this hiring:
WINNERS
Mike McCarthy
As he did last time a coaching tenure came to an end, McCarthy is back at the top after a year off. He’s now coached three of the most iconic teams in the sport’s history in the Packers, Cowboys, and now the Steelers.
McCarthy inherits a team with talent. His tenure in Dallas was marked by productive offenses but defenses that couldn’t lift the team’s ceiling enough and postseason letdowns. This team has talent at multiple spots on defense but needs more direction on offense with a young offensive line. He could go to work on offense and find a trusted defensive coordinator to keep the ship going in the right direction on that side of the ball.
Mike Tomlin
Tomlin spent nearly two full decades at the helm in Pittsburgh and never finished with a losing record. His tenure was defined by stability, even amid outsized player personalities.
If the Steelers went with a first-time head coach who turned things around dramatically in his first season, that may have soured how media members, fans and players alike viewed his final few years. Now, a potential improvement can be chalked up to a new but experienced head coach with a different area of expertise.
Aaron Rodgers
The oldest quarterback in the NFL hasn’t yet announced whether or not he’ll be back in 2026. This move by the Steelers at least gives him a known quantity at head coach, with whom he’s worked before.
The final years of the Rodgers-McCarthy tandem in Green Bay fell short of expectations. But after a few off years in New York, maybe a return to someone familiar isn’t the worst idea. At least McCarthy will know what to expect as the team navigates Rodgers’ potential retirement and succession plan.
LOSERS
Chris Shula
Think of how iconic the Shula name with the Steelers could be. The Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator is one of multiple candidates from that side of the ball in this hiring cycle and looked poised for his first head coaching gig.
It would also blend the Steelers’ tradition of tapping a former defensive coach (coordinator or positional coach) who is younger than the league average. Shula’s time is certainly coming, but this seemed like an ideal marriage.
Sean McDermott
If the Steelers wanted to go with a proven head coach, McDermott may have been a solid option. He has more postseason success than McCarthy and has played high-leverage games in the AFC playoffs.
McDermott may understandably take a year off after his late exit from Buffalo but there’s a chance Pittsburgh may have been better served waiting to interview him. It’s been a long time, but Buffalo once had the longest postseason drought in the NFL before McDermott arrived and turned things around.
Dallas Cowboys
This is on the condition that McCarthy has postseason success in Pittsburgh. If McCarthy wins in the playoffs in the AFC with this Steelers roster, it’s going to reflect badly on the Cowboys. Dallas had more talent than Pittsburgh does at this time, so it may call into question the playoff fortitude of some of the Cowboys’ stars.