Mike McCarthy ‘definitely’ wants an Aaron Rodgers reunion, so Steelers will play waiting game again
PITTSBURGH — New Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy would welcome a reunion with Aaron Rodgers. Now, like last offseason, all the Steelers can do is wait for Rodgers to make his decision.
“Definitely,” McCarthy said Tuesday at his introductory news conference when asked if he would like Rodgers to return for the 2026 season. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”
Rodgers and McCarthy worked together for 13 seasons in Green Bay and won their only Super Bowl together at the expense of the Steelers. That was when they were both much younger.
If they’re reunited in 2026 it’s likely for only one season. Rodgers will turn 43 in December, and the Steelers need to find their quarterback of the future sooner rather than later.
McCarthy has spoken to Rodgers since accepting the job and is willing to give him some time to contemplate his future. Rodgers is set to become a free agent in March.
“When guys are at that stage of their career, they need to step away and decompress,” McCarthy said. “The game is so emotional. What they put into it … that time away is important.”
General manager Omar Khan said the position was a big part of their discussions with all of the coaches they interviewed. McCarthy’s experience and expertise in his nearly three decades in the league were valued by the Steelers as they search for their next franchise quarterback.
McCarthy has worked with some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He coached Joe Montana when he was a young assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition to Rodgers, he also coached Brett Favre in Green Bay. And from 2020-24, McCarthy had Dak Prescott when he was the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
If Rodgers does not return, McCarthy will be in a much different situation than what he’s accustomed. The only Steelers quarterbacks under contract are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, last year’s sixth-round pick who did not take a snap as a rookie.
“You’re always developing the quarterback,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been blessed to have great starters in Dak, Aaron and Brett. But we’ve always approached it as the quarterback room because that second and third quarterback, they need to emulate the starter. That starter is dictating the rhythm and timing and precision with the perimeter guys.
“I’m really excited about Will Howard. I thought he really came on at Ohio State. I’m anxious to work with him. It would be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason … I’m really excited to get started with those guys.”
McCarthy said he hasn’t scouted the 2026 quarterback class in depth, but when he does he will look for specific traits that translate to his West Coast system.
“You want a more athletic player in that position, a man who can extend plays and play to the rhythm and timing and spacing, all the things that go into the offensive system,” he said.
McCarthy added: “I’m a believer in the tradition of West Coast offense. The offense has to be built to make the quarterback successful. That starts with running the football. You have to run the football because if you don’t run the football and tailor your protection schemes and the play-action pass game to the run game, it’s not going to affect the defense.”
