In the history of the NFL, there might end up being few coaching careers that can compare to Mike McCarthy in terms of sheer history.
McCarthy, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, will reportedly be the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. McCarthy is a Pittsburgh native and will be just the fourth head coach for the Steelers since 1969.
“Coming home: The Steelers are working towards a deal to hire Mike McCarthy as their head coach, per sources,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on X on Saturday. “McCarthy grew up in Pittsburgh. Now, at age 62, the Super Bowl winner gets a chance to coach the team he grew up rooting for.”
McCarthy coached the Cowboys for 5 seasons but did not see his contract renewed following the 2024 season after the Cowboys went 7-10 — that followed 3 consecutive seasons with a 12-5 record and 3 consecutive playoff berths.
The Cowboys turned to former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach and went 7-9-1 in 2025, capping the season with an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants in Week 18.
“Mike McCarthy and Steelers GM Omar Khan worked together in New Orleans in 2000, and now will work together again in Pittsburgh,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X.
With McCarthy going to Pittsburgh, 6 of the 10 NFL head coach openings have been filled, leaving just the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders without head coaches.
“With the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy, worth noting: There are now four openings left and three — Cardinals, Bills, and Raiders — have fulfilled Rooney Rule requirements and can make hires,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on X.
McCarthy Could Open Door to Rodgers Returning
McCarthy coming to Pittsburgh opens the door to a reunion with the quarterback he had his greatest success with in 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who just completed his first season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback but could also retire.
The Steelers went 9-8 in the regular season, lost to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round and longtime head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons.
The Packers won the Super Bowl following the 2010 season with McCarthy as head coach and Rodgers, a 4-time NFL MVP, as quarterback.
“Hiring Mike McCarthy and bringing Aaron (Rodgers) back would be the worst decision Pittsburgh could make,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said just a few days before McCarthy was hired. “That’s not an indictment on either one of them, individually, but hiring McCarthy and bringing Rodgers back puts you in the exact same position in January 2027 as they’re in right now. It makes it so you’re just good enough to win 8-9 games and maybe make the playoffs … and then you can’t draft an elite quarterback.”
McCarthy Helped Prescott Become MVP Runner-Up
McCarthy went 49-25 in 5 seasons as the Cowboys head coach from 2020 to 2024, including 3 consecutive playoff appearances from 2021 to 2023.
Perhaps his greatest accomplishment in Dallas was turning quarterback Dak Prescott into an elite player. Under McCarthy’s tutelage, Prescott was an NFL MVP runner-up in 2023 and secured the 2 largest contracts in NFL history — a 4-year, $160 million contract in 2020 and a 4-year, $240 million contract in 2024.
Former Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Lands New Job in AFC