A tale of two coaches getting active with their new, respective teams. Mike McCarthy has his work cut out for him as he's ready to start a new chapter in Pittsburgh while Kevin Stefanski is being patient as he feels handicapped without a general manager. Two very different experiences and two very different approaches by veteran head coaches.
If the next potential quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is currently at the Senior Bowl, it could be an interesting next few weeks. The quarterback market is open as there isn't a clear cut No. 2 quarterback in the draft. Speaking of quarterbacks, Stefanski is hesitant to clear up the quarterback controversy in Atlanta. That's not a bad thing, but makes you wonder why he's being patient.
Steelers' potential Mike McCarthy QB project shining at Senior Bowl
Garrett Nussmeier said it would be a dream to play for Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers. For that to happen, that would mean the Steelers are not only looking for their Aaron Rodgers replacement outside the first round of the NFL Draft, but it also means they’re turning to a rookie. It’s been a long time since the Steelers have put the future of the team on the shoulders of a rookie.
Nussmeier isn’t bad, but he’s a risk, and Pittsburgh has to decide if that risk is more important than finding a veteran that could hold them over. Learn from the Cleveland Browns; they had a rookie quarterback room that was chaotic this season, though the franchise’s dysfunction probably played more of a role than relying on subpar rookie quarterback play.
McCarthy turned Brett Favre into a Hall of Famer, Rodgers into a future one as well and aided the development of Joe Montana and most recently coached Dak Prescott. His quarterback resume is nearly bulletproof, which is a good sign for Nussmeier.
Nussmeier is a unique prospect. He has all the potential to be a solid NFL quarterback if you still believe in the potential he showed back in 2024. This past year, in nine games, he looked more like a bust than he did a real NFL prospect. He had under 2,000 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
That said, he didn’t just drop in talent over a year. He just didn’t quite play as well as he should have. Consistency is key and his inability to be consistent year over year makes McCarthy’s job a bit tougher.
Kevin Stefanski is still being held back by his general manager … or lack thereof
Kevin Stefanski said that he’s refusing to define the quarterback room until Matt Ryan hires a general manager. That means for now, we’ll be playing the guessing game on who gets the nod: Michael Penix Jr., who’s coming off another ACL injury in his career, or Kirk Cousins, the overpaid backup — and if both will be back for the 2026 season.
I think without saying, it’s clear who Stefanski wants. Before Stefanski took the Cleveland job, he was the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings the same time Cousins was there. It makes sense that he was enamored with the Atlanta Falcons opening simply for the reunion. With Penix’s health in limbo, I wouldn’t put it past Stefanski to already be considering Cousins the favorite to start.
That won’t be the only decision Stefanski will have to wait on though either.
Stefanski said he won’t move forward with any roster moves until a GM is hired and the three of them (Stefanski, the GM and Ryan) can discuss the best move forward. That means, while Stefanski has his new gig, he unfortunately won’t be able to do much until the Falcons get a GM.
Good for Stefanski to wait around for the GM, but I also think this is a missed opportunity for him. He was jettisoned for the GM in Cleveland and now he’s playing the same game in Atlanta. It’s not bad to wait for a GM for continuity, but he can’t continue to allow other people to dictate how he does his job.
At the end of the day, Stefanski needs to get himself and his team ready. Wasting time isn’t ideal. Sure now, there’s not a lot of urgency with it being the offseason, but waiting around for a GM to help make decisions that could backfire, especially if it involves who the starting quarterback is. Then again, this could simply be Stefanski avoiding any early decisions as he’s still getting acclimated in Atlanta.