As much as Art Rooney II may hate the term 'rebuild', there's little denying the Steelers are in one. You don't replace a head coach of 19 years without starting over, to some extent. Pittsburgh could run back their entire roster, including Aaron Rodgers, with a new coaching staff and it just wouldn't look the same. That's a compliment to Mike Tomlin, who has done more with less than any coach in football.
But that's not to say the Steelers should try and run it back. Rather, the vast majority of their candidates to replace Tomlin – at least so far – are young and defensive-minded. Most would like hiring approval to bring in their own coaching staff and establish their own culture. That likely doesn't include Rodgers, unless the Steelers go in one particular direction.
Steelers are interviewing Mike McCarthy, which could end in disaster
On Sunday, Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers will interview veteran head coach Mike McCarthy, whose last stint was with the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy is a proven head coach who has struggled of late in the postseason, but has a Super Bowl victory to his name over Tomlin's Steelers. He also has plenty of history with Rodgers from his time with the Green Bay Packers.
Season | Record | Rodgers TDs | Rodgers INTs | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 8-8 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
2007 | 13-3 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
2008 | 6-10 | 28 | 13 | N/A |
2009 | 11-5 | 30 | 7 | Pro Bowl |
2010 | 10-6 | 28 | 11 | All-Pro |
2011 | 15-1 | 45 | 6 | MVP |
2012 | 11-5 | 39 | 8 | All-Pro |
2013 | 8-7-1 | 17 | 6 | N/A |
2014 | 12-4 | 38 | 5 | MVP |
2015 | 10-6 | 31 | 8 | Pro Bowl |
2016 | 10-6 | 40 | 7 | All-Pro |
2017 | 7-9 | 16 | 6 | N/A |
2018 | 4-7-1 | 25 | 2 | Pro Bowl |
McCarthy is from the Pittsburgh area and wants to get back into coaching, so this could very well be a courtesy interview. But, let's assume for a second that isn't the case. How, exactly, can the Steelers move forward with a fresh voice if they keep Rodgers on the roster? That's a trick question. They cannot.
McCarthy's coaching resume is all-too-similar to Tomlin's. He is not the same motivator that Tomlin was, nor does he come with the defensive pedigree. But he and Rodgers won a Super Bowl together. In some sense, they are a packaged deal, which isn't a good thing given Rodgers will be 43 years old next season. The Steelers have better options.
Steelers have better options than reuniting Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers
Many of the candidates the Steelers have interviewed thus far would want to start over at the quarterback positions. The odds overwhelmingly point to Pittsburgh doing just that. While the QB market is dry this offseason no matter how you look at it, bringing back Rodgers may actually be the Steelers worst option.
Chris Shula and Kirk Cousins
Yes, I said it. By no means do I think the Steelers should settle for Cousins, as he's well past his prime, but even he is a better and younger option than Rodgers at this juncture. Cousins would be a bridge quarterback, and a rather benchable one at that. If Pittsburgh traded for Cousins and had, say, Will Howard or a quarterback from the 2026 draft class sit behind him, that would at least look like some semblance of a plan.
What makes Shula such an enticing option is that the defense he runs with the Rams is similar to that of the Steelers. They wouldn't have to start over on that side of the ball, which is a good thing because it might not be possible given how much money they've invested in it. Also, as a member of the McVay coaching tree, Shula is not short of offensive coordinator options.
Brian Flores and JJ McCarthy
Look, I don't like this exercise any more than you do. However, Flores is a proven head coach who has spent time on the Steelers coaching staff. He enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh and, by most accounts, the feeling was mutual. Flores took the Dolphins to the postseason before his tenure flamed out in spectacular fashion. At the same time, can we really blame him for thinking Tua Tagovailoa wasn't a franchise quarterback? If anything, he's been proven right in that regard.
The only reason I paired JJ McCarthy with Flores is because they spent time together in Minnesota. The Vikings don't seem totally sold on McCarthy despite selecting him in the first round just a few years ago. If, by any chance, Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is willing to part ways with McCarthy, he remains young enough that the Steelers ought to make the call. He's used to the run-first system he ran at Michigan that thrives in the play-action passing game. Perhaps Flores could pick someone off Kevin O'Connell's offensive coaching staff to call plays in Pittsburgh, which would help McCarthy take that next step.
Jesse Minter and Daniel Jones
By the sounds of it, Minter could be the frontrunner to become the next Baltimore Ravens head coach, taking over for John Harbaugh after 18 excellent years of service. Minter is a sound defensive mind for a Chargers team that routinely falls short of expectations with Justin Herbert under center. Minter's steady rise in the coaching ranks is a credit to his relationship with Jim Harbaugh, which has taken him from Michigan to the NFL. Minter also has some coaching experience in the AFC North, which can only help matters.
As for Jones, he will be an expensive pickup. I, personally, would not be in favor of signing Jones as I'm not confident he could succeed here. However, Jim Bob Cooter is available for the taking as an offensive coordinator candidate. Obviously, that duo succeeded in Indianapolis, and if the Steelers could pair Jones with his former OC at least they'd have some success to build off of.
Nate Scheelhaase and Malik Willis
Hiring Scheelhaase as a head coach would come out of left field in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers have done this before. Tomlin was a little-known defensive coordinator before he was hired as head coach. Scheelhaase has a name Yinzers would have a tough time pronouncing, but that's about the only downside to adding him to the offensive coaching staff. In an ideal world, the Steelers could hire Shula and then bring in Scheelhaase as their offensive coordinator, but given the number of interviews he's already received for head coaching gigs, Pittsburgh isn't the only team with that idea. They may have to go the extra mile.
Out of all the quarterbacks available, I like Willis the most. He'd most likely be open to a short-term deal if paired with a high AAV. Willis has proven he deserves a chance to start in this league, and if the Steelers don't sign him for that exact role, someone else will. Willis remains a long-term developmental project, and Scheelhaase is an excellent offensive mind who could get the best out of him.