Mike McCarthy stood in the Lambeau Field Atrium on Monday, at a tribute for the late Packers president Bob Harlan, and could not help himself.
Kevin Harlan, Bob’s son and the ceremony’s emcee, asked McCarthy about a possible reunion with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. The question drew a chuckle from the room. McCarthy’s answer was not exactly coy.
Aaron Rodgers Has Not Decided, but Mike McCarthy Is Not Hiding His Preference
“Yes, it’d be a great story,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know. I would love to tell everybody [there is] breaking news. It’s really cool to see Aaron at 42 and to see a young man at 22 and all that he’s been able to accomplish and where he’s at in his personal life and trying to make this decision. He’s in a really good place, but … I think he’s in a really good place.”
McCarthy coached Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018. Last season was Rodgers’ first in Pittsburgh, and he led the Steelers to the AFC North title. The team finished 10-7 before losing to the Houston Texans 30-6 in the Wild Card round. Shortly after, Mike Tomlin stepped down, and the Steelers replaced him with McCarthy.
Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan said last month he believes Rodgers will make his decision earlier than he did last year. In 2025, Rodgers did not commit to the Steelers until right before their June minicamp. No deadline has been set publicly this time, but the clock is ticking toward an offseason that could reshape the Steelers’ identity entirely depending on which way Rodgers goes.
McCarthy has already spoken to Rodgers since taking the Pittsburgh job, per NBC Sports. He did not claim any insider knowledge on Monday about what Rodgers plans to do. He framed it as admiration, not a pitch. But in NFL circles, a head coach publicly calling a reunion with a free-agent quarterback a “great story” in front of a live audience is as close to open recruitment as coaches get on the record.
Rodgers, 42, has not responded publicly.
What Rodgers Returning Would Actually Mean
Pittsburgh’s current depth chart behind Rodgers is thin. The Steelers have Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard as backup options. Without Rodgers, the franchise faces a quarterback situation that would require a significant offseason investment, whether through free agency or the draft.
McCarthy’s 13 seasons coaching Rodgers in Green Bay produced a Super Bowl victory, two MVP awards, and one of the most decorated quarterback-coach relationships in league history.
Bob Harlan ran the Packers organization during both McCarthy’s arrival as quarterbacks coach in 1999 and his hiring as head coach in 2006. Monday’s tribute turned into something more: McCarthy recalling what Harlan told him when he arrived in Green Bay to interview for the head job. “Welcome home and good luck,” Harlan said.
Whether McCarthy gets to repeat those words to Rodgers in Pittsburgh is still unknown. His Monday comments made clear he would not mind the chance.
