Mike McCarthy was recently hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers to be their new head coach ahead of the 2026 NFL season. He will replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down this year. They brought in one of the most experienced options available, but one analyst is skeptical about the franchise’s decision.
Steelers Questioned After Picking Mike McCarthy as Next Head Coach in 2026
McCarthy has found plenty of success as a head coach with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. He helped both teams become annual playoff contenders and even won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers.
He took the 2025 season off after being let go by the Cowboys almost two years ago, but landed the open role for the Steelers. He will be expected to help them take the next step forward and end their drought of playoff wins, but PFSN’s Alex Kennedy recently questioned whether he’s the right hire to do so.
“Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh was shocking to me. I’ve seen the reaction from Steelers fans, and they were frustrated with that hire. I think with Mike Tomlin, the big knock on him was in recent years, he can get you to the playoffs, but can he really take you on a deep playoff run and win a Super Bowl?”
He has qualified for the playoffs 12 times in his 18 years as a head coach for the Packers and Cowboys. The issue is that he has only won multiple games in two of those postseason appearances and failed to win a playoff game in five of them.
“To go hire a retread coach in McCarthy, who has had a similar knock on him. We saw him win a Super Bowl years ago in Green Bay, but in recent years, he’s been someone that can win during the regular season and get you the playoffs, but come playoff time, he has struggled.”
His Super Bowl ring dates back to the 2010 season, when Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers. A reunion is possible for them in Pittsburgh, though it’s unclear whether Rodgers will return to the Steelers for the 2026 season. He finished 29th in PFSN’s Impact Rankings among all quarterbacks, but did win a division title and make the playoffs, in his polarizing first season there.
“I’m not sure I would have hired McCarthy with some of the other options out there … The McCarthy hire was one that felt a bit off to me … I’m not sure that these days you’re going to win a Super Bowl with McCarthy.”
Tomlin actually had a similar career path, winning a Super Bowl ring early on in 2008 and another AFC Championship in 2010, but has not returned there since then. The Steelers also haven’t won a playoff game in their past six appearances, dating back to the 2016 season.
This hire is theoretically supposed to get them over the hump, but the parallels suggest that it’s much more of a lateral move than an upgrade.
