Mike McCarthy ‘very intrigued’ by Will Howard; predictions for Steelers’ coaching staff hires
Monday’s “First Call” has Bill Cowher’s endorsement of Mike McCarthy being hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach.
Will Howard appears to be an early favorite of McCarthy on the Steelers’ quarterback depth chart. There are rumblings about who might round out McCarthy’s coaching staff.
And the Cleveland Browns may be interested in a one-time Steelers coaching candidate to replace Kevin Stefanski.
Cowher cosigns
A former Steelers coach is applauding the winner of the Steelers’ coaching search.
On Sunday, Bill Cowher said he is on board with his former team hiring Mike McCarthy as Mike Tomlin’s replacement.
“I really like this hire for this reason,” Cowher said on CBS. “He’s an offensive-minded guy everywhere he’s been. He grew up under Marty Schottenheimer, so he understands the value of running the football. He coached Joe Montana. He coached Brett Favre. He coached Aaron Rodgers. He coached Dak Prescott. Everywhere he’s been, he’s uplifted the offense. If you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, if there have been inconsistencies in the last recent years, it’s been the instability of having a reliable offense.”
“I really like this hire … everywhere he’s been he’s uplifted the offense.”@CowherCBS on the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy as next head coach. pic.twitter.com/21OX8wZ3wm
— NFL on CBS ???? (@NFLonCBS) January 25, 2026
Cowher thinks enough pieces remain in other places on the Steelers roster that if McCarthy can get the offense up to speed, they can contend.
“They’ve got defensive guys, they can sack the quarterback, they can create turnovers. I like where they’re at. He also walks into that room with credibility. I like what they did,” Cowher continued. “He’ll put together a good staff right here. And, oh yeah, he’s from Pittsburgh too. That doesn’t make it bad. He knows the tradition, he knows what the expectation is, he knows what that fanbase is all about. He’s a Yinzer. I think it’s a very good hire for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Cowher went 11-5 in his first season, taking over for Chuck Noll after a 7-9 campaign in 1991. He went on to win a total of 149 regular-season games, 12 playoff games, two AFC titles and a Super Bowl.
The Steelers were 10-7 last year in Tomlin’s final season. McCarthy was 7-10 in his final year in Dallas in 2024. He went 174-112-2 in 18 seasons with the Cowboys and Green Bay. He is 11-11 in playoff competition and won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers at the end of the 2010-11 season.
Where there is a ‘Will,’ there is a way
With McCarthy in charge now, team president Art Rooney II made it sound like Will Howard has the inside track to the top of the quarterback depth chart if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return.
“He likes Will Howard,” Rooney said to Steelers.com. “(He) thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him. Obviously, (McCarthy) feels like Mason can be a contributor. We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense. I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”
That wasn’t just an owner giving helium to a guy already on the roster. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said something similar on Saturday.
“They are really high on (Howard) in the building. My understanding is Mike McCarthy also is very intrigued by the upside of Will Howard,” Pelissero said.
From our breaking news segment with @TomPelissero on @nflnetwork
There’s a new Mike in town… pic.twitter.com/3pCcrBR3dY
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) January 24, 2026
Howard was a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State in April. He suffered a hand injury in training camp and never played in a game. He won a National Championship with the Buckeyes at the end of the 2024 season.
While we are at it
Pelissero also tossed out a name to remember when it comes to a potential defensive coordinator hire.
“Patrick Graham. He, at one point (2018), was an assistant on the staff in Green Bay. He has a relationship with Mike McCarthy,” Pelissero said. “Pat Graham has been highly respected within the NFL, coordinating defenses at several different stops. He grew up under Bill Belichick. Spent time with Mike McCarthy. He coordinated defenses with the Giants and the Dolphins, most recently with the Raiders.”
The Raiders allowed 25.4 points per game (25th in the NFL). But Pelissero says that wasn’t Graham’s fault.
“Everybody in Las Vegas was obviously frustrated. That was really Pete Carroll’s defense that Graham was calling,” Pelissero insisted. “When he’s running his scheme, that has proven to be effective. Certainly, I would anticipate that’s one name to keep in mind for the defensive coordinator.”
Pelissero also mentioned former Packers offensive line coach James Campen as a candidate for that job here. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo (IUP/Homer City) came up. He coached QBs and tight ends in Green Bay with McCarthy.
On the special teams end of things, Pelissero advanced the names of John Fassel (Tennessee Titans) and Chartiers Valley grad Ray ”Bubba” Ventrone (Cleveland Browns).
Don’t be surprised if Steel Valley’s Luke Getsy pops up as an offensive coordinator prospect. He spent time in various jobs on McCarthy’s staff in Green Bay.
See you soon?
Even though the Steelers didn’t hire Nathan Scheelhaase, he still may wind up in the AFC North.
The Cleveland Browns are slated to interview the Rams’ passing game coordinator Monday. That’s according to MMQB’s Albert Breer.
This will be Scheelhaase’s second interview with the club.
The Browns have scheduled a second interview with Rams pass-game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase for Monday, regardless of whether Los Angeles wins or loses tomorrow, per source. The interview will take place in California, either way.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 25, 2026
Scheelhaase’s Rams lost 31-27 in the NFC Championship game against Seattle on Sunday, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
The Steelers interviewed Scheelhaase virtually, but blew off a chance to speak with him in person and decided to just hire McCarthy on Saturday.
