The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly open to Aaron Rodgers returning, even with Mike Tomlin quitting.
Rodgers likely wouldn’t want to. He came to Pittsburgh specifically to play for Tomlin.
But what if Mike McCarthy succeeded Tomlin?
The Greenfield native coached Rodgers to a Super Bowl win (against the Steelers) in 2011. McCarthy and Rodgers butted heads a few times during their shared tenure in Green Bay (2006-18) but generally had a decent working relationship.
McCarthy coaching and Rodgers at quarterback would be quite an about-face from what was going to be an organizational reset. McCarthy is 62, Rodgers 42.
But it wouldn’t be a total shock.
In fact, it would confirm the Steelers’ organizational delusions.
Art Rooney II thinks these Steelers are close to winning. Those working with Rooney near the top of the franchise’s hierarchy either agree or won’t tell the emperor he has no clothes.
What Rooney means by “winning” might be a point of debate: Whether it means merely a playoff victory or making a legit run at a Super Bowl.
But either definition smacks of insanity.
You watched the Steelers get whipped 30-6 by visiting Houston in the wild-card round. Did it look like the Steelers were close to a playoff win, let alone a series of them? Heck, no.
Yeah, I know. The Steelers only trailed 7-6 after three quarters, and what if DK Metcalf hadn’t dropped that pass?
Keep telling yourself that. But the Steelers were never in danger of winning that game.
Maybe Rooney has taken possession of the “no losing seasons” streak now that Tomlin stepped down. That’s funny, because it mostly belongs to Ben Roethlisberger.
No matter who coaches the Steelers, they will keep veterans, get more veterans and avoid the term “rebuilding” like a social disease because, to paraphrase Rooney, it makes no sense to waste a season.
Not when you can waste a decade.
After nine years without, Rooney is desperate to win even a single playoff game.
As one of the NFL’s historic dynasties and biggest brand names, the Steelers should be embarrassed by one of their peers in that regard:
New England lost Tom Brady in 2020, had four losing seasons in the next five, Bill Belichick left in 2024, the Patriots drafted Drake Maye that year and now have a franchise quarterback and are in the AFC Championship game.
During the same span, the Steelers kept having no losing seasons and lost four wild-card playoff games.
The Patriots rebuilt practically overnight.
The Steelers treaded sludge.
Losing big and drafting high guarantees nothing.
But it provides a better chance to get the quarterback every team craves. New England drafted Maye third overall after going 4-13 in 2023.
The quarterbacks in the conference championship games were picked first overall, third overall, third overall and 12th overall. (But Denver’s Bo Nix got hurt.)
McCarthy coaching and Rodgers at quarterback guarantees nothing.
Except that after that, the Steelers will still need to lose big and draft high.
#TankForArch
McCarthy isn’t a bad coach, by the way. He has a resume similar to Tomlin’s.
Perhaps the Steelers are talking to McCarthy as a courtesy to a local. Gain a veteran coach’s perspective via the interview process and compare it to what younger candidates say. Get a complete picture. That would be OK. Just don’t hire McCarthy.
