Mike McCarthy’s next job is set to bring him back to where it all began.
The Pittsburgh Steelers intend to hire the Super Bowl-winning coach as their next head coach, according to multiple reports, with ESPN first breaking the news. A person familiar with the discussions told the Associated Press the sides are moving toward an agreement, though a deal has not yet been finalized.
For McCarthy, the move would represent a homecoming. The 62-year-old grew up in the Greenfield neighborhood, only a short drive from the Steelers’ South Side practice facility, and now stands poised to take over one of the NFL’s most tradition-bound franchises.
He is expected to replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped away earlier this month after 19 seasons in charge. Tomlin leaves behind a résumé defined by consistency – 193 regular-season wins, a Super Bowl title and no losing seasons – but also lingering frustration over postseason stagnation. Pittsburgh have exited the playoffs at the first hurdle in each of their last six appearances, all by double-digit margins, including this season’s home defeat by the Houston Texans.
McCarthy arrives with a profile unlike the men who preceded him. Since 1969, the Steelers have employed just three head coaches: Hall of Famers Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, followed by Tomlin. All were relatively untested assistants when hired. McCarthy, by contrast, brings 18 seasons of head-coaching experience and a career record of 185–123–2, including playoff games.
Thirteen of those seasons came in Green Bay, where he guided the Packers to a Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season – a win that came at the expense of Tomlin and the Steelers – before spending five years leading the Dallas Cowboys. His tenure in Dallas ended after the 2024 season when the sides failed to agree on a contract extension.
The Steelers conducted a wide-ranging search after Tomlin’s departure, interviewing close to a dozen candidates across the league. That group included Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was hired this week by the Baltimore Ravens to replace John Harbaugh. Ultimately, Pittsburgh landed on experience, entrusting McCarthy with a roster that has hovered in competitive but unspectacular territory for much of the past decade.
In many ways, the Steelers’ struggles have centered on quarterback instability. Drafting consistently in the high teens or low 20s has made landing a long-term answer difficult, a problem compounded by the decision not to identify Ben Roethlisberger’s successor early and the failed gamble on first-round pick Kenny Pickett in 2022.
If Aaron Rodgers does not return for another season, Pittsburgh would open the 2026 campaign with their sixth different Week 1 starting quarterback in six years. Rodgers, who will be a free agent in March, spent last season with the Steelers and won a Super Bowl under McCarthy in Green Bay, a connection that adds intrigue to the hire. The Steelers currently hold the 21st pick in a draft widely viewed as thin at quarterback.
Pittsburgh could again prioritize other needs – including wide receiver and cornerback – rather than forcing a quarterback solution. Still, team president Art Rooney II has rejected the idea of a reset.
“I don’t like that word that much,” Rooney said recently. “We’ll try to compete day one if we can.”
McCarthy’s impending arrival suggests the Steelers intend to do exactly that.
