Latest NFL Rumors on Aaron Rodgers' Future, Steelers HC Search Amid Mike McCarthy Buzz

The Pittsburgh Steelers' interest Mike McCarthy to fill the team's vacancy at head coach isn't solely due to a desire to bring back quarterback Aaron Rodgers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

"I do believe that if Aaron Rodgers were coming back to play for one coach in 2026, it would be Mike McCarthy," Pelissero reported during a Friday appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (4:00 mark). "But I think that people may have misconstrued when I mentioned that on the show the other day as, 'Well this is the Steelers trying to lure back Aaron Rodgers.' That's not it at all."

"If they hire Mike McCarthy, and that's not a given, if they hire Mike McCarthy they are doing it for the totality of what direction they think they can go right now," he added. "They've got a very, very veteran roster."

The Steelers conducted an interview with McCarthy on Wednesday as they look to replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down as their head coach at the end of the 2025 season.

McCarthy has plenty of familiarity with Rodgers, as he coached him during their shared tenure on the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through 2018.

The 42-year-old quarterback's NFL future is uncertain, as ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported that Rodgers "did not commit to retiring or returning to the Steelers" in conversations with the organization.

The four-time MVP has praised McCarthy in the past, calling him a "hell of a ball coach" after he was fired by the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the 2024 season.

McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, owns a 174-112-2 record across 18 years with the Packers and Cowboys. While he helped his teams make 12 playoff appearances, consistent postseason success eluded him during his Dallas tenure.

The Cowboys owned a 1-3 record in the playoffs under McCarthy.

Still, his overall track record could entire a Steelers squad looking to remain in the AFC playoff picture next season.