Steelers' Mike McCarthy Evaluated for Apparent Ankle Injury on Sideline vs. Bucs

It's not too often an NFL head coach spends time in the blue medical tent, but that's what happened for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported McCarthy spent halftime in the tent with what appeared to be a sprained ankle. He was seen limping and never went into the locker room to address his team.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor noted he was on the sideline with his playsheet in hand to start the second half, so he seemed to avoid a serious setback.

There wasn't much that went right for McCarthy and the Steelers in the first half, as Tampa Bay largely controlled play and took a 13-3 lead into the locker room.

Emeka Egbuka caught the only touchdown of the first half, and Pittsburgh was left in comeback mode even with Baker Mayfield sidelined for the Buccaneers.

The AFC North team entered play with a 3-2 record.

It is McCarthy's first season as the head coach of the Steelers after leading the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons and the Dallas Cowboys for five. He coached Rodgers with the Packers and was reunited with the future Hall of Famer in Pittsburgh for the 2026 campaign.

Fortunately for the head coach and his team, he seemed to avoid any serious injuries and was back on the sidelines to start the second half.