Art Rooney’s lack of patience may have just cost the Pittsburgh Steelers the one thing they always had under Mike Tomlin
Art Rooney didn’t want to wait any longer when it came to the head coach position, and it could end up costing him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers aimed to cast the widest net in franchise history in their head coaching search. Since the day after Mike Tomlin stepped down, Pittsburgh’s brass, led by owner and president Art Rooney II, has led a search for candidates that included young offensive minds like Nathan Scheelhaase and proven defensive minds like Brian Flores.
The problem is, there was a name who not only was the betting favorite to be the Steelers’ next head coach, but whom Pittsburgh’s front office had been doing homework on for weeks.
That would be Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. The Steelers couldn’t hire Shula because he’s still coaching in the playoffs. Well, they opted for a coach who was at home sitting on the couch instead, and it could cost the Steelers the one thing they always had in December.
Steelers hire Mike McCarthy out of impatience
You can tell me that Mike McCarthy has a Super Bowl ring, a career winning percentage of .614, and 11 double-digit winning seasons. You can tell me that he’s a Pittsburgh native who still has a tremendous relationship with Aaron Rodgers.
I don’t really care.
Art Rooney confirmed to the media during his press conference on the Steelers’ YouTube channel that the team wants to have their head coach in place by the start of the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, yet here we are, two days before the Senior Bowl, and over a month until the Combine, and the Steelers just couldn’t wait any longer.
McCarthy has been let go not once, but twice. After a losing season with the Green Bay Packers, he spent time as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, where Jerry Jones opted not to renew his contract after, get this, another losing season.
So, because of this perceived rush to name the next head coach the day after the Baltimore Ravens name theirs, the Steelers just took a massive gamble. The one thing you always knew about a Tomlin-led team is that the playoffs were on the table in December. That hasn’t been the case with McCarthy multiple times in his career, and the Steelers may learn the hard way.
For more on what McCarthy brings to the Steelers, here is some analysis from A to Z Sports Green Bay writer Wendell Ferreira and A to Z Sports Dallas writer Mauricio Rodriguez.
Is the narrative surrounding Mike McCarthy wrong?
“Mike McCarthy is not perfect by any means, but he’s certainly underrated as a head coach. Compared to other coaches like Sean Payton, John Harbaugh, and Tomlin, McCarthy has similar results but a completely different narrative. McCarthy wasn’t given an elite Aaron Rodgers; he was a big part of the quarterback’s development (just watch Rodgers’ 2005 preseason highlights, and you will understand what I mean). McCarthy and Rodgers’ relationship went south to a certain extent in their later years in Green Bay.”
“But after the following experiences, both sides saw their respect grow back. There are legitimate concerns about the Steelers’ ceiling with McCarthy, especially after what the franchise went through with Tomlin lately, but he is a respectable leader and a positive influence in developing a potential young quarterback for the future. In a down year for up-and-coming offensive minds, it’s a safe solution.” – Ferreira
The truth about Mike McCarthy in Dallas
“McCarthy’s tenure with the Cowboys was better than many are willing to give him credit for. Under his watch, the Cowboys strung together three consecutive 12-win seasons. In 2023, he took full control over the offense when the Cowboys mutually agreed to part ways with Kellen Moore.
The results were immediate. That year, Dak Prescott played a career-best season that ended with him as runner-up to the MVP, while CeeDee Lamb was an OPOY candidate. While it’s true McCarthy’s Cowboys lacked playoff success, it’s important to point out a poorly built defense that couldn’t stop the run had plenty to do with that.”
“Another thing that is important to clarify is that last year, the Cowboys didn’t unilaterally decide not to bring McCarthy back. According to multiple reports, the Cowboys wanted McCarthy back on a short-term deal after the 2024 NFL season. McCarthy, however, wanted more job security in the form of a long-term deal. Ultimately, the Cowboys didn’t want to commit — Dallas is known for letting coaches coach out their deals to avoid paying guaranteed money in case of firings.” -Rodriguez
Pittsburgh Steelers News
NFL reveals why Steelers owner Art Rooney could be the hold up in finding the next head coach in Pittsburgh
Here is the latest on the Steelers head coaching search.
