The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it official: Mike McCarthy is the new head coach, stepping in to replace the legendary Mike Tomlin. And while the move doesn’t exactly send shockwaves through the NFL, it does send a ripple of reassurance through Cincinnati-because for the Bengals, this hire might just be the best news they’ve gotten all offseason.
Let’s start with the basics. McCarthy, 62, becomes the first Steelers head coach in decades to take the job well past his 30s.
Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Tomlin were all young guns when they took the reins in Pittsburgh. McCarthy?
He’s a proven veteran, sure-but this hire feels more like a nod to stability than a leap toward innovation. And that’s where things get interesting.
Because while McCarthy brings a Super Bowl ring and a résumé packed with double-digit win seasons in both Green Bay and Dallas, he also brings baggage-particularly in the postseason. His Packers teams often looked like juggernauts in the regular season, only to fall short when it mattered most.
His Cowboys tenure followed a similar script. The last time we saw one of his teams in the playoffs, they were heavy home favorites... and got run out of their own building by the Packers.
That inconsistency, especially in the postseason, is part of what led the Steelers to move on from Tomlin in the first place. So for Pittsburgh to turn around and hire a coach with a nearly identical playoff profile? It’s a curious choice.
And then there’s the quarterback question. McCarthy has worked with some serious talent under center-Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Dak Prescott in Dallas.
But heading into 2026, the Steelers’ QB situation is a giant question mark. Rodgers rumors have swirled for months, but even if there’s a flicker of interest, we’re talking about a 42-year-old quarterback with a significant injury history.
That’s hardly a long-term solution, and it’s a shaky short-term one at best.
McCarthy’s known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, so maybe there’s a plan to draft and groom someone. But until that plan materializes, it’s hard to see how this offense takes a meaningful step forward-especially with a defense that’s expensive, aging, and can’t carry the team forever.
Let’s not forget what plagued McCarthy’s Cowboys: discipline. Penalties were a recurring issue in Dallas, and after McCarthy’s departure, the problem didn’t magically disappear.
In fact, the Cowboys led the league in penalties this season, averaging 7.8 per game. That kind of sloppiness won’t fly in Pittsburgh, where fans expect a certain standard of play, especially after two decades of Tomlin’s steady hand.
So what does all this mean for the Bengals? Well, while Pittsburgh is rolling the dice on a familiar face, Cincinnati is sticking with Zac Taylor and a coaching staff that’s built a strong foundation around Joe Burrow.
Continuity matters-especially in a division as competitive as the AFC North. And when your biggest rival is hitting the reset button with a coach whose best days might be behind him, it’s hard not to feel a little more confident about your own direction.
Make no mistake, the Steelers still have talent. If they find a competent quarterback this offseason and McCarthy can get the offense humming, they could absolutely be a playoff team in a year like 2025.
But that’s probably the ceiling. A fringe contender, maybe a division title in a down year.
Sound familiar? It should-it’s essentially how the Tomlin era ended.
That’s why this hire feels like a win for the Bengals. Pittsburgh may have made a safe choice, but safe doesn’t scare Cincinnati. Not with Burrow under center, a young core in place, and a coaching staff that knows how to maximize it.
So while the Steelers look to recapture past glory with a coach from a past era, the Bengals are charging into the future. And for Who Dey Nation, that’s exactly where you want to be.