The Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers.
Mike McCarthy. It's a trio etched into NFL lore - forever linked by one unforgettable Super Bowl run and over a decade of shared history.
Now, in a twist that feels straight out of an NFL scriptwriter’s dream, Rodgers and McCarthy could be on a collision course for a reunion - not in Green Bay, but in Pittsburgh.
Let’s rewind for a second. Rodgers and McCarthy brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown with a win in Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers, a moment that cemented their legacy in Packers history. Fast forward 15 years, and the possibility of rekindling that partnership - this time wearing black and gold - is suddenly on the table.
Rodgers had hinted last summer that the 2025 season might be his last dance. But after the Steelers bowed out in the Wild Card round, the four-time MVP pumped the brakes on any retirement talk. He said he wanted time to make a clear-headed decision - a familiar refrain for Packers fans who’ve seen this movie before.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are deep into their coaching search following Mike Tomlin’s departure, and Mike McCarthy has emerged as a serious contender. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, that development could have ripple effects - including potentially luring Rodgers back for one more run.
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Pelissero floated the idea that if Rodgers were to return in 2026, it might only be for one coach - McCarthy.
“Don’t discount that if Aaron Rodgers is ever going to play football again, the one person on the planet besides Mike Tomlin he might consider doing that with is Mike McCarthy,” Pelissero said.
He doubled down later in the week, adding: “I do believe that if Aaron Rodgers were coming back to play for one coach in 2026, it would be Mike McCarthy.”
Now, to be clear - the Steelers aren’t eyeing McCarthy just to lure Rodgers. This is about long-term vision.
McCarthy has a proven track record with quarterbacks, and Pittsburgh sees him as someone who can develop the next face of the franchise. But let’s be honest - if a Rodgers comeback comes as a bonus?
That’s a pretty enticing kicker.
Of course, the Rodgers-McCarthy dynamic hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Their final years in Green Bay were rocky.
The offense grew stale, frustrations mounted, and McCarthy was let go in 2018. Rodgers then thrived under Matt LaFleur, winning two more MVPs and leading the Packers to multiple playoff runs.
But despite the rocky ending, the respect never left. Rodgers has consistently credited McCarthy for shaping his career and has kept elements of McCarthy’s system in his game even after the coaching change.
Remember the early LaFleur days, when debates swirled about Rodgers’ reluctance to use motion? That was a window into just how ingrained McCarthy’s influence remained.
Their bond goes beyond football. Fourteen years together, 100 regular-season wins, nine playoff victories, and a Super Bowl ring will do that. And despite the ups and downs, the friendship has endured.
For McCarthy, the Pittsburgh job would be more than just another stop. It’s home.
He grew up a Steelers fan, dreaming of the black and gold. If he lands the gig, he’ll have coached three of the NFL’s most storied franchises - the Packers, Cowboys, and potentially the Steelers.
That’s a coaching résumé that speaks for itself.
For Rodgers, the idea of one last ride - with the coach who helped mold him, for the team he once beat on the sport’s biggest stage - is poetic. A second Super Bowl, this time with the Steelers instead of against them? That’s the kind of full-circle moment that legends are made of.
Nothing’s set in stone yet. But if McCarthy ends up in Pittsburgh and Rodgers decides he’s got one more run in him, don’t be surprised if we see a familiar duo back at it - this time, in a different jersey, chasing one last shot at glory.