Mike McCarthy Wants Aaron Rodgers Under Center in Pittsburgh - And Rodgers Might Be All In
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ new head coach isn’t wasting any time making his intentions clear. Mike McCarthy, who just took the reins in Pittsburgh, reportedly wants 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers to remain the team’s starting quarterback heading into the 2026 season.
And if that sounds like a reunion tour, well, it kind of is - but this time, it’s not about nostalgia. It’s about unfinished business.
McCarthy and Rodgers go way back. Their partnership in Green Bay spanned over a decade, from 2006 until partway through 2018.
During that stretch, they built one of the NFL’s most potent offensive machines - a Super Bowl title, multiple playoff runs, and a quarterback who evolved into one of the most gifted passers the league has ever seen. But their relationship wasn’t always smooth.
There were clashes, philosophical differences, and, eventually, a split. Still, it seems time - and perspective - have done some healing.
Veteran NFL writer Ian O’Connor, who authored a 2024 book on Rodgers, recently shed some light on where things stand between the two now. Speaking on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, O’Connor said he spoke with both Rodgers and McCarthy while working on the book - and came away with a clear picture: the relationship is in a better place than it ever was in Green Bay.
Rodgers, in his own words, didn’t deny the tension of the past. “We did butt heads from time to time,” he told O’Connor.
“But at the end of the day, we lit it up for a lot of years.” That’s a pretty honest reflection from a quarterback who’s never been shy about speaking his mind - and it speaks volumes about where his head might be as the Steelers weigh their quarterback options for 2026.
It’s not just about rekindling old chemistry. There’s a deeper story here - one that’s easy to forget in the swirl of headlines and hot takes.
Mike McCarthy played a major role in shaping the quarterback Rodgers became. As O’Connor pointed out, when Rodgers came out of Cal, he had a mechanical, almost robotic style.
His throwing motion was stiff, with the ball tucked near his earhole - not exactly the fluid, improvisational wizard we know today.
McCarthy saw that and helped unlock something more dynamic. He loosened Rodgers up, helped him become more athletic in his movements, and gave him the freedom to evolve into one of the most instinctive and creative quarterbacks in NFL history. That transformation doesn’t happen without coaching - and McCarthy, O’Connor argues, never really got the credit he deserved for that development.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated echoed that sentiment earlier this week, noting that McCarthy deserves recognition for rebuilding Rodgers' mechanics and guiding him into the four-time MVP he became. It’s a reminder that behind every elite quarterback is a coach who helped mold the raw talent into something special - and in this case, that coach is back in the picture.
Now, the question becomes: what does Rodgers want? At 42, he’s earned the right to weigh his options.
Retirement is on the table. So is free agency.
If he wants to chase one more ring, he could test the waters with a contender elsewhere. But according to reports, the Steelers are hoping for clarity by early March.
They want to know if Rodgers is in or out before free agency kicks off.
If O’Connor’s insight is any indication, Rodgers isn’t likely to leave McCarthy - or the Steelers - hanging. There’s a mutual respect here, a shared history, and perhaps a shared vision for what’s next.
And if Rodgers decides to run it back with McCarthy, this time in black and gold, it won’t just be a reunion. It’ll be a calculated move by two veterans who believe they’ve still got something left to prove - together.