Mike McCarthy’s reputation as a quarterback developer keeps getting reinforced, and Rich Gannon is the latest former star to put it into words.
Speaking with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, Gannon said McCarthy changed the way he played and prepared, even if that influence arrived later than he would have liked.
“I really feel, looking back, like I wasted my first seven years in the league,” Gannon said. “I'm not going to criticize other coaches, but if I had someone like Mike in the first half of my career, it would have been a lot different. He just made me a better player.”
McCarthy coached Gannon as quarterbacks coach from 1995 to 1998, and the results came later in a big way. Gannon went on to win the 2002 NFL MVP award with the Oakland Raiders, while also earning four Pro Bowl nods from 1999 through 2002 and two first-team All-Pro selections in 2000 and 2002.
Gannon didn’t stop there when describing McCarthy’s impact.
“I was almost 30 years old before I learned how to prepare for a week of football,” Gannon said. “I had blinders on for the first seven years.
I wasn't exposed to that type of preparation. I owe a lot to him.
"The attention to detail was like nothing I had ever seen. He's head and shoulders above everyone else.”
For the Steelers, the best proof of McCarthy’s quarterback work is already obvious in Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy was hired by the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2006 season, when Rodgers was still a second-year player, and Rodgers eventually developed into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history under his guidance.
McCarthy’s coaching tree also includes names like Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Dak Prescott, and Pittsburgh is hoping that same touch carries over to Will Howard and Drew Allar.
Allar gave McCarthy an immediate challenge after the Steelers took him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. His mechanics were described as being all out of whack, and the Steelers made a point of having him as the only quarterback at rookie minicamp so he could get maximum attention.
The early returns have been encouraging. Allar has shown notable improvement as the offseason program has moved along, and while there is still work to do, any progress at this point is a positive sign for Pittsburgh.
Howard’s path has looked smoother so far. McCarthy praised him right away after taking the job, and after a rookie year that was heavily interrupted by a hand injury, Howard has looked comfortable this offseason. He has also emerged as the early favorite to win the backup job over Mason Rudolph.
That’s the kind of track record that keeps McCarthy’s quarterback school in high regard. If Howard and Allar keep building once training camp and the preseason arrive, the Steelers will have plenty of reason to believe they’ve got the right man guiding the room.
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