McCarthy returns to the city he calls home after a winding NFL journey that included head coaching jobs in Green Bay (where he won Super Bowl XLV) and Dallas, and seemed to be nearing a possible end following his departure from the Cowboys after the 2024 season. Things changed, however, when Mike Tomlin stunned the NFL world by stepping down from his post in Pittsburgh after 19 seasons at the helm of the Steelers.

For the first time since 2007, Pittsburgh found itself in the market for a new coach. This time, the Steelers bucked convention, eschewing their tradition of selecting rising young coordinators and instead tabbing a veteran coach to fill the leadership void.

“You know we came into this wanting to hire the best coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We did not say we’re trying to hire a young defensive coordinator or an offensive guy,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “We had an open mind about it, I think, and really just like I said wanted to make sure we found the best coach and we were able to interview some great coaches. I won’t say it was an easy decision, but I would say at the end of the day, it was an obvious decision for us that Mike was the guy for the job.”

The logic behind the change in process was evident in Tuesday’s media session. The Steelers believe they’ve built a program that is capable of winning immediately under the right coach. It’s part of why McCarthy was so eager to return to his roots by accepting the job.

“Mike Tomlin and (general manager) Omar (Khan), they’ve left me a lot to work with,” McCarthy said, with Khan seated to his left. “I feel good about the direction, I’m really excited about the defense. It’s great seeing Alex (Highsmith) here because defense wins championships. You know the history of the Steelers defense and staying with the 3-4 is important, you know, as far as the origin of it. That’s something we can build off.

“I’ve been a head coach for 18 years. I’ve had one top-five defense, and we won a Super Bowl that year. So the importance of defense is critical.”

The biggest remaining question with the Steelers centers on the most important position in the sport: quarterback. Pittsburgh has attempted to remain competitive by relying on season-to-season signal-callers in recent years and was fortunate to reach the postseason in 2025 thanks in part to the performance of 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy’s former quarterback in Green Bay.

Some saw McCarthy’s hiring as a desperate attempt to convince Rodgers, who played for him with the Packers, to return for one more season, a notion denied by Rooney prior to Tuesday’s news conference. Still, McCarthy unsurprisingly fielded questions regarding Rodgers.

“Definitely. I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” McCarthy said when asked if he wanted Rodgers in Pittsburgh. “I just think just like anything, knowing Aaron long enough, going through seasons. .. I think when players … when guys are up at that stage of their career, they need to step away and decompress. I think that’s very important. The game is so emotional. What these men commit to, what they put into it. I think that time away is important.

“I have spoken to Aaron, so that’s really where we are there. But I was able to sit back and watch the games and watch most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.”

Rodgers enjoyed a largely successful season that fizzled out only after reaching the postseason and encountered a stifling Texans defense for which the Steelers’ offense was no match.

One-year stopgaps have led the Steelers to this situation — one in which they’re hoping a 42-year-old wants to play one more season. It’s never good for the long-term outlook. Pittsburgh’s new-look leadership group acknowledged the club remains intent on identifying and acquiring a quarterback of the future in 2026, and believes McCarthy is the perfect coach to give them the best chance of building a strong quarterback room that reaches beyond the starter.

“Well I think you’re always developing the quarterback,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been blessed to have great starters particularly the last one in Dak Prescott. Aaron in Green Bay. Brett (Favre). But we’ve always approached it as a quarterback group because that second quarterback, that third quarterback, they need to emulate the starter. That starter dictates the rhythm and the timing and precision with the perimeter guys. … I’m really excited about Will Howard. … I thought he really came on at Ohio State. I’m anxious to work with him. It would be great to have Aaron back but Will and Mason (Rudolph), I’m really excited to get started with those guys.”

The Steelers still have questions to answer in the offseason, but have addressed one of the two most important ones. It will be up to McCarthy and Khan to ensure they don’t take a step backward in the first year of the club’s new era.