Art Rooney II is desperate. Desperate to win a playoff game. And who can blame him? After all, by the standards of the Steelers' storied legacy, his tenure has been a letdown—except, of course, when it comes to profits. (Let’s face it, the Steelers are too big to truly fail. Lucky for Rooney.) But here’s where it gets controversial: in his quest to achieve the bare minimum, Rooney has set the stage for mediocrity to linger for years to come. Enter Mike McCarthy, a hire that feels less like a step forward and more like a sideways shuffle—or worse, a step back.
Rooney had a golden opportunity for a fresh start when Mike Tomlin stepped down. He could have followed the tried-and-true Steelers formula: hire a young, rising assistant coach hungry to prove himself. It worked with Chuck Noll (37), Bill Cowher (34), and Tomlin (34). But instead, Rooney went with McCarthy, who at 62, is nine years older than Tomlin is now. And this is the part most people miss: McCarthy isn’t a bad coach—he won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 2011 and had three consecutive 12-win seasons with Dallas. His playoff winning percentage (.500) even edges out Tomlin’s (.400). But hiring him feels like digging the hole deeper, not climbing out.
McCarthy is essentially an older, slightly different version of Tomlin: offensive-minded, good with quarterbacks, and with a résumé that feels like a rough equivalency. The problem? Old-school coaches don’t typically oversee rebuilds or plan for the long term. They lean on veterans, stick to outdated strategies, and convince themselves the team is closer to success than it really is. (Did the Steelers look close in that playoff loss to Houston? The Texans stumbled for three quarters and still won by 24.)
Now, the Steelers are stuck in a cycle of chasing short-term wins. Beg Aaron Rodgers to return—no deadline, no pressure. Let him take his time, explore better options (which he definitely will), and discuss it with his wife. Meanwhile, the team remains boring beyond comprehension, a far cry from the dynasty Rooney’s grandfather founded and his father and uncle built.
Rooney didn’t even bother to interview the Rams’ assistants—defensive coordinator Chris Shula and passing-game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase—in person. It feels lazy, especially since McCarthy wasn’t exactly in high demand. Or maybe Rooney feared Shula and Scheelhaase would push for an analytics-driven overhaul, which the Steelers’ ancient methodology couldn’t handle. Either way, it’s a missed opportunity.
Defenders of the hire argue McCarthy won’t be around long. If that’s true, why hire him at all? The answer is simple: to win a playoff game. After nine seasons of postseason drought, that’s become the Steelers’ primary goal. Winning a Super Bowl? That’s just lip service now. For Rooney, a playoff win feels like a championship—hence the Rodgers gamble and the McCarthy hire.
But is this obsession sustainable? Only Rooney knows. What’s clear is that he’s falling short of his family’s legacy. He wants to be his father, but he’s more like Fredo Corleone—the one who can’t. And that’s the real problem.
So, what do you think? Is hiring McCarthy a desperate move or a calculated risk? Can the Steelers break free from mediocrity, or is this the new normal? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—agree or disagree, the debate is wide open.
