Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy Will Have Unique QB-Coach Reunion With Steelers

Upon agreeing to re-sign with the Steelers, Aaron Rodgers is not only is reuniting with Pittsburgh, but he’s reuniting with Mike McCarthy.

Rodgers played under McCarthy for 13 years on the Packers from 2006 to ‘18, when McCarthy was fired 12 games into the season. During that span, they won 107 games, which per ESPN Insights, ranks ninth all-time by a head coach-quarterback duo. They made eight postseason appearances after Rodgers became the starter, and brought home the Packers’ fourth Lombardi trophy and 13th total championship at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Ironically, the team they beat in that Super Bowl, the Steelers, is the one they are now leading together, 20 years after McCarthy first arrived in Green Bay.

Though the Rodgers-McCarthy tenure in Green Bay was overall a success, the era did end on a sour note with frustrations over play-calling and tension in the relationship. That friction has cooled in the time since McCarthy’s departure, with both figures expressing appreciation for the other in recent years. Now, they’ll get to work together once more.

The reunion marks an uncommon one between a head coach and quarterback on another team. It is not often that the starting quarterback and a head coach find the same roles on another franchise later in their careers. It is especially rare in a for a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Over the years, several head coaches have brought their former quarterbacks to their new team in the Super Bowl era. This does include some quarterbacks who spent significant time as a backup at one or more stops. Here are some examples:

Mike Holmgren & Matt Hasselbeck: Packers (1998) and Seahawks (2000-08)
Lovie Smith & Josh McCown: Bears (2011-12) and Buccaneers (2014)
Mike Shanahan & Steve Beuerlein: Raiders (1988-89) and Broncos (2001-03)
Don Shula & Earl Morrall: Colts (1968-69) and Dolphins (1972-76)
Dan Reeves & Steve DeBerg: Broncos (1981-83) and Falcons (1998)
Dick Vermeil & Trent Green: Rams (1999) and Chiefs (2001-05)
Pete Carroll & Geno Smith: Seahawks (2019-23) and Raiders (2025)
Dennis Allen & Derek Carr: Raiders (2014) and Saints (2023-24)
Bill Parcells & Vinny Testaverde: Jets (1998-98) and Cowboys (2004)
Bill Parcells & Drew Bledsoe: Patriots (1994-96) and Cowboys (2005-06)
Bruce Coslet & Boomer Esiason: Jets (1993) and Bengals (1997)
Bum Phillips & Ken Stabler: Oilers (1980) and Saints (1982-84)

Of these pairings, Don Shula and Earl Morrall proved the most successful. The winningest coach in NFL history and the greatest backup quarterback ever, Morrall was a two-time first-team All-Pro under Shula while filling in for Hall of Fame quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. He won NFL MVP while filling in for Unitas in 1968 and started nine games to help the Dolphins go 14-0 in their undefeated 1972 season.

Mike Holmgren and Matt Hasselbeck experienced some success together in Seattle, their second stop. Hasselbeck was a three-time Pro Bowler and helped the Seahawks reach their first-ever Super Bowl. Dick Vermeil and Trent Green had some nice seasons on the Chiefs, with Green making two Pro Bowls and Kansas City reaching the postseason in 2003.

The only other Hall of Fame quarterback to find themselves in this situation is Raiders legend Ken Stabler, who spent the majority of his career under Hall of Fame coach John Madden. After Stabler left the Raiders, he played under Bum Phillips on the Houston Oilers, and later followed Phillips to the Saints. The team had a good first season with Phillips and Stabler together in 1980, going 11-5 before losing to the Raiders in the wild-card round.

Now, McCarthy and Rodgers will become the latest coach and quarterback to join forces on another team. It’s hard to imagine them replicating the success of Shula and Morrall or Holmgren and Hasselbeck, but perhaps they could lead the Steelers to the playoffs like Phillips and Stabler or Vermeil and Green.

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