Steelers' Mike McCarthy Criticism Has Gone Too Far

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue catching strays from around the NFL world for their hire of Mike McCarthy as Mike Tomlin's successor in the head coaching seat.

In their latest power rankings following Super Bowl LX, The Athletic's Josh Kendall and Chad Graff placed the Steelers at No. 14, which was a two-spot drop from their prior iteration at No. 12.

That wasn't the most striking aspect of the piece, though. Instead, it was the fact that Kendall and Graff listed their main takeaway for Pittsburgh as being that McCarthy is "already on the hot seat".

"Pittsburgh wins the offseason award for Most Uninspired Head Coaching Hire," they wrote. "After hiring three straight young coaches who each kept the job for at least 15 years, the Steelers brought in a 62-year-old Pittsburgh native who has one playoff win since 2016."

Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II (left) talks with Mike McCarthy (right) at a press conference introducing McCarthy as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Has the McCarthy Criticism Gone Too Far?

From the moment Tomlin stepped down less than 24 hours after the Steelers' Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans, marking their seventh-straight playoff defeat, there were calls for the organization to deploy the same strategy they have in the past and target a younger head coach who could lead the team into a new era while also having the potential to stick around for a decade-plus.

Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase quickly became a fan-favorite candidate, as did Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, among others, but the buzz surrounding McCarthy's name only continued to grow as Pittsburgh travelled deeper into its search.

Then, on Jan. 24, the Steelers officially made the decision to bring McCarthy back to his hometown.

That choice was met with criticism given McCarthy's lack of recent playoff success as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, which drew him some comparisons to Tomlin in an unflattering manner in that regard.

A lot of the detractors of the hire believed Pittsburgh passed up an opportunity to find a long-term head coach while failing to keep up with the practices of the more forward-thinking organizations around the league.

While all of those talking points are fair, and McCarthy wasn't a perfect candidate by any means, declaring that he's already on the hot seat feels way too premature.

It's easy to forget that he won 12 games for three seasons in a row with Dallas from 2021 to 2023 while his offense led the league in points in the first and last years of that stretch.

McCarthy has had the fortune of working with incredibly talented rosters throughout his head coaching career, especially with prime Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, but he deserves credit for consistently having his time in the playoffs, much like Tomlin did.

Additionally, McCarthy ranks No. 15 all-time in head coaching wins with 174.

What Kind of Pressure is McCarthy Under in 2026?

Though McCarthy, who signed a five-year contract with Pittsburgh, almost surely won't be let go unless the 2026 campaign is an unmitigated disaster, he's still facing plenty of pressure to win in his first year on the job.

The Steelers' roster has enough talent to compete for a postseason spot, even if there are some notable holes, and McCarthy is an experienced, offensive-minded coach who should be able to elevate the team on that side of the ball while Patrick Graham resides over the defense.

Though a potential Rodgers return, and reunion with McCarthy, isn't the most inspiring outcome in the world, the four-time MVP is still capable of playing at a solid-enough level to put points on the board while the defense holds the fort down on the other end.

If the Steelers fall short of expectations and miss the postseason or even lose in the Wild Card round for the third-straight season, however, McCarthy is certain to face additional disapproval.

He knows what he's getting himself into, but he is also well-equipped to weather the storm.

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