Steelers' Mike McCarthy Helped Save Former MVP's Career

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has received yet another endorsement for his renowned ability to develop quarterbacks.

While speaking with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, Rich Gannon stated that working with McCarthy helped him improve his game exponentially and would've aided him even more if the pair worked together earlier in his career.

"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 was Gannon's quarterbacks coach from 1995 to 1998, and the latter went on to become the 2002 NFL MVP as well as a four-time Pro Bowler (1999 - 2002) and two-time first-team All-Pro (2000, 2002) with the Oakland Raiders.

"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."

May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy observes OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can McCarthy Work More of His Magic in Pittsburgh?

The Steelers don't need to look any further for direct evidence of McCarthy's excellence as a curator of quarterback talent than Aaron Rodgers.

The four-time MVP was a second-year player when McCarthy was hired by the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2006 campaign, and he blossomed into one of the best players at the position in NFL history under his tutelage.

From Joe Montana to Brett Favre and Dak Prescott, McCarthy has an impressive list of signal callers he's had the opportunity to coach, and Pittsburgh's hope is that he can successfully impart his wisdom on Will Howard and Drew Allar.

McCarthy knew he had his work cut out for him as soon as the Steelers selected Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old's mechanics were all out of whack, and the team made the conscious decision to have him as the only quarterback at rookie minicamp as a means of pouring as much attention into him as possible.

Allar showed considerable improvement as the offseason program went on, and while he still has a ways to go, any sign of progress at this stage is promising for the Steelers.

In Howard's case, McCarthy sung his praises immediately upon taking the job. After watching a large chunk of his rookie year get wiped out due to a hand injury, he's come back and looked comfortable so far this offseason while making himself the early favorite to win the backup job over Mason Rudolph.

McCarthy's quarterback school has a track record of success, and if both of the Steelers' young signal callers continue flashing their potential once training camp and the preseason arrive, it'll prove that the team is in the right hands.

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