McCarthy began his head coaching career with the Green Bay Packers in 2006. He spent 13 seasons with the Packers, compiling a 125-77-2 record and leading Green Bay to six NFC North titles, including a 31-25 victory over the Steelers in Super Bowl 45 alongside Aaron Rodgers. After the Packers waived him in Week 13 of the 2018 season, McCarthy spent a year on the sidelines before getting another chance.

He ended up getting it with the Cowboys. In Dallas, the combination of McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott led to success in the NFC East. Coach McCarthy led Dallas to a 49-35 record, 12 wins in three seasons and two NFC East titles. The two teams parted ways after the campaign on July 10, 2024 after failing to agree on new contract terms.

With McCarthy taking another year off, the Steelers hope he can repeat his success in Pittsburgh. The Steelers haven’t won in the playoffs since the 2016 divisional round and have lost seven straight in the postseason.

In 2025, the Steelers turned to Rodgers, now 42, to fix their recent struggles in the playoffs. Pittsburgh won the AFC North in the final regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens, but their postseason woes continued as they lost to the Houston Texans in the wild card round.

It seemed unlikely that Rodgers would re-sign with Pittsburgh to continue playing after Tomlin decided to resign, but could a reunion with McCarthy change his mind? Given their long history in Green Bay, that’s certainly a possibility.

It’s going to be a busy offseason for the Steelers, but for now they’ve found a new leader in McCarthy.