The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach.
After Mike Tomlin stepped down, the Steelers were in need of his replacement.
The oddsmakers did not favor McCarthy, as Chris Shula was the betting favorite to become the new head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McCarthy has his hands full, as Tomlin left the Steelers’ roster in shambles.
Gerry Dulac reports the Steelers and Mike McCarthy agreed on a five-year deal.
Below, we discuss whether hiring Mike McCarthy was the right move, what he can do to change Steeler fans’ minds, and who the Steelers should have hired instead.
Was Mike McCarthy The Right Hire?
The easy answer is this was absolutely not the right hire.
Mike McCarthy has proven he is an ok head coach at best.
While Mike Tomlin has no playoff wins in his last nine years, McCarthy has just one playoff win since 2016.
He led the Dallas Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons from 2021-2023, but won just one playoff game in the three-year span.
McCarthy also already had an established QB in Dak Prescott when he arrived in Dallas.
Pittsburgh’s current QB room is Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Aaron Rodgers may retire, and even if he does return, he is a shell of his former self.
McCarthy had a HOF QB in Green Bay in prime Aaron Rodgers, then a very good QB in Dallas with Prescott. Now, he goes to a team that has no idea who its franchise QB will be, and seems to be lost at the position.
It’s not just the QB room that is a disaster. In Dallas, McCarthy had WR CeeDee Lamb to work with. The only playmaker the Steelers have is DK Metcalf, who is an average WR.
Pittsburgh has had one of the worst offenses in the NFL over the last five years.
Hiring Mike McCarthy feels like the Steelers are treating the head coach position similarly to what they have done with the QB position.
They keep finding band-aid solutions at QB the last few years, and Mike McCarthy feels like a band-aid solution at head coach.
How Can Mike McCarthy Change Steeler Fans’ Minds?
As expected, Steeler fans are not thrilled that this is the direction the team went.
What McCarthy can do to change the attitude Steeler fans have towards this hire is find the team their next franchise QB.
Mike Tomlin failed to do this after Ben Roethlisberger left.
The Steelers have needed a QB for a few years and have been unable to find a future franchise QB.
If McCarthy can draft one, all will be forgiven by Steeler fans for this hire.
Steeler fans should not expect McCarthy to end the organization’s nine-year playoff drought until they find a QB.
If McCarthy can help find a future franchise QB and add some playmakers to make this offense improve, something Tomlin could not do, Steeler fans will come around to the hire.
Chris Shula Was The Best Choice
Chris Shula is a defensive-minded coach who is at the perfect age and would have been a long-term answer. Shula would’ve brought in his own offensive coordinator, which the Steelers desperately need.
He is doing a good job with the Rams’ defense. LA has a young defense, and the salary for LA is spent more on the offense. Still, Shula has the Rams playing well on defense.
They are in the NFC Championship game, and Shula is a big reason why. He learns under a tremendous head coach, Sean McVay.
Chris Shula is who the Pittsburgh Steelers should have hired as their next head coach.
