As the Pittsburgh Steelers’ search for a worthy successor to Ben Roethlisberger approaches its second half-decade, Art Rooney II acknowledged that the team’s choice of its next head coach was highly influenced by the ability of that man to develop the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback.
Speaking to the team’s official website Sunday, the Steelers president said the choice of former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was done because of the organizational priority to identify and develop a young quarterback.
“I hesitate to say that’s No. 1. I think No. 1 is we want a coach who’s going to lead the team to win a championship,” Rooney said. “But maybe high on the list after that is someone who can develop a quarterback. And since sooner or later we’re going to be working with a young quarterback here, I think Mike’s ability to develop the next quarterback is something that certainly is important to us.”
The Steelers have had five different Week 1 starters over the past five seasons since the final year of Roethlisberger’s career in 2021. They have gone though seven starters overall since then, six since Roethlisberger retired in January 2022.
McCarthy has worked with the likes of Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana and Dak Prescott over an NFL coaching career that spans three-plus decades.
Who will be the Steelers quarterback come September is up for considerable debate. But, Rooney said, McCarthy is impressed by at least one internal option.
“He likes Will Howard,” Rooney said. “(He) thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him.”
Howard was a sixth-round pick last season, 3 1/2 months after leading Ohio State to the national championship. Howard was the Steelers’ No. 3 QB much of his rookie season but did not take a snap of game action — even during the preseason when a hand injury prevented him from playing.
While the Steelers’ 2025 starter, the 42-year-old Rodgers is a free agent and contemplating retirement, Mason Rudolph is under contract for a ninth NFL season in 2026.
“Obviously, (McCarthy) feels like Mason can be a contributor,” Rooney said. “We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense. I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”
Rooney said McCarthy was the choice after he, general manager Omar Khan and other select members of the Steelers’ hierarchy had conducted in-person interviews with McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver but before they sat down with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula or pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase.
The Rams played in Sunday’s NFC Championship game, and, therefore, their assistants were off-limits to other teams for in-person interviews for head coach until Monday.
The Steelers had talked virtually to Shula, Scheelhaase and five others within the three days after Mike Tomlin stepped down Jan. 13. With the exception of Weaver, the Steelers felt no need to meet in person with any of them.
“We sat down (after Weaver’s interview Friday) and talked about whether we had our man, or if we wanted to bring in more people for in-person interviews,” Rooney said. “We decided that Mike was the man for the job, and so we went ahead and offered him the job on Saturday.”
In explaining the decision beyond McCarthy’s QB-development chops, Rooney touted McCarthy’s track record (185 career wins, eight division titles and one Super Bowl ring in 18 seasons).
“He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been,” Rooney said.