In the time since the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as the franchise’s new coach, most of the discussion has focused on how he might improve the passing game.

But what about the run game? That needs to get a lot better too. The team was only 26th in rushing yards per game at 103.3 in 2025.

“I love it because there is an intent behind everything,” running back Jaylen Warren said. “The way we work things, the way we move around here, you can tell the run game is going to be a big part of our game.”

The word “intent” is very specific. So I asked McCarthy what Warren meant by that phrase.

“I’d say it’s detailed,” he said. “There’s definitely intent in what we’re trying to accomplish based on the families that we’re running. We’re very distinctive about what the outside zone will be to us and how it’s paired with the inside zone. Then the pattern schemes and the gap schemes, and then the actions that come off of that. It’s very intentional the way it’s designed and the way it’s put together.

“I think that’s what he means. I do agree with him.”

Amplifying McCarthy’s point about how the outside and inside zones are “paired,” and how “the actions” come off of one another, guard Spencer Anderson said that can keep opposing defenses guessing.

“There’s a little bit of nuance,” Anderson said. “Being an offensive-minded coach, there are always plays you want to set up. A play off of inside zone to this … or that. It’s been good having an offensive coach as the head guy and learning the West Coast offense.”

During his 13 years as coach in Green Bay, plus his five years coaching Dallas, McCarthy’s run games averaged out to be middle of the pack. Over those 18 seasons, McCarthy’s offenses averaged a ranking of 17th in the league in rushing at 111.7 yards per game.

 

More sports

• Steelers see potential in deep defensive line group full of both experience, young talent
• Pirates’ Carmen Mlodzinski, bumped from rotation, tells team he isn’t ready to pitch
• Busy recruiting weekend continues for Pitt, as Panthers land several new 2027 commitments
 

Remember, though, most of those seasons occurred with Dak Prescott and peak Aaron Rodgers as McCarthy’s quarterbacks. At 43, I’m sure McCarthy will have more of a mindset to protect Rodgers, and part of that protection should come by way of him handing the ball off more often than he did when the two were together in Green Bay.

“Coach (McCarthy) will say when you get into December and playoff football, you’ve got to be able to run the football. So that’s something that’s been in this city and been in this (franchise’s) DNA. That’s something I believe in,” offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said before the draft. “You’ve got to be a tough, physical team. You’ve got to be able to run it when they know you’re going to run it. We’ll certainly strive to continue that.”

Reincorporating a fullback may help. Prior to this year, the Steelers had used Connor Heyward in that capacity to a certain extent. But he was as much an H-back or tight end as he was anything else. The drafting of Indiana rookie Riley Nowakowski could result in the Steelers using a traditional fullback more often.

“I’ve played with as many as three fullbacks on a 53-man roster in my time as a head coach. I think it’s an important position. I think it’s part of playing Pittsburgh Steelers football. We will definitely tilt that way,” McCarthy said last week. “I’ve started my journey in coaching in the two-back offense, I still believe in the principle of it and still teach from the foundation of a two-back offense.

“We have some guys to work with (in) the fullback/tight end position of versatility, position, scheme, skill set and flexibility. It’s important for those groups. Definitely, I would always prefer to have a fullback.”

Nowakowski says he’s a good fit.

“It’s a downhill, attack mindset,” Nowakowski said of McCarthy’s run scheme. “That’s how I block. I’m a downhill guy. It’s a match made in heaven.”

A challenge for McCarthy and his offensive coaches will be to replace the 537 rushing yards (and 486 receiving yards) from team MVP Kenneth Gainwell. He departed for Tampa Bay in free agency.

Signing Rico Dowdle ought to aid those efforts. Sticking with the power theme, he’s about two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier (5-foot-11, 215) than Gainwell (5-9, 200). He also had a career-best 1,079 rushing yards under McCarthy in 2024, then 1,076 in Carolina last year.

Featured Local Businesses

More local businesses

Dowdle has faith he can help McCarthy replicate some of those numbers after reuniting with him in Pittsburgh.

“He wants to establish that run game to get it going,” Dowdle said. “Later on in my career in Dallas, my last year there, we were able to start getting that rolling. So we’re just going to try and continue to build off of that.”

When it comes to success in Pittsburgh offensively, there hasn’t been much to build off of at all in recent years. So whatever strides McCarthy makes will resonate even more than the stats may suggest. His theories seem sound when he talks about them out loud. Then again, so did Mike Tomlin’s and Arthur Smith’s.

Putting those theories into practice will be a matter entirely of its own.

Listen: Tim Benz and Chris Adamski discuss Steelers OTAs in this week’s offseason podcast