The biggest news out of the NFL so far this week was the decision the Dallas Cowboys made to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy. Why is this relevant to the Pittsburgh Steelers? A couple of reasons, I suppose.
First off, the fanbase and frankly most pundits have turned on Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and want him gone. The Steelers finished the 2024 season with four straight regular season losses and yet another one and done in the playoffs. Every potential head coaching candidate is going to draw the attention of Steeler Nation, especially one that has had success.
Second, McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy. He was born in Pittsburgh and has ties to the area going way back. If you are hiring for nostalgia, McCarthy is the kind of coach that old-school fans would embrace.
Is McCarthy an upgrade? It’s impossible to speculate. In terms of record, McCarthy and Tomlin are very similar and frankly, he’s developed something of an underachiever reputation as well. But what we keep hearing is a new face and a new philosophy is what this team needs.
We know the team has reportedly already said they plan to keep Tomlin around but the sudden availability of a high-profile coach like McCarthy could change that.
Personally, we are torn on the idea. McCarthy doesn’t bring a lot of innovation to the table in terms of scheme but one big edge he has over Tomlin is his willingness to let his offensive and defensive coordinators implement their systems rather than run what he wants.
