Of the Steelers’ coaching staff for the 2026 season, only two return from last year, and just one on offense: Tom Arth. The team’s quarterbacks coach, he is the only point of consistency for that entire unit. And like the lone coach retained on defense, he previously worked with new HC Mike McCarthy.
Briefly, anyway. A former quarterback, Arth was briefly with the Packers in the offseason during McCarthy’s first season there. He has been coaching since 2010, with the Steelers for the past two seasons. At the Combine, GM Omar Khan explained why he is still here.
“Tom [Arth] and Mike [McCarthy] have some history together,” the Steelers GM said. “But Tom’s done an awesome job with those guys and those players really like him. The young guys, the older guys. It’s important. He’s here for a reason.”
Granted, Khan didn’t elaborate extensively on why the Steelers retained Tom Arth. The most obvious reason is the fact that McCarthy chose to do so. Maybe he made a lasting impression two decades ago that summer. Aaron Rodgers would have known him as well, and McCarthy confirmed he has spoken with Rodgers.
Between 2024 and 2025, Arth worked with two completely different quarterback rooms. In his first season, he had Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen. All left in free agency, and the Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers, brought back Mason Rudolph, and drafted Will Howard. The Steelers changed the rest of the coaching staff, but if the quarterback room remains the same, that stability is important.
One imagines the Steelers’ quarterbacks gave McCarthy good reviews of their position coach, or Arth wouldn’t be here. McCarthy has his own history of developing quarterbacks, one of the qualities the Steelers found most attractive in hiring him.
Though he never worked with him on the Steelers’ coaching staff, former QB Ben Roethlisberger gave Arth a glowing endorsement. But perhaps what most caught the attention this past year was his work with Will Howard.
Despite missing most of the crucial development time on the field, the Steelers’ new coaching staff, including Mike McCarthy, is very high on the 2025 rookie. Arth obviously had a hand in that as his position coach. One could argue that, given the injury that kept him from practicing, Arth’s coaching was even more important in the development he did have.
But if Howard isn’t their future franchise quarterback, then Arth’s job is not done. At some point within the next few years, the Steelers know they will have to find and coach up somebody else. They could have Aaron Rodgers this year, but that’s not a long-term solution. And at least for the time being, they like what they have seen from Arth well enough to leave him in charge. That could change by this time next year. But right now, he is the most important position coach on the Steelers’ staff.
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