Aaron Rodgers Mike McCarthy
Getty
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a lot of positive things to say about Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy were rumored to not be on the best of terms all the time when the pair were together with the Green Bay Packers. After winning a Super Bowl in January 2011, yearly playoff disappointment and a collapse in the 2018 regular season led to McCarthy’s exit with the Packers.
This week, Rodgers addressed McCarthy during an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. The quarterback, though, had nothing but really positive things to say about his former head coach.
“Mike’s one of the great guys in the league, just an absolutely exceptional human being with a huge heart,” Rodgers said. “We had a lot of great years together, a lot of fun. He really cares about the players, but he also holds guys accountable and creates a lot of structure and details in the process.”
The Steelers faced significant criticism for hiring McCarthy in January. Rodgers strongly pushed back on those critics Wednesday.
“Mike bleeds Pittsburgh, PA, and I think there’s something special about that — for a guy who’s going to come home and lead a historic franchise. … There’s only a few of those cornerstone franchises,” Rodgers added. “Who else would you rather have lead?
“A guy that literally bleeds black and gold and loves the city with all his heart. And this is like a dream job for him.”
A Greenfield, PA native, one of McCarthy’s first coaching jobs was at Pitt about three and a half decades ago. But 2026 will be the first time he coaches his childhood NFL team.
McCarthy grew emotional about his opportunity to coach the Steelers in his introductory press conference in January.
Aaron Rodgers Praises Mike McCarthy, Former Packers Staff Members Now With Steelers
McCarthy isn’t Rodgers’s only former Packers coach to land in Pittsburgh this offseason. McCarthy hired several assistants he has previously work with, including some from his Packers tenure. A couple of those assistants are former Rodgers teammates.
On offense, the Steelers hired James Campen and Jahri Evans as offensive line and assistant offensive line coaches, respectively.
Rodgers explained how much that has warmed his heart this offseason.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that was something that I enjoyed seeing,” Rodgers said of Campen and Evans. “All those guys getting back together. It’s some of the guys that had the greatest impact on my career.”
Rodgers played for Campen as long as he did for McCarthy in Green Bay. In 2017, Evans blocked for Rodgers was one of his teammates offensive line teammates.