Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb spent the first five seasons of his career playing for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy with Dallas. Appearing on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Lamb lit up when talking about McCarthy and offered a glimpse into what the Steelers can expect from their new head coach.
“He’s a great guy. He loves Pittsburgh. I love Mike,” Lamb said. “Just coming in, he’s a great time. As soon as you walk in the building, you’re gonna feel his energy and you’re gonna feel what he wants to do. He wants to go vertical with the ball, I’ll tell you that right now.”
“That’s another guy I feel like I would run through a wall for.”
McCarthy has been on the job for nearly three months now, so the Steelers should be somewhat familiar with him personally. But the team hasn’t hit the field with McCarthy running the show yet, and they won’t until voluntary workouts begin next month. McCarthy has a reputation for being a players’ coach, similar to Mike Tomlin, but it will certainly be an adjustment for some veterans who have only played under Tomlin.
The McCarthy hire drew initial criticism, and there’s always a chance it doesn’t work out. It’s a hire that doesn’t fit what the Steelers have traditionally done, but the team has also only hired four head coaches since 1969. While they hired a young, defensive-minded head coach in Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin, they hired a veteran, offensive-minded coach in McCarthy. The Steelers’ offense hasn’t been good as of late, and McCarthy could be a catalyst for turning it around.
Lamb certainly enjoyed a lot of success under McCarthy, going over 1,000 yards in every season except his rookie year. In 2023, Lamb caught a career-high 135 passes for 1,794 yards and 12 touchdowns. While it’s hard to see a Steelers receiver matching that sort of production, it’s what someone like DK Metcalf should strive for in a McCarthy-led offense.
Of course, the Steelers aren’t going to have a quarterback this year with the talent Dak Prescott had when he was playing under McCarthy, but there’s certainly a chance that the team can find its quarterback of the future to develop with him at head coach. While Lamb never experienced much playoff success under McCarthy, it’s clear he has a lot of respect for his former coach and is excited for him in Pittsburgh, which should be a good sign for this crop of Steelers being able to mesh with McCarthy.
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