Mike Tomlin had some problems, but he never had a losing season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep him with them forever. Tomlin felt it was time to walk away from the Steelers after last season, and Mike McCarthy is now their head coach. While McCarthy has been a successful NFL head coach in the past, including winning a Super Bowl, analyst Charles Robinson has a bleak outlook on his future compared to other head coaches who got hired this offseason.
“I don’t like the situation Mike McCarthy is in,” Robinson said Wednesday on the Inside Coverage podcast. “We could argue whether or not it’s the worst, but with McCarthy’s age, he’s a win-now coaching hire. Fans can complain about Mike Tomlin all they want, but the second you fall on really hard times, I’m sure there are gonna be some fans who are really upset that Tomlin departs and Mike McCarthy is left trying to stich it all together.
“Beyond all that, you’re still sitting there staring at this quarterback problem. They’re expected to win games. They’re expected to get whatever gas they can out of this aging roster. They’re expected to somehow make the quarterback situation work with Aaron Rodgers…It’s all bad for Mike McCarthy.”
Despite the Steelers winning their division last year, Robinson is correct that they have some obvious flaws. Quarterback is the most glaring one. The Steelers currently have no long-term answer under center.
However, that’s part of the reason why they hired McCarthy. He has a long history of developing quarterbacks, helping players like Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, and Rodgers go on to have successful NFL careers. The Steelers could have a worse person in charge of finding their next franchise quarterback.
Also, while Art Rooney II expects the Steelers to continue competing for a playoff spot, he likely doesn’t have McCarthy on a short leash. The Rooney family has shown a lot of patience in the past. McCarthy will likely be given time to try to execute his vision.
That job security makes some of the Steelers’ current issues slightly less alarming. At least McCarthy has some nice pieces to work with. The Steelers have decent young players along their offensive line, and their defense is loaded with talent. Yes, some of the top players are a little older, but that unit has some quality younger pieces, too.
McCarthy’s stint as the Steelers’ head coach could end in disaster. If he can’t solve their quarterback dilemma, then he could be stuck in the same position Tomlin was. However, he’ll have time to get the Steelers back on track. It’s important to show him some patience, especially this first year.
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