Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy talks with officials during warmups prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field. Philadelphia won 39-26.
© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for their 2026 preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers, the game will mean a little more than your run-of-the-mill mid-August exhibition.
While on paper, the Steelers and Packers don't have too much shared history, save for a single consequential showdown in Super Bowl XLV, for Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, it's a completely different story, as the duo cemented their legacies in the NFL's smallest sports town.
Discussing the additional emotions that will inevitably come along with the preseason debut, his first game paired up with Rodgers since their time together with the Packers, on Tuesday, McCarthy admitted that while there is a lot of history between the two sides, in the end, he's more concerned with getting his team ready for Week 1.
“Definitely, I mean, there's no doubt about it. I mean, our history there is obviously long, and the success we had there. You get to spots like this, the personal relationships, the people,” McCarthy said. “You think about, obviously, having personal and professional connections to Green Bay. That's part of my life. But I'm more worried about our pre-snap penalties right now, to be honest with you.”
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Will it be an unusual sight to see Rodgers and McCarthy, both wearing Steelers black and white, across the field from the men who replaced them, Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur? Most certainly so, but considering everything new in Pittsburgh this year, maybe McCarthy is right. Maybe the most important thing for the Steelers is to get their ducks in a row, as for the first time in over two decades, they have a new coach leading their franchise in pursuit of Super Bowl glory.