Dan Orlovsky Feels Bringing Aaron Rodgers Back and Hiring Mike McCarthy Would Be Steelers’ “Worst Decision”

The Steelers are interested in hiring former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy as head coach and possibly bring back Aaron Rodgers for another year as the quarterback.

Dan Orlovsky Feels Bringing Aaron Rodgers Back and Hiring Mike McCarthy Would Be Steelers’ “Worst Decision”

Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy and Dan Orlovsky inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are deep into their head coaching search as January nears its end. According to sources, the Steelers have interviewed 10 candidates. One of the leading names on the list is Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy, a veteran of the game, coached the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl win before spending a few years in Dallas. From 2021 to 2023, McCarthy led the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons. He left the Cowboys after the 2024 season.

Although he was strongly connected to several opportunities, McCarthy took a year off from coaching, and now he’s back on the market again. His next destination could be the Steelers. And it makes a lot of sense.

McCarthy grew up in Pittsburgh and received his early coaching education at the University of Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant. All indications suggest that McCarthy will be the next head coach of the Steelers. If that’s the direction the Steelers are leaning, then maybe McCarthy could persuade Aaron Rodgers to come back for the 2026 season.

The McCarthy-Rodgers duo ruled the 2010s, racking up multiple division titles and even snagging a Super Bowl ring together. Running it back with this duo once more in 2026 could be the route Pittsburgh takes to make a push for a deep playoff run.

However, the higher-ups should listen to what Dan Orlovsky has to say before making any decisions.

Hiring Mike McCarthy and bringing Aaron Rodgers back would be the worst decision Pittsburgh could make.

Dan Orlovsky said in the latest episode of Get Up on ESPN

Dan Orlovsky explains why he’s not in favor of the Steelers reuniting Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers in 2026

Hours after the Steelers lost to the Texans in the wildcard round, Mike Tomlin stepped down as the head coach. His entire coaching staff followed him out of Pittsburgh, including long-time special teams coordinator Danny Smith (now with the Buccaneers).

Dan Orlovsky Feels Bringing Aaron Rodgers Back and Hiring Mike McCarthy Would Be Steelers' "Worst Decision"
Aaron Rodgers (Image via IMAGO)

The 2025 Steelers promised a lot but delivered very little. Even in a weak AFC North, they didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the very last day of the regular season. Tomlin was running on fumes at that point, and the Texans burned off the final inches of his tenure.

Rodgers looked better than most anticipated. That being said, he’s 42, and only he knows the extent of the wear and tear on his body. He will be a year older in a few months, and quite frankly, the Steelers are unlikely to make a rapid improvement while he’s still the signal caller.

Obviously, Aaron is one of the all-time greats. To hire Mike McCarthy and bring Aaron back is going to place you quite literally in the same position you’re in right now in January of 2027.

Dan Orlovsky said

McCarthy’s no spring chicken either. In fact, he’s almost a decade older than Tomlin. Sure, he will arrive with a pedigree and a CV that rivals even Andy Reid. But it makes little sense for the Steelers to green light Rodgers for another year. Then again, the opposite could also happen, Pittsburgh might finally break the Super Bowl jinx.

The last time the Steelers hoisted football’s ultimate prize, Ben Roethlisberger was the man under center. Big Ben, the aptly named two-time champ, made it clear what he expects from the Steelers’ next coaching hire.

My first thought is, I want an offensive-minded head coach… I would love a younger, offensive-minded head coach, a [Sean] McVay-ish, a Ben Johnson-ish who would focus on the offense and hopefully would be successful enough that you could keep him here … the next long-term coach.

Roethlisberger said on “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” (H/T: FOX News)

The Steelers have taken that into account. One of the names linked to the job is Rams’ passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. According to inside sources, the Steelers’ hiring team was impressed by Scheelhaase’s vision when they interviewed him.

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