‘Aaron Rodgers could just…’: Insider drops bombshell on Steelers QB's future after Mike McCarthy hired

Following Mike Tomlin's exit, the Steelers appointed Mike McCarthy as head coach. Here's a look at Aaron Rodgers history with McCarthy

Updated on: Jan 25, 2026, 01:12:19 IST

By Shirin Gupta

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired Mike McCarthy for their open head coach position following Mike Tomlin's unexpected exit after 19 seasons. Amidst the offseason games, this could potentially impact Aaron Rodgers’ retirement plans.

Following Mike Tomlin's exit, the Steelers appointed Mike McCarthy as head coach. Here's a look at Aaron Rodgers history with McCarthy. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (AP)

Rodgers was trained as a QB by McCarthy when he coached the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl with Rodgers as his quarterback.

Sports Journalist also said Tom Pelissero said in an X post, “If there’s one coach besides Mike Tomlin that Rodgers would consider playing for, it’s McCarthy, who helped mold Rodgers into a four-time NFL MVP in Green Bay.”

The history between Rodgers and McCarthy

In 2005, Rodgers was selected by the Green Bay Packers as the 24th overall pick. A year after Rodgers joined the team, McCarthy joined Green Bay, starting his career as the head coach.

The team defeated the Steelers in the Super Bowl after making an underdog run through the 2010 playoffs. McCarthy had a 125-77-2 record in his 13 years with the Packers.

From 2006 until 2018, McCarthy served as the Packers' head coach for a total of 13 years. Through these 13 years, Rodgers and McCarthy have worked together and built a deep bond amid Rodgers’ Hall of Fame-level career.

Will McCarthy's entry in the Steelers change McCarthy's retirement plans?

Rodgers, 42, came to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 only to play for head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin's departure at the end of the season appeared to be an indication that Rodgers would move on, too; either by retiring or signing a free agent contract with another team.

This would have been bad news for the Steelers. The team currently has Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as the only two QBs under contract.

Bringing in McCarthy may weigh in on Rodgers decision of heading for free agency or retirement. No confirmation has been received from Rodgers about his decision yet.

However, Pelissero confirmed in an X post that the Steelers did not hire McCarthy to hold Rodgers from retiring this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

Catch all the latest Sports News, scores, and highlights in one place. Stay updated with real-time coverage of your favorite games and athletes along with Lionel Messi latest updates.