When the Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from Mike Tomlin, some sections of the fan base were happy that the franchise might finally go in the same direction as other NFL teams.
Hire a young, fresh, offensive mind to take charge of the franchise.
But that’s not what happened.
Yes, they got an offensive mind, but not the one they wanted, with the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy to be their next head coach.
Fans aren’t happy, expressing their disappointment on social media, and now Stephen A. Smith, who was on ESPN’s First Take, isn’t impressed by the hire, either.
“I’m not moved at all,” Smith said. “I’m not going to be disrespectful to Mike McCarthy and act like the man can’t coach, you go with a 62-year-old, the last time we saw him he was in Dallas. Obviously, they had back-to-back-to-back 12-win seasons, so they had some success there, but they didn’t do anything in the playoffs.
“That’s who you pick? It’s nothing to be excited about to be quite honest.”
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Is McCarthy the right guy?
That is up for debate, but a quick scan of social media gives an idea of how Steelers fans feel.
They don’t think so.
But McCarthy has had success in the league, albeit years ago with Aaron Rodgers, not to mention the “success” in Dallas. However, Stephen A. pointed out that the Cowboys never did anything in the playoffs.
So how can Steelers fans expect anything different in 2026 when there’s a real chance that someone like Mason Rudolph is the starter? Unless Pittsburgh goes shopping in free agency or trades for a quarterback.
This was a chance for the Steelers to buck the trend.
Instead, they’ve stayed on the same tracks as the previous two decades.
