The Pittsburgh Steelers are not simply handing quarterback Aaron Rodgers a familiar offense and expecting him to make it work heading into the 2026 NFL season, which he has affirmed will be his last. New head coach Mike McCarthy has confirmed major changes to the system while keeping some of last season’s language and concepts intact.
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“I think I made this statement when he returned is you know, we built this offense around his experience,” McCarthy said in Monday’s Week 1 press conference. “We’ve made terminology changes, and by no means do we want to slow him down. You’re talking about a wealth of experience, talent, production. I think it’d be foolish for me to not rap right into that.”
McCarthy, who replaced Mike Tomlin as Pittsburgh’s head coach this offseason, has a particularly good reason to build around what Rodgers already knows. The two worked together for 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, winning Super Bowl XLV and producing some of Rodgers’ best football. But they have not worked together since 2018, so this is not simply a case of opening an old playbook and pressing rewind.
McCarthy is taking over an offense that already had an established vocabulary, so he has chosen to preserve pieces that Pittsburgh’s players understand while changing how the unit operates. For Rodgers, that means fewer unnecessary mental hurdles. For everyone else, it means learning McCarthy’s version of the offense without having to forget everything they knew a year ago.
One of the clearest changes is happening before the ball is even thrown. Rodgers has pushed for Pittsburgh to operate from under center more often, particularly on early downs, with play-action becoming a bigger part of the plan.
“It starts under center. Some of the best offenses in the league are not too shotgun-happy.”
During training camp, PennLive.com Steelers beat reporter Nick Farabaugh also noted that the Steelers were using more under-center looks than usual.
Pittsburgh can threaten the defense with the run and play-action from the same initial look, which can create cleaner windows for Rodgers. It also fits the veteran quarterback’s current game better. PFF noted that Rodgers released the ball in an average of 2.58 seconds last season, the third-fastest mark among qualifying quarterbacks, making quick decisions and creating easier throws especially important as he enters his 22nd NFL season.
McCarthy is also looking for ways to get more from wide receiver DK Metcalf, whom Pittsburgh acquired before Rodgers’ second season with the team. Rather than leaving the 6-foot-4 receiver parked in one spot, McCarthy has said he wants to move Metcalf around the formation. That gives Rodgers more chances to identify favorable matchups before the snap instead of waiting for Metcalf to win one in the same place every time.
The need for that creativity is obvious when you look at Rodgers’ first season in Pittsburgh. The veteran quarterback finished 2025 with 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while starting all 16 games, but his 44.4 QBR ranked 23rd in the league.
The Steelers went 10-7 in the regular season (10-6 with Rodgers as the starter), yet their offense still finished only 15th in scoring. There was production there, but McCarthy has plenty of room to squeeze more out of it.
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Rodgers has already noticed a difference in the Steelers camp. “I think we’re ahead of where we were last year,” he said during camp, while praising TE Pat Freiermuth, Metcalf, TE Robert Tonyan, and more.
That does not guarantee anything once real defenses arrive, but it is an encouraging early sign from the quarterback who has to make McCarthy’s ideas work on Sundays.
There is also a younger supporting cast around him. Roman Wilson has taken first-team work from the slot, while rookie Germie Bernard has also earned opportunities during camp. Rodgers has praised the young pass catchers, and their development could become crucial if Pittsburgh wants to create more options without asking its veteran quarterback to manufacture everything himself.
McCarthy has already acknowledged that missed assignments were running “a little higher than normal” during camp, a reminder that a new system does not become second nature overnight.
If the under-center work, Metcalf’s movement, and improved chemistry with the younger receivers translate to Sundays, Pittsburgh could finally have an offense that looks built around what its quarterback does best.
And there is very little time to figure it out. Aaron Rodgers has one season left, McCarthy is starting a new chapter in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers are coming off another playoff appearance that ended without a win. The offense does not need to be revolutionary. It needs to be sharper, more flexible, and far more dangerous when the games matter most.