Following Mike Tomlin’s departure and Mike McCarthy’s arrival as the new head coach, the Steelers front office has moved quickly and decisively to put together McCarthy’s coaching staff. Just days before Super Bowl LX, Pittsburgh has locked in its offensive coordinator for the upcoming campaign while also filling two other key vacancies.

“The Steelers have agreed with Vikings TE coach Brian Angelichio to be Mike McCarthy’s offensive coordinator, per sources,” posted Gerry Dulac on X.

The 53-year-old worked in Minnesota with the Vikings for the past four seasons. He served as their passing game coordinator and tight ends coach.

In fact, for most of Angelichio’s college and NFL coaching journey, he’s worked as a tight ends coach. Before the Vikings, he had stints with Rutgers and Pittsburgh in the NCAA, followed by seasons with the Buccaneers, the Packers, and the Browns.

TE T.J. Hockenson excelled under his guidance.

The TE’s box score read 86 receptions for 914 yards and 6 touchdowns. Minnesota topped the NFC North with a 13-4 record and went to the playoffs. With such an impressive record, his arrival in Pittsburgh makes a lot of sense since the franchise is in the bottom half when it comes to offense.

Besides Angelichio, two other coaches are also headed to Pittsburgh.

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First is Joe Whitt Jr., and second is Shawn Howe.

As per Tom Pelissero, Whitt will be the assistant head coach/secondary coach. The Commanders fired Whitt in January 2026, after the franchise finished last in total defense (384 YPG). Despite that, McCarthy is ready to put his faith in him. The reason? When McCarthy was the HC of the Packers, Whitt was there with him.

Initially, he served as the defensive quality control coach, but they promoted him to cornerbacks coach, and then he became the pass game coordinator. He was one of the key individuals who helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV. The Steelers’ assistant coach left the Packers after the 2018 season.

However, he reunited with McCarthy in Dallas, where he spent the 2021-2023 seasons. In his 14 seasons with McCarthy, Whitt has reached the playoffs 11 times. So, McCarthy is ready to get to work with Whitt once again.

Even bringing in Montana State defensive coordinator Shawn Howe is a tactical decision by the Steelers. Under Howe, the Bobcats have experienced one of their best seasons. They are the topper of Big Sky with a winning streak of 14 games. They won all three of their playoff games.

On another note, there’s more brewing in the Steelers locker room right now.

Mike McCarthy’s coaching hires may change the trajectory for Aaron Rodgers

For the longest time of his career, veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has played under HC Mike McCarthy. From reaching multiple playoffs to winning Super Bowl XLV, the duo took the Packers to their peak. While many expect a reunion between the two in Pittsburgh, McCarthy’s one coaching staff hiring decision may change it all.

McCarthy is trying to bring back his old group of assistant coaches to the Steelers. One of them happens to be Frank Cignetti Jr., whom the Packers hired in 2018 to replace QB coach Alex Van Pelt. According to CheeseheadTV’s Aaron Nagler, the decision did not sit well with Rodgers.

The quarterback had a great relationship with Van Pelt and was upset that McCarthy did not communicate with him regarding the hiring. The situation took an even worse turn when Rodgers stopped communicating with Cignetti. Instead, he mostly communicated through backup quarterback Tim Boyle.

“I think the [Cignettu] hiring tells you that Mike McCarthy, that this is a very intentional hire by Mike McCarthy,” said Fox Sports Radio’s Colin Cowherd on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Mike has staff leverage here, and I think what he’s doing—what have his two hires been? Frank Cignetti and the O-line coach [James Campen]. I love that the news out of Pittsburgh is an offensive improvement. So McCarthy is making his tweaks.”

He further added, “I think this signals the end of Aaron.”

Bringing in Cignetti could indicate his exit, but in 2025, he did shout out to Cignetti. If he dislikes him, he could have opted out of giving him a shout-out. Nonetheless, he did, and it looks like the ten-time Pro Bowler is well over his problem with Cignetti.

Regardless of everything, McCarthy has given Rodgers time to make his decision.

“McCarthy says he has spoken with Rodgers but knows Rodgers—like most older players—needs some time away to consider his future,” reported Tom Pelissero of The Athletic, via X.

Rodgers had an impressive season, considering he is 42. A 66% pass completion and 94.8 passer rating show that he is still at the top of his game. But whether he will return is the main question. His contract is up, and his reason for joining the Steelers was Mike Tomlin.

Now that Tomlin is gone, it will be interesting to see the decision the quarterback takes. Will he hang up his cleats, or does he have fuel for another season?