Seeing Aaron Rodgers reunite with Mike McCarthy feels like stepping back into the early 2010s, except now it’s 2026, and both veterans seem to be approaching the twilight of their careers on a completely different team. Although they had a 12-season partnership with the Green Bay Packers, it ended on a sour note, and ESPN reporter Ben Solak raised concerns about it.

“I shouldn’t be forced to watch Aaron Rodgers-McCarthy in 2026,” said Solak on a recent episode of Up & Adams. “I did my watching of Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy in the late 2010s, and I watched it fall apart. It was like eight years ago. There’s no reason to do it again.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Aaron Rodgers, who delivered a commendable performance. Although he considered retirement after the 2025 season, he is seemingly back for another season, reconnecting with his former coach, Mike McCarthy, who was brought in to replace Mike Tomlin.

The first association of Rodgers and McCarthy at the Green Bay Packers brought glory days to the franchise, particularly in the early 2010s. Rodgers was on the roster for McCarthy’s entire tenure from 2006 to 2018 and became the team’s starting quarterback in 2008, going on to lead Green Bay through its most successful stretch of the period.

Across their time together, the quarterback–head coach duo made nine postseason appearances and won one Super Bowl. They reached the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2016, compiling a 125-77-2 regular-season record and capturing the Super Bowl title in the 2010 season.

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Beyond their team’s success, the Steelers’ new head coach played a major role in improving Rodgers during his prime years and helping cement his status among the league’s elite quarterbacks. Under Mike McCarthy, Rodgers won two MVP awards (2011 and 2014) and earned multiple Pro Bowl selections during one of the most productive stretches of his career.

While their resume is impressive together, it’s been eight years since they last joined hands, and a lot has transpired since then. An aging Rodgers left Green Bay after 18 seasons, while McCarthy found mixed results with the Dallas Cowboys, peaking with a Divisional Round appearance in 2022. But their on-field success masked a growing tension behind the scenes.

The longstanding tension between Rodgers and McCarthy

Their relationship eventually became strained toward the end of their time in Green Bay, but there is no evidence that tension existed before they began working together. Mike McCarthy was the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 when the team selected Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers with the No. 1 overall pick, a draft decision that famously sent Rodgers sliding to Green Bay.

The former Packers running back Ryan Grant mentioned that when McCarthy was hired as the Packers’ head coach, it didn’t sit well with the quarterback. Moreover, in an interview with ESPN in 2019, the former Packers HC recalled that he got frustrated with the four-time MVP winner due to their more than a decade-long working relationship.

“Aaron’s always had a chip on his shoulder with Mike,” Grant told Bleacher Report. “The guy who ended up becoming your coach passed on you when he had a chance. Aaron was upset that Mike passed him, that Mike actually verbally said that Alex Smith was a better quarterback.”

Additionally, a report from the Bleacher Report once suggested that the veteran player didn’t think highly of McCarthy, with some sources even claiming that his football IQ was questioned. Their tension reached such a breaking point that Rodgers changed plays at the line of scrimmage at times.

When the Super Bowl-winning HC was with the Dallas Cowboys, their relationship reportedly mended, and they are on good terms once again. As their reunion happens after eight years, the Steelers fans hope they can replicate their past brilliance.