The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ decision to hire Mike McCarthy has immediately put owner Art Rooney II in the crosshairs, sparking harsh criticism and a dire prediction about the team’s future. Now, according to a renowned American sportscaster, bringing McCarthy in was a rush call, and the ownership should have at least waited until the other candidates were interviewed. His verdict made headlines as it came with a frustrated prediction.

“I can see it now: The Steelers go 9-8 next season with 43-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round 34-13, and then have Rooney tell the world his team was “in contention, and that’s what you want,” Joe Starkey said.

“The precious non-losing streak will reach 23 years. What is this man doing? He couldn’t at least wait to interview the two enticing Los Angeles Rams candidates in person? Nobody else wanted McCarthy. What was the rush?”

The bold admission came after NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Steelers would be hiring McCarthy as their new head coach. The team also confirmed that they have a verbal agreement in place with McCarthy. As analysts predict, the decision was made to shift the coaching team’s approach from defense.

The team’s last three head coaches, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin, believed in defense-first football. That style became part of the team’s identity and helped bring long-term success. Hiring Mike McCarthy points to a clear change in thinking. However, the sportscaster Joe Starkey believed that the team’s management should have waited to review other options as well.

Reports suggested that the team looked at several strong coaching options before making Mike McCarthy their top priority. One big name was Brian Flores, who entered the hiring cycle as an early favorite. Flores already had experience in Pittsburgh after serving as a senior defensive assistant in 2022, and the team respected his leadership style and defensive strength.

Another big name was the Rams’ defensive coordinator, Chris Shula. Despite meeting virtually, Shula impressed the Steelers with his football knowledge, youth, and strong coaching background.

However, McCarthy’s deep connections with general manager Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl appear to have given him an edge. As the update continues to draw more reactions, it turns out that Starkey wasn’t the only one who warned the team of this idea. 

Renowned commentator marks Mike McCarthy’s hiring as a “bad idea”

The decision to appoint Mike McCarthy as the Steelers’ new head coach is consistently drawing criticism. Recently, another renowned sports columnist and commentator, Skip Bayless, also stepped forward and expressed his disappointment with the move, making it clear that this wouldn’t yield expected results. He also saw the decision as a measure to reunite Aaron Rodgers with his former coach at the Packers, making it clear that things have changed quite a bit over time.

“It’s a bad idea,” Bayless said on YouTube. “It won’t work… Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers did one great thing together long ago, in a galaxy far away, in Green Bay… I think they want [Rodgers] back, and I think he wants to go back, obviously now reuniting with Mike McCarthy… Aaron Rodgers is now washed up, but the Steelers can’t let him go,” he added.

McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers shared a strong connection during their time with the Green Bay Packers. They worked together for 13 seasons (2006 to 2018) and became one of the best coach-quarterback duos in the NFL. McCarthy’s offensive system helped Rodgers win two NFL MVP awards (2011, 2014) and led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in the 2011 season.

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Regardless of that past connection, things have changed a lot as of now. It’s not the same Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers locker room who once led the Packers to Super Bowl glory. So, it remains to be seen if McCarthy and Rodgers can once again brew some magic together or if it becomes another failed attempt for the Steelers to try their luck at winning the Super Bowl LXI.