As the Pittsburgh Steelers enter a new era under head coach Mike McCarthy, legendary linebacker James Harrison is calling for similar boldness at the quarterback position. Since franchise icon Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2021, the Steelers have cycled through short-term solutions at the position to maintain their nearly two-decade streak of not having a losing season. Now, with rumors swirling that 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers could rejoin Pittsburgh for one last season, Harrison is urging his former team to abandon the stopgap approach.

“I have nothing against Aaron,” Harrison said on his Deebo & Joe podcast. “We either ride it out like we either go rise or crash and burn, and whichever process that is, I’m hoping it rises, and we’re able to do what’s necessary to bring back that seventh Lombardi. But if it crashes and burns, that’ll be an opportunity to be able to go get one of those franchise quarterbacks.”

While Aaron Rodgers had a solid 2025 season with 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, at age 42, he isn’t the future of the franchise. Hence, Harrison wants the Steelers to move forward with backup quarterback Will Howard, who was the franchise’s 2025 sixth-round draft pick.

“It’s just that, in the process of trying to further the organization, that doesn’t further us. Art [Rooney II] said that [Mike] McCarthy told him that he likes Will Howard. I would rather go and see what Will could do. Even if we crash out, maybe that’s a good thing,” Harrison said on a previous episode of his podcast.

Pittsburgh picked Howard based on his stellar leadership skills and ability to win big games at the college level. At Kansas State, Howard refined his dual-threat ability, recording 5,786 passing yards with 48 touchdowns while adding nearly 1,000 rushing yards with 19 scores. His profile then took an astronomical rise as he transferred to Ohio State for the 2024 season.

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As the QB1, Howard led the Buckeyes to a 14-win season and the College Football Playoff National Championship. During this stellar run, he completed 73 percent of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. With these stellar numbers and his CFP Championship, Howard certainly has the makings of a top quarterback and could very well emerge as the future QB1 for the Steelers.

The decision now rests with Mike McCarthy, who faces the daunting challenge of succeeding Mike Tomlin after his dominant 20-year tenure. With expectations sky-high, experts believe the former Dallas Cowboys head coach is already on the hot seat before the 2026 season even begins.

Insiders believe Mike McCarthy is already on the hot seat

As the 2025 NFL season concludes with the Seattle Seahawks winning Super Bowl LX, power rankings for the next calendar year are already out, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are already finding themselves in a precarious position. The Athletic’s Josh Kendall and Chad Graff have placed Pittsburgh 14th because the franchise decided to hire Mike McCarthy.

“Mike McCarthy is already on the hot seat,” Kendall and Graff wrote. “Pittsburgh wins the offseason award for Most Uninspired Head Coaching Hire. After hiring three straight young coaches, who each kept the job for at least 15 years, the Steelers brought in a 62-year-old Pittsburgh native who has one playoff win since 2016.”

McCarthy has been one of the top coaches in NFL history, leading his teams to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons, with an 11-11 postseason record, eight division titles, and a Super Bowl. His 174 career wins are 13th in league history. But like the Steelers, McCarthy also has just one playoff win since 2016, raising questions about whether he is the right man for the job.

With mounting pressure and skepticism surrounding his hire, McCarthy must prove he can adapt to modern NFL demands. His choice at quarterback will likely determine whether Pittsburgh’s gamble on experience pays off or forces the rebuild James Harrison believes may be necessary.