The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided who will get the vacant head coaching job for 2026. Adam Schefter of ESPN has reported that the team is hiring Mike McCarthy as its new head coach.
As for the contract details, those haven’t been revealed yet, but McCarthy earned around $8 million a year with the Cowboys. Per Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report, “McCarthy and his agent could reasonably demand a contract averaging somewhere in the eight figures.” The lenght of the contract is still a mystery, but the average of these hires go around three-to-five year deals.
Mike Tomlin used to earn $16.5 million per year after he signed a three-year extension back in June 2024. Hence, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for McCarthy to earn around $10 million-$12 million, giving him the eight figures that were reported as the asking price.
McCarthy becomes the fourth Steelers HC since 1969
One of the most stable jobs in the NFL, the Steelers are well-known for not changing head coaches often. From 1969 to 1991, Chuck Noll was at the helm of the team. Bill Cowher inherit the team and he coached it from 1992-2006 to much success as well. It was Mike Tomlin’s turn after that, and he coached the franchise from 2007 all the way to 2025. Now, Mike McCarthy gets the job at 62 years old.
McCarthy’s hire might come from one key aspect. He worked with Steelers general manager Omar Khan in 2000 back in New Orleans. This means they know each other and it’s a long-time relationship, something that bolds well with the Steelers’ culture and stability. Also, this could also mean Aaron Rodgers returns for one more year, as he worked, successfully, during their days at Green Bay.
McCarthy has his roots in Pittsburgh
McCarthy is actually from Pittsburgh, and always admired the Steelers. He worked as a graduate assistant at Pitt back in the late 1980s. McCarthy’s father was a Pittsburgh firefighter and even owned a bar. McCarthy is coming back to his home.
A Super Bowl winner, McCarthy spent five seasons with Dallas before taking a year off and landing this gig. As the Cowboys HC, McCarthy had a 45-35 record and three-straight 12-5 seasons. He has a career 174-112-2 record as a head coach.