The Pittsburgh Steelers have found the successor to Mike Tomlin: Former Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy. However, judging by the immediate backlash, this hiring has led to more confusion and disapproval than enthusiasm and optimism.
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McCarthy became just the fourth head coach in Steelers’ history since 1969. For an organization that prides itself on stability, continuity, and long-term thinking, the hire felt jarringly rushed. After all, bringing in a 62-year-old coach at the unfavorable end of his career doesn’t exactly scream longevity.
Fans weren’t subtle about it, and called the hire everything from “uninspired” to “the biggest downgrade imaginable”. Because the void left behind by Tomlin’s resignation is gaping. This frustration was echoed by two-time Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden, who voiced his confusion in a segment on CBS Sports HQ.
Speaking about the timing of the decision, the former Steeler admitted he was caught off guard. “I called it weeks ago, but hearing the news today that it is a reality, I’m a bit shocked, and I’m confused,” said McFadden.
The issue, in McFadden’s view, wasn’t hiring McCarthy. It was why the Steelers felt compelled to hire a new coach so quickly. McFadden then broke down his take logically.
In the coaching carousel, McCarthy was loosely tied to only two teams: The Titans and the Giants. Both have filled their vacancies. “So if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers,” McFadden explained, “and if you really had a significant liking with Mike McCarthy, you weren’t pressed to make this decision happen today.”
And then McFadden introduced Chris Shula into the conversation. According to the CBS analyst, Shula impressed heavily during his virtual interview. The only reason an in-person meeting did not happen was that the Rams are still in contention for the Super Bowl.
“If you just waited maybe 48 hours,” McFadden said, referencing the Rams’ NFC Championship game against the Seahawks, “you potentially could get that in-person interview with a guy like Chris Shula… And really get a great understanding of if this is a guy you would like to build your future around.”
That’s the crux of McFadden’s critique. Waiting two more days wouldn’t have cost Pittsburgh any leverage because Mike didn’t have any publicly reported offers on the table. Waiting for Shula would have first expanded the decision-making window. And second, it would have given fans the trust that their team thoroughly interviewed every candidate before making the decision.
Instead, the organization pushed forward, and McFadden made it clear the choice was intentional. “The organization felt like this was the deal they needed to make known today publicly,” he said.
For most of the Steelers’ fanbase, a Shula-led staff, potentially paired with an offensive mind like Nathan Scheelhaase, would’ve represented a clean pivot into the future.
Shula fits Pittsburgh’s traditional mold of a young, defensive-minded, promising coach, much like Tomlin was for the Vikings and Tampa Bay back in the day. The fact that Shula developed under Sean McVay and lives by modern schematics adds to his appeal.
Scheelhaase, meanwhile, has built a reputation as a quarterback developer and offensive innovator, having spearheaded the Rams’ outrageous offense this season as their pass game coordinator. But more importantly, hiring the duo would’ve aligned with the franchise’s long-term identity of building a system through the right coaching talent. Instead, the Steelers chose familiarity and experience in McCarthy.
This doesn’t mean the former Packers coach is doomed to fail in Pittsburgh. But it is also not a convincing hire for a fanbase unfamiliar with instability and insecurity. And, as McFadden made it clear, the Steelers’ decision also says a lot about their comfort level rather than their ambition going forward.
