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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 11: Mike McCarthy of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Believe it or not, despite nearly two decades of sustained success, former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin never captured the NFL Coach of the Year Award. The last time a Steelers head coach did win Coach of the Year was Bill Cowher in his inaugural season in 1992, making it 34 years since Pittsburgh has had a coach win the award. Mike McCarthy could change that, though, according to one NFL analyst.
In a recent piece for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks identified McCarthy as his “long-shot” candidate to win the league’s Coach of the Year honors in his first season leading the Steelers.
“This under-appreciated, Super Bowl-winning head coach has a chance to cement his legacy with a strong run in Pittsburgh,” Brooks wrote. “McCarthy takes over a longtime winner that had plateaued under Mike Tomlin, but the roster still features enough veteran playmakers to make a jump from good to great under new direction. If the veteran coach can get Aaron Rodgers to play like a top-half quarterback in a system that minimizes his deficiencies as a 42-year-old—while simultaneously prodding defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to help the vaunted defense regain its swagger and suffocating style—the Steelers will make plenty of noise as contenders.”
While Brooks stopped short of calling McCarthy a favorite for the award, the selection is an indication that the Steelers have at least someone in the national media world who thinks they’ll be a factor in the AFC North.
If McCarthy can guide the Steelers back into legitimate Super Bowl contention while maximizing the final chapter of Aaron Rodgers’ career, he’ll likely find himself firmly in the Coach of the Year conversation. More importantly for ownership, it would signal that a new era has gotten off to exactly the start the organization envisioned.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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