The Pittsburgh Steelers made Mike McCarthy their next head coach in part because of his history developing quarterbacks. He’s worked with some of the NFL’s best, most notably Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy became the Green Bay Packers’ head coach in Rodgers’ second season, overseeing many of his best years. Now, the two could reunite with the Steelers. While some question how much of a role McCarthy played in Rodgers’ success, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt tried to set the record straight on that.
“Whether he brings in Aaron or not, I don’t know,” Brandt said Thursday on his Business of Sports podcast. “People can say, ‘That won’t get them very far.’ What will get them far? You name a quarterback that’s going to get them far. Someone they’re going to draft in the late-to-middle of the first round? Or someone they’re going to trade for, or they’re going to break the bank for Daniel Jones?
“Aaron’s fine. Aaron’s not Aaron that we knew in Green Bay. But Aaron’s good, top-12 quarterback, [top] 10. Why wouldn’t [McCarthy] want Aaron Rodgers, who he worked with, who he developed back when Brett Favre was our quarterback? Mike was instrumental in Aaron’s development as a young player. If Aaron’s going to play, that’s where he’s going to play. I don’t think there’s any other option.”
Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. There weren’t many players better than the four-time NFL MVP in his prime. McCarthy deserves some credit for that. Rodgers was drafted in 2005, and he was seen as a great prospect. However, he still fell to the 24th pick in the first round.
Did sitting behind Brett Favre for three seasons also help Rodgers? Yes. While Favre might not have been much of a mentor, Rodgers still got to see how one of the best operated. Additionally, he wasn’t forced to start before he was ready.
After Favre and the Packers split in 2008, Rodgers didn’t come in and instantly thrive. He had good pieces around him, including a receiver corps that included Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and rookie Jordy Nelson. However, Rodgers finished his first year as a starter with 4,038 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
The point is that Rodgers needed to improve, and he didn’t do that on his own. McCarthy helped plenty of quarterbacks, such as Matt Hasselbeck. While Rodgers was more talented than any other signal caller McCarthy coached, he and Rodgers had success together for over a decade. There are reasons for that beyond Rodgers’ own greatness.
However, could the two of them recreate that with the Steelers? That’s unlikely. As Brandt says, Rodgers isn’t the same player that he once was. Also, there’s no telling if he even wants to play again. Rodgers could decide to retire. He’s been considering it for a while. Still, if Rodgers decides to return, it’s easy to see him re-signing with the Steelers. McCarthy is interested in the reunion.