Adam Schefter reveals how Mike McCarthy hire impacts Aaron Rodgers' decision to return

The Pittsburgh Steelers formally announced the hiring of Mike McCarthy, the former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers coach, as the franchise’s fourth head coach since 1969 on Saturday. The move resolved one pressing question facing the organization entering a transformative offseason in the Steel City.

The next most pressing question revolves around the future of Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers’ 42-year-old four-time MVP quarterback who is contemplating whether or not to return for his 22nd NFL season, potentially in Pittsburgh, or retire after more than two decades in the league. ESPN insider Adam Schefter shed some light on Rodgers’ pending decision and how the addition of McCarthy, for whom he played for across 13 of his first 14 seasons with the Packers (2006-18), could impact his thinking.

“Let’s be clear, the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy because they believe he was the best coach to take over this team right now. That is why they hired him,” Schefter said on Sunday morning’s SportsCenter. “But I also think it doesn’t hurt that there is a relationship with Aaron Rodgers, who still has not made a decision about whether or not to play in 2026. He told the Steelers he wanted to take a good month to decide whether or not he wanted to play. I think most people thought he went to Pittsburgh to play for Mike Tomlin, and with Tomlin gone that he wouldn’t be back. But the Steelers have always kept open the door for Rodgers.

“Almost to a man, the players wanted Rodgers back next year, which they shared during their exit interviews with the organization. The players want him back, the organization wants him back,” Schefter continued. “The question is whether Rodgers wants to come back. But having a coach who he’s played for before, somebody that he could pick up the system very easily, maybe that entices him to decide to come back and play one more year. That’s up to Aaron Rodgers and he has not made a decision yet.”

As Schefter points out, the presence of McCarthy — who was Rodgers’ head coach and mentor for more than half of his NFL career — could certainly weigh heavily on Rodgers’ decision-making process. In fact, Rodgers experienced some of the most successful seasons of his career while under McCarthy’s tutelage. That includes winning Super Bowl XLV in 2010, and the first two of his four MVP awards in 2011 and 2013.

After backing up the aging Brett Favre during McCarthy’s first two seasons at the helm, Rodgers went on to average nearly 4,300 passing yards and 33 touchdowns across the next 11 seasons with McCarthy as his head coach. That includes nine years in which Rodgers threw for more than 4,000 passing yards between the regular and postseasons combined.

Last season, his lone in Pittsburgh, Rodgers led the Steelers to the AFC North division title with a 10-7 record while throwing for 3,468 yards and 25 total touchdowns with 17 starts. Of course, whether Rodgers wants to put his body through the grind of playing his 22nd NFL season remains up in the air, but clearly the presence of McCarthy can’t hurt as he makes up his mind.