Aaron Rodgers is likely heading into his final NFL season. He’ll be reunited with Mike McCarthy, an old friend from his time in Green Bay. Can the head coach help the 42-year-old return to his best form in his final season?

A new era is dawning in Pittsburgh this coming season. After the conclusion of the last season, Mike Tomlin stepped down as the franchise’s head coach following 19 seasons.

Mike McCarthy is coming to Pennsylvania as his successor. The 62-year-old was with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018 and won the Super Bowl with the franchise in 2010.

And he did so with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback—the very same Rodgers he will now be working with at the Steelers.

The big advantage here: The 42-year-old is already familiar with his head coach’s tactics: “I spent 13 years there,” Rodgers explained. “He changed a few things when he was in Dallas. … But these are plays we’ve run before—he just calls them differently now.”

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy Aims to Improve Weak Offense

After his time in Green Bay, McCarthy coached the Dallas Cowboys. There, he led the franchise to three consecutive playoff appearances between 2021 and 2023, but only advanced past the Wild Card Round once.

Pittsburgh faces a similar problem, as the franchise has been eliminated in the first round of each of its last five playoff appearances. In what is believed to be Aaron Rodgers’ final year, the Steelers want to make one last push and send the quarterback off into his well-deserved retirement from football in style.

Last season, the offense was one of the franchise’s biggest weaknesses; the team ranked eighth-lowest in the league in total yards gained. Furthermore, it was the sixth consecutive season in which the team failed to rank among the top 10 in points scored.

That’s exactly what McCarthy aims to change. In his 18 seasons in Green Bay, the coach led his team to the top 10 in yards gained 11 times and to the top 10 in points scored 12 times.

To achieve this, the 62-year-old continues to rely on his proven strategies: “You have core beliefs that took shape in the early years, and variations stem from those,” he told the “Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.” “When you look at professional football, there are many similar plays, many similar offensive schemes—but everyone executes them a little differently.”

Steelers Make Some Immediate Offseason Additions

During the offseason, the franchise has already done everything in its power to strengthen the roster according to McCarthy’s vision. For example, the team acquired Rico Dowdle from the Carolina Panthers, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season last year.

Together with Jaylen Warren, who posted a career-high 1,200 scrimmage yards last season, the two form an extremely promising running back duo—something that’s crucial in McCarthy’s offensive schemes.

They also signed Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts. Alongside DK Metcalf, the receiver is Rodgers’ next top target.

And there have been developments on the defensive side as well. There, the franchise has secured the services of cornerback Jamel Dean. The 29-year-old signed a three-year contract worth up to $36.75 million and is expected to help improve a defense that ranked seventh-worst in yards allowed last season.

In the draft, the Steelers used their first-round pick on offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, and in the second round, they selected another wide receiver, Germie Bernard.

It remains to be seen whether these additions will allow the Steelers to hold their own in the AFC North against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, or whether Rodgers’ likely final NFL season will end without a playoff appearance.