“Not Anywhere Close to Mike Tomlin”: Mike McCarthy Already Fighting a Losing Battle in Steelers, Says ESPN Analyst

ESPN’s Kevin Clark didn’t hesitate for a second when naming the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team he is most concerned about entering the 2026 season. He pointed to several reasons, beginning with quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ age and his increasing reliance on quick throws. From there, Clark shifted the discussion to the Mike Tomlin vs. Mike McCarthy debate. And in his view, McCarthy isn’t anywhere close to matching his predecessor.

“Mike Tomlin is leaving, and Mike McCarthy is not anywhere close to Mike Tomlin as a coach in my book,” Clark said on ESPN’s First Take. “You also add in the fact that the strength of the franchise has been defense for a long time, and that seemed to be trending in the wrong direction last year… So I’m just looking at this, and if we’re talking about teams that maybe aren’t gonna repeat the success that they had last year, they’re at the top of my list.”

The debate around Tomlin and McCarthy isn’t out of nowhere. Had the Steelers hired a younger head coach to replace Tomlin, we might not be having this conversation right now. But that’s not the case. While Tomlin stepped down after his 19th season as the Steelers’ head coach, McCarthy is entering his 19th season as a head coach.

Head-to-head, Tomlin holds the edge with a 193-114 regular-season record. McCarthy, meanwhile, owns a 174-112-2 mark. But this debate isn’t really about the numbers. Instead, it’s about the contrasting philosophies the two head coaches bring to the table.

Mike Tomlin was always known for his defensive approach. Still, the Steelers endured a slightly disappointing season last year. The unit ranked 17th in points allowed with 22.8 points per game. The pass rush was good, but not at its peak, considering the Steelers have built their legacy on defense.

Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, comes in with his expertise in offense. Still, there’s a caveat heading into the 2026 season, something that Kevin Clark acknowledged: Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers surely have Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf in the wide receiver room and Rico Dowdle in the backfield. But according to Clark, Rodgers’ quick throws have become a problem.

Per Next Gen Stats, Rodgers averaged 2.59 seconds to throw, the fastest among 33 qualified quarterbacks in 2025. This, in some way, will limit what the Steelers offense can do with Rodgers leading the way for them.

With the quarterback set to turn 43 during the 2026 season, there isn’t going to be a lot of improvement in this aspect of the game. So, while Tomlin dealt with his own challenges last year, McCarthy now enters his first season as the Steelers’ head coach, facing a different set of obstacles.

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