Shocking News: Stephen A. Explains Why Questions Still Remain Over Mike McCarthy
PITTSBURGH — Mike McCarthy is 1-0 as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But if you think that’s silenced the doubters, think again.
Stephen A. Smith, the loudest voice in sports television and a proud Steelers fan, has made it abundantly clear: one win over the Atlanta Falcons doesn’t erase nearly a decade of playoff futility, a controversial hiring process, and a quarterback situation that remains unresolved.
The questions, Smith insists, are just getting started.
The Hire That Never Made Sense
When the Steelers hired McCarthy in January 2026 to replace Mike Tomlin after 19 seasons, Smith was among the first to torch the decision. On “First Take,” he called it a “lateral move” and said the organization gave fans “nothing to be excited about.”
“My problem is when I look at the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you had Chuck Noll—you hired him at 37. You found Bill Cowher out of nowhere—you hired him at 35. You find Mike Tomlin out of nowhere. And what route do you go now? You go with a 62-year-old.”
Smith’s critique wasn’t about McCarthy’s résumé. He acknowledged the Super Bowl XLV ring, the 174 regular-season wins, the .608 winning percentage. His issue was fit, timing, and philosophy. The Steelers, a franchise built on finding young, hungry coaches before anyone else saw them, had done the exact opposite.
The Dallas Problem
Smith spent years criticizing McCarthy during his Dallas tenure. He wasn’t about to stop now.
“The last time we saw him, he was in Dallas. Obviously, they had back-to-back-to-back 12-win seasons, so they had some success there. But they didn’t do anything in the playoffs.”
That’s the crux of it. McCarthy went 49-35 in Dallas with three playoff appearances in five seasons. His playoff record there: 1-3. His Cowboys teams won 12 games three straight years—and won nothing that mattered.
For Smith, that pattern isn’t bad luck. It’s a ceiling. And he doesn’t believe Pittsburgh should have settled for it.
The Rooney Rant
Smith didn’t stop at McCarthy. He went after Steelers owner Art Rooney II with a ferocity that stunned even his co-hosts.
“You ain’t your uncle, you ain’t your daddy, you ain’t your family members. You’re a Rooney, but you ain’t them because your record proves you ain’t them.”
The attack was personal, pointed, and rooted in frustration. Since Rooney took over in 2017, the Steelers are 0-6 in the playoffs. The franchise hasn’t won a postseason game in nearly a decade. And Smith felt that Rooney’s public comments dismissing fan concerns were tone-deaf.
“He didn’t talk about the paying customer, because you’ve given them nothing to be excited about. Absolutely nothing.”
The Quarterback Elephant
Smith’s most persistent question is the one no one in Pittsburgh can answer: Who is the quarterback?
The Steelers enter 2026 with Aaron Rodgers—McCarthy’s former Super Bowl quarterback in Green Bay—at the helm. But Rodgers is 42, on a one-year deal, and the future beyond him is murky at best.
“Especially when you’re still looking for your quarterback,” Smith said, tying McCarthy’s hiring directly to the team’s most glaring hole.
The logic is simple: if McCarthy was hired to develop a young quarterback, where is he? If he was hired to win now, can he do it with Rodgers at 42? Smith sees no clear answer to either question.
Early Returns Don’t Silence the Doubt
McCarthy won his Steelers debut, a gritty 17-10 victory over Atlanta. He called it one of the most memorable moments of his career—a homecoming for the Pittsburgh native.
But one game doesn’t rewrite a narrative. And Smith, for one, isn’t ready to pretend otherwise.
The Steelers’ 0-6 playoff streak predates McCarthy. The quarterback uncertainty predates him. The pressure to win now—immediately—is inherited, not created. But it falls on him all the same.
Until McCarthy wins in January, the questions from Stephen A. Smith and everyone else will keep coming. And the answer won’t be found in September.
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