Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan has voiced appreciation for new head coach Mike McCarthy's fresh ideas shortly after his hiring. Khan highlighted McCarthy's embrace of the team's process while sharing successful strategies from past roles. The move comes as the Steelers aim to address longstanding offensive issues.
Mike McCarthy replaced Mike Tomlin as the Steelers' head coach this offseason, bringing a new offensive focus to a team that won the AFC North last year. In an interview with Max Starks, Khan said, “It’s been great. I think McCarthy’s really embraced our process, but the cool thing about it, Max, has been just the new ideas. And hearing how he’s done it in other places... That’s what we’ve done. It’s been fun.” The 62-year-old McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, has a history of building strong offenses, including a Super Bowl win, though his recent playoff record shows just one postseason victory since 2017. Khan noted McCarthy's experience with winning organizations like those featuring Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott. Pittsburgh has already acted on the shift, trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to pair with DK Metcalf and adding running back Rico Dowdle, who thrived under McCarthy in Dallas. McCarthy has also praised second-year quarterback Will Howard, drafted in the sixth round of 2025, saying he would have selected him earlier. Reactions vary. Analyst Rich Eisen questioned the sincerity of McCarthy's compliments toward Howard, calling it “a coach talking somebody up.” Gregg Rosenthal criticized McCarthy's excitement about coaching his hometown team as overly surreal. Veterans like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward represent the stakes, as owner Art Rooney II pushes for contention rather than rebuilding.