The Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers. Mike McCarthy. Forever connected.
They helped bring home the Packers' fourth Lombardi Trophy a decade and a half ago with Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ironically, it's in Pittsburgh where Rodgers and McCarthy may reunite in what would be a stunning development in an already chaotic hiring cycle.
Rodgers said last summer that this season would likely be his last, but his stance softened following the Steelers' first-round playoff exit. The four-time MVP said he wouldn't rush into an emotional decision and needed time to ponder his future, a statement Packers fans are familiar with.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have pushed on in their search for Mike Tomlin's successor. McCarthy has emerged as a frontrunner, and according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, that could influence Rodgers' decision.
Steelers could create the Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy reunion nobody saw coming
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Pelissero said that McCarthy landing the Steelers job could tempt Rodgers to return in 2026.
"Don't discount that if Aaron Rodgers is ever going to play football again, the one person on the planet besides Mike Tomlin he might consider doing that with is Mike McCarthy," Pelissero told Eisen on Monday.
He then followed up with an appearance on Friday's show, providing more context.
"I do believe that if Aaron Rodgers were coming back to play for one coach in 2026, it would be Mike McCarthy," Pelissero said.
Pelissero clarified that if the Steelers hire McCarthy, it won't be a move to tempt Rodgers to return. They believe McCarthy can make a long-term impact, especially with his track record of developing young quarterbacks. But it sure would be a bonus to get an additional year of Rodgers back in the same McCarthy system where it all started.
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Much has been made of their relationship, especially after the Packers' offense became stale in 2018, leading to McCarthy's firing. Rodgers looked rejuvenated under Matt LaFleur, doubling his MVP tally in the space of just three years.
But the mutual love and respect between the two is undeniable. Rodgers has always pushed to retain key elements of McCarthy's system wherever he plays. You may remember the "Rodgers doesn't like using motion" debates from the early LaFleur days.
Rodgers credits McCarthy for playing a significant role in his development. They remain close friends, which is unsurprising after spending 14 years together in Green Bay and going 100-57-1 in the regular season and 9-6 in the playoffs. The Rodgers-McCarthy partnership brought home a Super Bowl.
McCarthy could complete an incredible set of coaching the Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and Steelers, arguably the three most iconic franchises in NFL history. He would also return to lead his hometown team. McCarthy grew up rooting for the Steelers.
For Rodgers, it's a potential opportunity to take one more swing at a second Super Bowl. And wouldn't it be poetic if he won his only two championships with McCarthy? The first against the Steelers, the second with them.
In Rodgers' own words, "How can you not be romantic about football?"