Steelers HC Mike McCarthy on Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers Waiting Game

Pittsburgh's offseason has narrowed to a single open question, and Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy used his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show to confirm that the franchise is still working through it on Aaron Rodgers' clock, not its own. McCarthy said the team and the quarterback remain in regular contact while Rodgers moves through his decision, and that the staff's day-to-day energy is pointed at the draft and the quarterbacks already in the building.

"We're in constant, consistent communication," McCarthy said. "He's going through his process, but we're just continuing to keep working. Our focus is on the draft, and hopefully we'll have a decision in the near future." Asked whether the wait is uncomfortable, McCarthy framed it as productive for the rest of the room. "I prefer for the better not to be here at this particular time, because it gives us the opportunity to be fully focused on our two younger quarterbacks," he said, naming Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard as the players soaking up the reps Rodgers is not currently taking.

McCarthy offered an early read on Howard, the Ohio State product Pittsburgh is bringing along behind whichever veteran ultimately starts. "Very athletic," McCarthy said. "Something that I think, like a lot of past experiences, you never really know until you get in there and work directly with your athletes. But the quarterback school drills, I mean, I thought he did a hell of a job the first time out. So to be able to throw the ball around and put some concepts in, he's off to an excellent start."

Rich pulled at the thread that has followed McCarthy through three decades of his career. The coach who once waited on Brett Favre while a young Aaron Rodgers took reps in Green Bay is now waiting on Aaron Rodgers while a young quarterback named Will Howard takes reps in Pittsburgh, on the same franchise McCarthy beat in Super Bowl XLV before going on to coach in Dallas. "You can't make this up," Rich said. "Did I miss anything, Mike, with you?"

McCarthy acknowledged the symmetry without making a meal of it. "That's plenty, Rich," he said. "It's hard to believe everything you just said is actually true. It's been an incredible ride, and I just can't tell you grateful I am to be here and enjoying it every minute of it. The experience with Aaron and Brett, it serves me well. It gives me peace in these type of moments."

Asked by Rich whether the current Rodgers waiting game compares to the Favre saga that defined his early Green Bay tenure, McCarthy laughed off the comparison. "This is nothing compared to back then," he said. "This is a walk in the park on a day like today compared to back then." He credited the quarterback himself for the calm. "I'm working with a pro. You make it so easy." Rich, hearing the line, told McCarthy he could have run that interview himself.