The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
JEFF CAMPODONICO FROM PLACERVILLE, CA: With the Steelers' long history of tenured coaches, what was the overruling reason to pick Mike McCarthy? We know he's not a long-term coach at 62 years old. Why not pursue a younger coach with long term potential? Not only having three coaches since 1969 as a point of bragging to my Raiders fan buddies, but the last three hires have been very successful.
ANSWER: When Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin were hired, they weren't selected because there was any expectation that they had long-term potential. They were hired because they were judged to be the best guys for the job at that particular time. And the whole notion of this template to be followed – a thirtysomething defensive coordinator with no head coaching experience at the NFL level – never would've been a thing had Joe Paterno accepted the job back in 1969 when Dan Rooney offered it before turning to Chuck Noll. It would make no sense to skip over the candidate you determined was best fit in a particular hiring cycle because you wanted to take a shot at a younger coach who might have "long-term potential." If you wanna keep talking smack to your Raiders fan buddies, thank them for being the props in the Immaculate Reception.
The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy because they determined his NFL head coaching experience – 174 regular season wins (.608 percentage) and 1 Super Bowl – plus his background as an offensive coach and a developer of winning quarterbacks made him the best candidate for them in this hiring cycle.
JESUS SADA FROM MONTERREY, MEXICO: The Steelers produced 4 Hall of Fame players from their No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 picks during the 1974 draft. There was not a No. 3 pick because they traded it in 1973 to acquire defensive tackle Tom Keating. Do you have any stats for Keating with the Steelers? Maybe it was a bad trade and the Steelers lost a chance at getting another Hall of Famer with that No. 3 pick.
ANSWER: Tom Keating, acquired from the Oakland Raiders for a No. 3 pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, was a 31-year-old reserve defensive tackle when he appeared in 12 games with 4 starts for the 1973 Steelers. The NFL didn't keep tackle stats in the 1970s, and so Keating's statistics amounted to just 1 fumble recovery. If the Steelers had that third-round pick, they would've used it on John Stallworth, because Noll saw him as a first-round talent. And in that 1974 draft, the only Hall of Fame players picked after the end of the second round were Stallworth and Mike Webster, and the Steelers got both of them.
JUSTIN RAINEY FROM NINGBO, CHINA: I watched a highlight of the Patriots game from Ben Roethlisberger's second season. The Patriots were undefeated at the time. They showed a shot of the Steelers sideline. Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich were working with the offensive coordinator. Was this the best QB room in Steelers history?
ANSWER: You're all mixed up here. When the Steelers beat the undefeated New England Patriots during the regular season, that was in 2004, which was Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season. And in 2004, the backups behind Roethlisberger were Tommy Maddox and Brian St. Pierre. The only season when Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, and Charlie Batch all were on the active roster together was in 2010. And in that year, Dennis Dixon also opened the season on the active roster because Roethlisberger was serving a 4-game suspension.
JOHN MARTIN FROM ARENDTSVILLE, PA: How do you feel about the snub of Bill Belichick in becoming a first-ballot entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? I've been a Steelers fan since the early 1970s. I hated Bill Belichick as a Steelers fan, but if his accomplishments don't warrant a first-ballet HOF selection, then no one should ever qualify as a first-time selection.
ANSWER: First of all, the whole first-ballot designation is overrated in my opinion. Once someone is inducted, they are all Hall of Famers and entitled to the same rights and privileges ofr all the other members. Then, I find it impossible to work up the level of outrage that seems to be dominating social media in the aftermath of this "news" about the leaking of the results of this one particular aspect of the voting for what will ultimately be recognized as the Hall of Fame, Class of 2026.
At the risk of injecting a little perspective into this "travesty," here are three other coaches who were not first-ballot Hall of Fame selections:
• Paul Brown – won 7 AAFC and NFL Championships, including 5 in a row
• Vince Lombardi – won 5 NFL Championships/Super Bowls
• Bill Walsh – won 3 Super Bowls
And none of them ever was fined $500,000 – the largest fine levied in NFL history for a coach – and their team docked a No. 1 draft pick – in 2008 – for orchestrating Spygate. And no one will be able to convince me that wasn't a factor. Bill Belichick will be elected and enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I am certain of that, just as I am certain that he belongs. Does the Hall of Fame selection committee get it right every time? No. But every election ever held is a popularity contest, because the voters vote for the candidate they like best. I have long believed that the outcome of an election tells you more about the voters than the candidates.
PAT FLYNN FROM OAKDALE, PA: Last season Chris Boswell was also looking to get his contract amended in some way for more money. What is his current contract status and with the coaching change, is a new contract more likely this year?
ANSWER: Chris Boswell will be entering the final year of the contract extension he signed in 2022, which will make him eligible for another extension that can be negotiated during the upcoming offseason and all the way up to the regular season opener. I expect an extension will get done, because why wouldn't Mike McCarthy want an in-his-prime placekicker who has converted 87.7 percent of his field goals, has 7 100-point seasons, and is 88 points away from becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer?
DAVE SHAFFER FROM HARRISBURG, PA: Now that Mike McCarthy has been hired, how soon is it that he can start meeting with players? What happens now in terms of hiring coaches, evaluating the draft, etc.? I know he isn't going to sit around doing nothing until April.
ANSWER: There never are a lot of players around at this stage of the NFL calendar, because the majority live in cities other than the one of their employer. Mike McCarthy also has said publicly that he believes it's important for veteran players to get away and "decompress" after the marathon that is an NFL season. McCarthy is still in the process of hiring his staff of assistants, and then in chronological order on the to-do list, it will be the NFL Combine, then free agency with draft prep sprinkled in, and the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh on April 23-25.
JAMES SNOWDEN FROM INDIANA, PA: Now that Sam Darnold has done well in Seattle, what do you think the chances are of Pittsburgh taking a flyer on Anthony Richardson or Zack Wilson, especially now that we have the supposed quarterback whisperer in Mike McCarthy?
ANSWER: You disrespect what Sam Darnold has done with his career by assuming it's a one-size-fits-all that can apply to Anthony Richardson and Zach Wilson. "Taking a flyer" on a quarterback who entered the league as high No. 1 picks is not like adding a fourth arm for training camp. But since you specifically named Anthony Richardson and Zach Wilson, I would rather have Aaron Rodgers for another year.
ROBERT MENGES FROM DELMONT, PA: It's hard for me to understand what exactly the back story is on Roman Wilson. Why he fell out of favor to such an extreme extent and who he fell out of favor with? In your opinion will he ever be viewed as a viable No. 2 or No. 3 wide receiver for the Steelers?
ANSWER: Whatever the reasons why Roman Wilson is a third-year pro with two nondescript seasons on his resume no longer matter, because the coaching staff and offensive system are going to be totally different. He's got a fresh start, and what he makes of his career going forward is totally in his control. He has to earn it.
CHRIS MUNGAS FROM SACRAMENTO, CA: In your recent article on why it was Mike McCarthy, you mentioned that the chatter in Steelers Nation about the hire has largely been negative. As someone who has been around the league for a long time, do you feel like the fans have become more unwieldy, or is it just the same whining but with new technology?
ANSWER: Back in the 1970s, there was no social media, no national talk shows, no 24-hour all-sports networks, and because there was no internet not everyone with opposable thumbs and a wi-fi connection could try to come off as an expert. I get a lot of whiny, entitled submissions, and a lot of those are based on – or a result of – uninformed opinions. But even with that, I can't say whether those represent the majority of the readers of this feature. I hope not.
