The Pittsburgh Steelers latest coaching hire hints a reunion with quarterback Aaron Rodgers is even more likely to happen.
New Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy did not shy away from expressing that he wants quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return as the team's starting quarterback in 2026.
"Definitely. I don't see why you wouldn't," McCarthy said Tuesday during his introductory press conference. "I think just like anything, knowing Aaron long enough, going through seasons, I think when players — to see Mel Blount here — when guys are up in that stage of their career, they need to step away and decompress. I think that's very important. The game is so emotional. What these men commit to and they put into it, I think that time away is important."
However, the Steelers latest hire of veteran offensive line coach James Campen certainly won't hurt their chances of trying to lure the four-time NFL MVP back.
Rodgers clearly has a very close relationship with Campen after he made a heartfelt post about him just a few years ago.
"This is James Campen, former Green Bay packer player and coach, but he's always been more than just a coach. He has been a mentor, confidant, father figure, supporter, and Friend to SO MANY players over the last 3+ decades," Rodgers wrote in an Instagram post . "As just about any player who played for/with him for years would attest, we are all better for having been around Jimmy. You're a better person than a coach my friend, and you're a tremendous coach."
This isn't to say Rodgers is guaranteed to back to Pittsburgh now, but many have already been connecting the dots to why a reunion would make sense.
Campen became the Packers' assistant offensive line coach in 2004 — the year before Rodgers was drafted. In 2007, McCarthy made Campen his offensive line coach, a position he held for 11 seasons.
Green Bay Packers offensive line coach James Campen against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on Dec 27, 2015. — Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
The Steelers will still need an answer from Rodgers sooner rather than later , but it seems the team is preparing to run it back with the 42-year-old, despite a new coaching regime taking over.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Latest Hire Points Closer Towards Reunion With Aaron Rodgers
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