Mike McCarthy has a critical decision to make at the quarterback position heading into his first season in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The coach has to choose between working again with Aaron Rodgers or taking the bold step of handing an opportunity to a new quarterback.
While it remains uncertain what McCarthy’s decision will be, NFL insider Emory Hunt believes bringing in Malik Willis from the Green Bay Packers will be a wise choice for the Steelers, liking him to Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. The former Tennessee Titans quarterback is one of the most sought-after names in his position in free agency.
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“I think he makes an ideal fit, to be completely honest,” Hunt said. “For Pittsburgh, for the city, and also for Mike McCarthy. McCarthy can envision him as the new version of Dak Prescott.
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“When Dak came in, Dak was more of an explosive runner. He’s not that now, but Malik Willis still has that capability in his bag. And also, we’ve seen growth from him in passing the football because he’s gotten more opportunities to get out of there and on the field.”
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As it stands, it doesn’t appear like Mike McCarthy and the Steelers are considering Willis. The solid options on the ground currently are either bringing back Aaron Rodgers or giving Will Howard a chance. However, there are a lot of twists that could happen in the next couple of weeks as free agency looms.
Mike McCarthy gets an update on Mac Jones
Another quarterback that has been linked to the Steelers ahead of Mike McCarthy’s first season is Mac Jones. The former New England Patriots’ signal-caller had an impressive season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero provided an update on his trade possibilities.
“From my understanding, there are multiple teams that at least are going to inquire and see if they can trade for Mac Jones in this offseason,” Pelissero said while speaking ahead of Super Bowl LX.
“He arrived on a two-year, $7 million deal last year to back up Brock Purdy, but when Purdy got hurt, Mac got to play and he played pretty well. He got five wins in eight starts, despite dealing with a painful knee injury.”
The Steelers have quite a lot of options in front of them as Mike McCarthy’s era is set to take off. The Steelers brought him in precisely for his deep experience and his natural gift for developing and maximizing promising quarterbacks. He faces the challenge of living up to that expectation right from next season.
Edited by Farouk Yusuf
