Mike McCarthy earned a vote of confidence from his predecessor, Mike Tomlin, as he prepares for his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In his debut in his new role on NBC’s “Football Night In America,” Tomlin was asked about his expectations for the Steelers during McCarthy’s first season.
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“I know a little bit about the Steelers situation to say the least,” Tomlin said. “It’s perfect for them, and they’re perfect for Mike.”
McCarthy replaced Tomlin after the latter stepped down following a successful 19-year run with the Steelers. Tomlin led Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl 48 win over the Arizona Cardinals and never had a losing season with the franchise, helping it maintain its status as a perennial contender.
Tomlin believes McCarthy was a logical choice to continue upholding that standard because of his ties to Pittsburgh and the team’s quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
“Certainly, being a Pittsburgh native, he understands the standard that is Pittsburgh, and he’ll embrace that,” Tomlin explained. “His coaching experience will also allow him to manage that. He’s got an awesome résumé. Obviously, the confetti’s rained down on him before with his current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. There’s no substitute for shared success.”
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That’s part of the reason Tomlin believes McCarthy won’t have any issue replacing him and keeping the Steelers competitive.
“He’s positioned to do well,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, there’s some challenges when you come into a new situation, but there’s a lot to like about continuity in this new experience for him.”
Tomlin also said McCarthy will be able to handle the lofty expectations being placed on him as he joins the Steelers. He knows the Steelers fans are hungry for a playoff win, which they have not enjoyed since the 2016 NFL playoffs, and compared Pittsburgh’s plight – and that of the Buffalo Bills with new coach Joe Brady – to the New York Knicks, who long toiled with playoff futility despite routinely making it into the postseason.
“When you’re running knee-deep into the playoffs but you don’t get to your desired destination, there’s some expectations that come with transition,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, he’s got a little bit of that, but Mike has been around before. I’m more interested in how Joe Brady handles that.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Tomlin weighs in on Mike McCarthy, Steelers during his NBC debut
