The Pittsburgh Steelers’ new head coach, Mike McCarthy, is already making a strong impression on members of the 2026 NFL Draft class.
McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, is preparing for his first draft at the helm of the franchise, and several top prospects spoke glowingly about their interactions with him during media sessions at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
Among those offering praise was Ty Simpson, the former University of Alabama quarterback who is widely viewed as one of the top signal-callers
in this year’s class.
“I love Mike McCarthy,” Simpson said. “A guy like that who has had success in the league for a long time and is well respected — any time I get to sit in an interview and soak up all that knowledge, it’s anything I could ask for.”
Simpson was not alone among quarterbacks in speaking highly of the veteran coach.
Garrett Nussmeier of Louisiana State University shared that he previously spent time around McCarthy while in Dallas, where his father served on the coach’s staff with the Dallas Cowboys. Nussmeier described McCarthy as “somebody who’s very passionate about winning.”
Meanwhile, Carson Beck, the former University of Miami quarterback, said his meeting with Pittsburgh stood out among his combine interviews, further underscoring the impact McCarthy has made early in the evaluation process.
Even Penn State’s Drew Allar got in on the McCarthy chatter, telling CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala that McCarthy presented him with the most challenging X’s and O’s conversation.
“It was really fun, though. Those are the conversations I love,” Allar said. Allar then confirmed that McCarthy, a native Pittsburgher, grilled him about growing up in Cleveland.
The praise was not limited to quarterbacks.
Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard noted that he spoke extensively with McCarthy about his family background and his physical style of play.
Elijah Surratt of Indiana University Bloomington called the opportunity to meet the Super Bowl–winning coach “surreal.”
The Steelers’ interest in wide receivers is notable. Pittsburgh currently has just three wideouts under contract — DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek — making the position a clear area of focus as the team shapes its roster under new leadership.
Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday told reporters he grew up a Packers fan, while confirming he met with the Steelers head coach.
Iowa State nose tackle Dominque Orange hadn’t kept up with the Steelers’ coaching changes, but lit up when hearing McCarthy is now the head man in Pittsburgh. Orange remembered McCarthy for his time in Dallas instead of his time in Green Bay, just in case you needed something to make you feel old.
With McCarthy leading the charge, the early returns from Indianapolis suggest the Steelers are leaving a positive and lasting impression on many of the draft’s top prospects.
