Aaron Rodgers has opened up about his relationship with Mike McCarthy after the pair reunited in Pittsburgh, describing the coaching dynamic that helped shape his career.
McCarthy handed Rodgers his first career start for the Green Bay Packers in 2008, and the quarterback credits their relationship with helping him develop into one of the NFL’s biggest stars.
Rodgers also chose to return for the 2026 season with the Steelers after McCarthy became Pittsburgh’s head coach, giving the pair another chance to work together.
Aaron Rodgers explains why his relationship with Mike McCarthy worked
Speaking in a recent Zoom interview with Wisconsin media, Rodgers explained why McCarthy was the right coach for him.
‘I obviously molded a lot of my philosophies based on playing under him, so to just have that common idea about how the offense should run and what it needs to look like is really fun,’ Rodgers said.
Their relationship was not always straightforward. Rodgers had plenty of freedom to change things on the field, but McCarthy was also willing to challenge him when he believed the quarterback had gone too far.
‘He could just let me go sometimes, and then sometimes he’d have to call me in on a Monday and say, “Listen, you changed 10 plays. Can we just go through why you changed these 10 plays?”’
Rodgers said the two would then talk through their disagreements and usually find common ground.
‘We’d talk it out, and he’d see my side, and we always kind of met back in the middle on that. That was the beauty in the success that we had.’
For Rodgers, that balance was crucial.
‘It was a lot of push and pull. He gave me a lot of latitude, and I proved that I deserved latitude and could make it work, and when I went too far, he’d rein me back in.’
The partnership produced plenty of success in Green Bay, including Rodgers’ Super Bowl XLV victory, four MVP awards and 10 Pro Bowl selections.
McCarthy left the Packers after the 2018 season, but Rodgers clearly believes the lessons from their time together remained with him.
Now the two are working together again in Pittsburgh, with Rodgers entering another season under the coach who helped shape his career.
For the Steelers, the hope will be that their old relationship can produce another successful chapter.
Read more: