Mike McCarthy - Head Coach, steelers Event: Media Availability | Date: 2026-09-09 | Full transcript (primary source).
Mike McCarthy, Head Coach of the Steelers, addressed the media during a press conference on September 9, 2026, as the team prepares for their upcoming game. The session focused on the team's readiness and excitement for the home opener, emphasizing the importance of preparation and communication among the coaching staff and players.
Transcript
McCarthy: Good morning. I know you get to see the guys out there in practice every day. But what's the level of anticipation or eagerness of getting to see them now in the game?
McCarthy: Great question, I'm really focused on Wednesday's practice. I think we're, to a man, we're all excited about the first opportunity to compete. You're guaranteed 17 games. Obviously, it's our home opener. But really, I think the honeymoon is kind of over now. We had a chance, we had a early start last week. So that was good, we're able to get ahead on the normal D&D and third down stuff. I like what we accomplished on Monday. But I'm a huge believer in your preparation process, the flow of a good week going into the competition is important. So I just really wanna string these next four days together. So I know that's what I'm thinking about. But yeah, I think everybody's excited to get out there and compete and go get this first win.
McCarthy: It's a cool place, like riding a bike, or does that take a little rhythm?
McCarthy: I wouldn't say riding a bike, I think it's like anything. Having a preseason, there's a lot of value in that. There's more so for the staff. I have some new members on the offensive coaching staff that I have not worked with, so just to get the communication and network. Cuz so much a game day for the coaches is to make sure the discipline of everybody has their eyes in the right place. Make sure everybody's seeing what they're supposed to be looking at and make sure that it's communicated. And cuz at the end of the day, we gotta make sure we get the information to the players in real time, having things come up on Monday morning. So it's not even Monday mornings because the evaluation process by what goes on just in your industry alone, I mean, it's too late. So that's a big part of it. So I feel like we were able to get three games under our belt there. So I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle with Aaron. But that's something you build during the course of the week. But yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's been a minute since him and I have worked together in that aspect of it. But so I'm trying to give you a real witty, whatever stays the tranches type thing here, but I just don't have it today. I apologize.
McCarthy: Following up on a question answered yesterday, when you were asked about the benefits of playing the two games in Pittsburgh before you go out there and coach a regular season, were you referring to sort of just like the logistics and the mechanics or were you also talking about sort of the emotional component too, the whole Pittsburgh guy coming back to coach a season?
McCarthy: No, absolutely, I think everything. I think you did a great job answering the question in your question. I think the fact that being from here, this is heavy being here. You ride the streets that you grew up, that you walked on, do it every day. So many great memories here, some memories that are heavy. So yeah, that's real. I'm at the point in my life at this age, I reflect more than I did 10, 15 years ago. So that's all part of it. So yeah, definitely, I've had time to do that. But the most important part of it is the fact that you're the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which I have tremendous amount of pride in. Not only being from here, but with the Pittsburgh Steelers stand for and the responsibility that myself and everybody has to this organization and really to the players and coaches before us. So yeah, trust me, that lays on me every single day. It's important, it makes me jump out of bed. But I think definitely having two opportunities of showing up at the stadium, going through the mechanics of what game day looks like. I think there's definitely been a benefit to that. So I'll definitely be ready to go Sunday.
McCarthy: You said that we should take your depth chart for the greatest solve, especially earlier. I've noticed that it was a side game for Joey for that other starting former job. What went into this thing?
McCarthy: Well, I mean, depth charts, they're a little bit tricky in the sense that you don't ever line up a play with 11 players on offense or defense. So it's a better illustration will be 13, 14 players has been my experience. Just alone of base defense for sub defense. And the reality how you're gonna play on offense, how they're gonna play on offense, how they're gonna play on defense. So yeah, I think we just tried to represent the best we could within the format cuz Bird only allows you 11 guys. So I think it's more reflection of that. But Joey, as far as his participation today, I would put him in a ramp up mode. So hopefully, we can build off of what he was able to accomplish Monday. So we'll just keep working, but we're relatively very healthy. So we wanna work all of our players and give guys that are on the fringe of being up for the 48, give them a chance to compete and make sure they're ready because I hope it never happens. But there's been things that happened at the last second that a player may be up over another guy because of things that happened late in the game here.
McCarthy: What's the thing that you're looking for that tells you, okay, they're ready to do?
McCarthy: Well, I mean, first of all, stacking reps, number one. I mean, I just think specific to Matt. Max, I think he played 35, 36 plays in Buffalo. So really the goal for him specifically is to build off of that, put together consecutive practices which he's been doing. So he needs a fundamental work like all young players do. So that's been real important for him to get the padded work. So he had one last week and then he'll get another one tomorrow. So I think that's the most important part of his stacking the reps and stacking the success of being out there every day. I've always been a little nervous if the offensive line, the five guys didn't have consecutive reps together, all the way together. But us being in our first year, some of the battles that we had going on, trying to get a left side and right side rotation and seeing how many, the combination of players that we wanted to see play next to each other. So all those things kind of factored in. So I mean, that's really the big picture. But for Max specifically, it's just to be out here every day. And we got this four day stretch going into the game is really, really important for him and it's important for him to take every rep that he's assigned.
McCarthy: You've seen from the three outside linebackers that what kind of a standard team is going to be able to get to the top of the three.
McCarthy: I mean, we have more three, I mean, I'm sure we do. In the depth chart, for instance, the restarting, what's this gonna get started?
McCarthy: Okay, with depth chart, yeah, I think once you get flexibility to answer your question, that's why we did the either or, because we wanna create flexibility in how those guys play. I'm not interested in seeing TJ average 60 plus games plays a game. That's not the best for him and that's not the best for us as a defense. It's important for us to keep those guys fresh and make sure they're at their best in the fourth quarter. So all those things factor into it and that's why I go with Jack. I mean, I look for Jack. He's gotta be part of that also, he'll be part of it on special teams. But we wanna play our players here, play time is how we distribute that. As far as how it's laid out, going into the game is a big part of our preparation process, but at the end of it, when you get into the game, you play to win. I understand that, but it's a long year. I mean, it's a long year and it definitely takes more than 11 guys to play on offensive defense, and I think that's clearly what we were trying to illustrate in the depth chart.
McCarthy: Did you get an ideal TJ number, snap, but you have an ideal TJ number snap, right?
McCarthy: Yeah, well, you'll see what happens.
McCarthy: Would Joey be on a snap count at all, with him ramping up and getting back to it?
McCarthy: Yeah, we'll see. Once again, let's get him through today. Hopefully, he'll do a lot more today than he did Monday, yes. But I just go back to the first week in training camp. For the most part, everybody was there. Joey's going through the same process. The whole team went on as far as how many reps he does and how he feels. And there's GPS, there's feedback, and the trainers and the strength coaches all have input into that.
McCarthy: Two more, two more.
McCarthy: Mike, you have Ryan O'Gowson, this is a fullback. You had Whit Key and Dallas, what's the value in the modern NFL after the fullback?
McCarthy: Well, I think when you're designing an offense, and I've always categorized it this way. You have two back offense, you have one back offensive concepts, and you have zero empty formation concepts. So the ability to have a player that can play from the backfield and the second backfield, it also, it's more challenging for the defense. Cuz now you have a legitimate lead blocker. So schematically how the defense fits that in the run game. And then the action passes that come off of that, those are all items of flexibility you like to have in your scheme. Also gives you another dynamic of having a true ball carrier closer to the line of scrimmage and short yardage and impact plays like that, convert first and second down. So, yeah, I mean, the fullback position is real important. And I think we all realize what's sub offense for sub defense has gone up so much in the last 20 years in our league that the fullback positions kind of fade a little bit and really the opinion I know is being a head coach. It's probably as much as being available on special teams and rallies and they're really good special teams player. So when you do carry full backs, they do have to have that special team responsibility that's definitely a position that you look at. During the evaluation process to be able to play on first, second, third in, and fourth down.
McCarthy: Last one, it's like how much do you want to see about him? Is he one of those guys that can see him in person with a different evaluation? Maybe you might have seen him.
McCarthy: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think Ben is a bigger man and his flexibility and how you can utilize them definitely is something that stands out from afar. I remember watching him with the Rams. I love his style play. Obviously, I think people look at him, may look at him as a special teams player slash offense. I don't like to view players that way. I think it's, I've always started from offense, defense and special teams. It's just kind of just the way the program was in Green Bay coming up. But not to devalue special teams, because just do the math. Offensive defense plays three downs, special teams plays one. So I think just at the end of the day, this game's about numbers and how many players can you keep on your team? And I'm going back to Ben because he has that flexibility. Ben does a dirty work. He does the insert schemes. If you want to be a two back offense, which we will do some of that. But also, he gives you the ability to be a one back personnel, but play the two back scheme. So he has a really unique skill set there. And he's done a nice job in the past game too. So Ben gives us a lot of versatility.
