Inside source opens up about current relationship between Steelers' Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers

Recently hired Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has made it known he wants 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers to continue serving as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback later this year. 

McCarthy first served as Rodgers' head coach with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through a portion of the 2018 season, and some have wondered how close the two are this winter. 

Longtime sportswriter Ian O'Connor of The Athletic knows quite a bit about the enigmatic signal-caller, as O'Connor penned a book about Rodgers that was published in 2024. During a recent appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" program, O'Connor addressed the McCarthy-Rodgers relationship. 

Are Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers closer than ever?

"I did speak with both Aaron and McCarthy for my book," O'Connor explained, per Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. "I did ask them that question, and their relationship is better now than it ever was when they were together in Green Bay. Rodgers said to me, 'Listen, we did butt heads from time to time, but at the end of the day, we lit it up for a lot of years.'" 

The relationship between McCarthy and Rodgers reportedly soured over their last few years together in Green Bay. However, Rodgers acknowledged in the fall of 2022 that he couldn't wait to give McCarthy "a big old hug" when McCarthy was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. 

Earlier this week, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that McCarthy deserves credit for "rebuilding Aaron Rodgers' mechanics and helping to develop him into a four-time MVP." O'Connor expanded on Breer's take. 

What Mike McCarthy improved about Aaron Rodgers

"What people forget is Mike McCarthy changed Aaron Rodgers' entire style of play," O'Connor continued. "When [McCarthy] got [Rodgers] out of [the University of California], [Rodgers] was very robotic. He had the ball back at his earhole. McCarthy loosened him up and made him a more athletic player and really helped develop him into an all-time great, and never gets any credit for that." 

Rodgers may simply want to retire, or he could look to sign with an advertised contender as a free agent this coming March. The Steelers allegedly want to know by early March if he wants to return to the AFC North club, and O'Connor's update suggests Rodgers won't leave McCarthy hanging via a non-answer through the start of free agency.