Ex-Packers Player Warns Steelers That Aaron Rodgers And Mike McCarthy Will Fight Right Away

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ new head coach, Mike McCarthy, has generated a lot of speculation about what will happen with Aaron Rodgers. It’s no secret that Rodgers took a major liking to playing for former head coach Mike Tomlin in the 2025 season. Tomlin wanted Rodgers and he got him, which resulted in a 10-7 record and an AFC North title, but it also came with another brutal first-round playoff loss. Now Steelers fans are left wondering if 42-year-old Rodgers and 62-year-old McCarthy can make it work in Pittsburgh for the 2026 season now that Tomlin has stepped away from coaching.

Rodgers had previously dropped a bombshell by suggesting he was likely going to retire after the 2025 season. However, news of McCarthy’s arrival in Pittsburgh appears to have reopened the door for Rodgers to continue his career. The pairing of a veteran quarterback with his former head coach, under whom he won four MVPs, has raised excitement and caution in equal measure, with fans and analysts questioning whether Rodgers’ playing style can mesh with McCarthy’s offensive system.

NFL insider Tyler Dunne joined The Herd on Friday to provide insight, revealing that he had spoken with a former Packers player who loved playing with Rodgers. Dunne described the conversation as both concerning and telling, suggesting there could be early friction between Rodgers and McCarthy. While nothing is set in stone, this insider perspective adds another layer to the growing speculation surrounding one of the NFL’s most intriguing potential reunions.

"I think they're all going to say the right things right now, but when the bullets are flying, what happens?" Dunne said Friday while speaking on The Herd. "I texted a player for the Packers, who was on those teams, was a source for me back with that Bleacher Report story. If I remember right, he was very pro-Aaron. He loved playing with Aaron Rodgers and wasn't thinking that Mike McCarthy was this quarterback expert."

Dunne remembered one of his Packers players whom he used as a source in an article he wrote for Bleacher Report a few years back. That player was a big fan of playing alongside Rodgers, but his words reveal contradictions in their relationship and raise questions about where McCarthy and Rodgers truly stand. 

Of course, right now McCarthy is going to say all the proper things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants a 42-year-old quarterback, even with all their history and the fact that they won a Super Bowl together over the Steelers.

"I was like, 'Is this gonna work, if they get together?' At first, he joked and he was like, 'It's a Cinderella story.' And then he goes, 'No. Aaron's an all-time grudge holder. They're gonna be fighting right away. They'll be at each other's throats. This isn't gonna work.'"

It would be helpful to know who this former Packers player is, but he must have been in the know to speak so confidently to Dunne all these years later about the potential reunion.

Steelers' Mike McCarthy Loves The Current QBs On The Roster

The Steelers currently have Rodgers, who is a free agent and still pondering whether he wants to come back. It sounds like a return is still a possibility, though the idea remains a hot topic of debate among Steelers fans. 

The team also has a young quarterback in Will Howard and a veteran in Mason Rudolph. McCarthy has expressed excitement about the quarterback room and has shown strong confidence in Howard’s potential.

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