Steelers Mike McCarthy Hire: Fans’ Reaction and What’s Missing
- Sure, he and the offense had some ugly outings, but it was hard to figure out how much of the blame should fall on Rodgers (outside of his...
- While the Steelers want to contend every year, they surely know that they won't truly take the next step until they find a longterm starting quarterback.
- Steelers players weren't shy during the season -- and reportedly during exit interviews -- how how much they enjoyed playing with Rodgers and would welcome him back.
While it officially ended on Jan. 13, Mike Tomlin’s 19-year voyage as the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ head coach started to crumble six week earlier, when scores of Steelers fans chanted for his removal during a home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Those fans ultimately got what they wanted when Tomlin voluntarily left his post following Pittsburgh’s season-ending loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs. After years of criticizing him,Tomlin’s detractors finally got what they wanted.
That’s why it was ironic to see many of those same fans screaming to the heavens upon seeing the news that the steelers plan to replace Tomlin with Mike McCarthy. The fanbase, to a man, does not like the hire; they wanted the Steelers to hire a young, up-and-coming coordinator like Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and mike Tomlin were way back when they were hired. That history compelled many — myself including — to wrongfully assume that 39-year-old Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula should start packing his bags for Pittsburgh.
But instead of hiring Shula (or at least waiting a few days until they could bring him in for a visit), Steelers president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan decided to go with McCarthy, who checks a lot of the boxes for a Steelers franchise that has no interest in a lengthy rebuild.
“I’m not sure why you waste a year of your life not trying to contend,” Rooney said prior to the starting the coaching search. “Obviously, your roster is what it is indeed every year. It changes every year, so you deal with what you have every year and try to put yourself in a position to compete every year. Sometimes you have the horses, sometimes you don’t. But I think you try every year.”
Bingo. At 62, McCarthy surely has no interest in a long rebuild, either.With that in mind, he probably isn’t hellbent on keeping the Steelers’ non-losing streak intact, which over time became just as much a part of Tomlin’s legacy as anything else. Many steelers fans have said that they’d be OK with a losing season if it helped speed up the process in terms of being a true contender again. McCarthy’s history would support this logic.
McCarthy’s Packers missed the playoffs during his first year in Green Bay. They were in the NFC title game the following year and would be Super Bowl champions three years after that. In Dallas, McCarthy went 6-10 during his first year on the job while coaching a team that didn’t have Dak Prescott for most of the year. With Prescott back in the fold a year later, the Cowboys ripped off their first of three straight 12-win seasons. The Steelers have
Sure, he and the offense had some ugly outings, but it was hard to figure out how much of the blame should fall on Rodgers (outside of his eagerness to get rid of the ball quickly, which is undoubtedly because he’s 42), given the lack of weaponry he had at receiver and some of the curious play-calling from Arthur smith that often didn’t involve the utilization of some of Pittsburgh’s best skill players, such as gone-missing tight end Pat Freiermuth.
While the Steelers want to contend every year, they surely know that they won’t truly take the next step until they find a longterm starting quarterback. If they aren’t going to find him this offseason in a bad quarterback draft, it really doesn’t matter who the quarterback is this season. And beyond what he does on the field, a Rodgers reunion would probably have more benefits from an intangibles standpoint.
Steelers players weren’t shy during the season — and reportedly during exit interviews — how how much they enjoyed playing with Rodgers and would welcome him back. If McCarthy can play a role in that happening, it would certainly help win over a locker room that was fiercely loyal to Tomlin.
Leadership is one of the main traits Rooney said that was is looking for Pittsburgh’s new coach. McCarthy’s program and culture led to a championship in Green Bay and more success with the Cowboys, and there’s no reason to think that he won’t do the same thing in Pittsburgh. rooney obviously feels that way after making up his mind this weekend instead of waiting to have in-person interviews with Shula and/or Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Speaking of young coaches, it wouldn’t be a surprise if McCarthy’s coaching staff includes his potential replacement. If he is able to identify a possible coach-in-waiting, that would likely quell some the fanbase who don’t like the fact that the Steelers hired an older coach.
McCarthy won’t have a tenure in Pittsburgh that rivals his predecessors in terms of length. He can still make a lasting mark on his hometown team, tho, if he able to help end their drought of playoff wins, find and develop their next longterm quarterback and set up his eventual successor up for even more success.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
Table of Contents
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is a landmark United States federal law enacted on August 16, 2022, designed to address climate change, lower healthcare costs, and raise taxes on large corporations. it represents the most significant climate legislation in U.S.history and aims to reduce the federal deficit.
Key Provisions: Climate Change & Energy
The Inflation Reduction Act allocates approximately $369 billion towards climate and energy provisions. This funding aims to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by roughly 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. The law provides tax credits for renewable energy production, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency improvements.
For example, the Act extends the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) for solar and wind energy projects for ten years, providing long-term certainty for developers. The Department of Energy details these credits, outlining their impact on accelerating clean energy deployment.
Healthcare Cost Reduction
A core component of the Inflation Reduction Act focuses on lowering healthcare costs, particularly prescription drug prices. The law allows Medicare to negotiate the prices of certain high-cost prescription drugs,a change previously prohibited by law.
Specifically, the Act authorizes Medicare to negotiate the prices of 60 drugs - 50 between 2026 and 2029, and an additional 10 drugs starting in 2030.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides a fact sheet detailing the negotiation process and anticipated savings, estimating $100 billion in savings over ten years.
Tax Provisions & Corporate Minimum tax
The Inflation Reduction Act introduces several tax provisions intended to increase revenue and ensure large corporations pay a minimum level of tax. A key element is a 15% minimum tax on corporations with over $1 billion in annual profits.
This corporate minimum tax, officially known as the Corporate Choice Minimum Tax (CAMT), aims to address instances where profitable companies pay little to no federal income tax. The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a fact sheet explaining the CAMT and its projected revenue impact, estimating it will generate over $35 billion in revenue over the next decade.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Analysis
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assessed the Inflation Reduction Act’s budgetary impact, projecting a reduction in the federal deficit of $300 billion over ten years (2022-2031). However, the CBO also noted that the Act’s impact on inflation is likely to be modest.
The CBO’s report on the Inflation Reduction Act details these findings, stating that the law is projected to have a negligible effect on inflation in the short term and a small decrease in inflation in the long term. The report also outlines the distribution of the Act’s benefits and costs across diffrent income groups.
Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Involvement
The Inflation reduction Act has faced legal challenges, primarily concerning the constitutionality of certain provisions.Specifically, challenges have focused on the law’s provisions related to the autonomous payment of prescription drug costs by medicare.
In Febuary 2024, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act brought by pharmaceutical companies, allowing the law’s drug price negotiation provisions to proceed. The Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari effectively upheld the lower court rulings that dismissed the challenges, paving the way for Medicare to begin negotiating drug prices in 2026.