Matt LaFleur says it’s “pretty special” that Mike McCarthy coached Packers, Cowboys and Steelers

Mike McCarthy’s preseason debut as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers brings a familiar matchup to the calendar for Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers. LaFleur, now in his second decade building his offense in Green Bay, has coached against McCarthy in the past, and this week’s meeting adds another chapter to a rivalry that has been defined less by a single game and more by how both coaches have approached the NFL from different stops.

McCarthy’s coaching path has included the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. For LaFleur, whose teams have consistently competed in the NFC North since his Packers head-coach debut in 2019, that shared history means the matchup is not a first-time experience. According to Yahoo Sports, LaFleur characterized it as “pretty special” that McCarthy has coached the Packers, Cowboys and Steelers, a quote that underscores how rare it is for a head coach to lead three teams with distinctive cultures and fan bases across different eras of the league.

The article framing the moment also points to the context of preparation. Preseason games are often treated as roster evaluations and system check-ins rather than definitive statements about power rankings or playoff readiness. Still, the coaching element remains real. LaFleur and McCarthy carry into these meetings the play-calling habits, game-management preferences and staff-building philosophies they developed over years with their respective staffs, and a coach-to-coach comparison can be visible even when quarterbacks and starters are managed through short stints.

Historically, these kinds of meetings can also serve as a contrast in continuity. LaFleur inherited a Packers organization already built around quarterback development and a standards-driven offensive identity, and he has emphasized offensive execution and matchup planning year to year. McCarthy, meanwhile, arrives in Pittsburgh after a long coaching tenure that includes an experience base shaped by the Packers’ offensive environment and the Cowboys’ expectations. That background affects how a head coach talks about leverage, how he structures early-game scripts, and what he chooses to emphasize in situational football during the preseason window.

What makes this matchup especially notable is the sheer breadth of McCarthy’s resume at the head-coach level. Coaching the Packers is different from coaching the Cowboys, and both are different from building within the expectations of the Steelers. Even without turning this into a referendum on past seasons, the fact that McCarthy has coached all three organizations gives LaFleur a unique lens for what to expect from Pittsburgh’s staff on game day, and what to prepare for if the Steelers’ coaching staff leans into elements that reflect those prior tenures.

At the same time, it is worth keeping expectations grounded. A preseason debut is not the same thing as a regular-season trend, and one game does not validate a coaching plan. Personnel usage can vary quickly depending on injuries, practice habits and how each staff wants to evaluate specific groups. For fans and analysts, the more useful question is not “who won the week,” but what strategic indicates each coaching staff chooses to send while trying to balance evaluation with competitive integrity.

Looking ahead, the key storyline to watch is how McCarthy’s Steelers staff translates a coaching philosophy into repeatable weekly details. For LaFleur and the Packers, that means preparing for both the visible gameplan elements and the subtle adjustments that experienced coaches tend to make once they see formations and personnel on the field. This “pretty special” moment is, at its core, a meeting of two proven NFL coaches with overlapping careers, now playing it out with Pittsburgh’s new leadership as the focal point.