Coach Mike McCarthy Media Availability (May 9) | Pittsburgh Steelers

0:00 All right.

0:00 Well, good afternoon.

0:01 Uh, just first want to start off and, you know,

0:03 talk about the rookie orientation, uh, camp that we're having.

0:06 It's been, um, extremely productive couple days here.

0:10 Uh, the rookies will conclude tonight.

0:12 Um, and then, uh, you know, we felt it was important for them to to be

0:17 be home for Mother's Day and and then we'll,

0:20 you know, start with those guys with our veterans on Monday.

0:23 But uh very pleased with the amount of work,

0:26 the quality of work that we've been able to accomplish uh with these young men.

0:30 You know, we we've taken a you know, very slow approach.

0:33 I've kind of I've kind of gone to this for I've

0:35 gone to this format probably the last 12 years,

0:37 10 12 years and it just gives it a chance to really to get everybody acclimated

0:42 and have clear understanding of the expectation of just

0:45 just how we operate here with the Steelers.

0:49 And it's also been good for us

0:50 as coaches because obviously this is our first year.

0:52 Uh but you know uh they're obviously here because

0:56 of what they've shown uh in their college careers.

0:59 Uh so you know we're very pleased with everything

1:01 they've done as far as their physical gifts.

1:03 Uh but u you know first but so far that they've

1:06 passed the mental challenge that we've we've thrown in front of them.

1:09 So that that's uh it's been an impressive couple days.

1:12 Um we've had two you know two practices uh to evaluate u

1:16 but the classroom and the communication and interaction

1:19 has um I've been very impressed with.

1:21 So, that's what we've been doing.

1:23 So, with that, I'll take your questions.

1:24 Mike, you saw Drew on the football field for the first time.

1:27 Um, what what are you looking for when you, you know,

1:30 what are you evaluating when you see him on here?

1:32 What did you see?

1:33 I think he's a the perfect description of, you know,

1:35 what I've just what I've just said.

1:37 He's, uh, physically gifted.

1:39 He's a phys, he's a gifted thrower of the football.

1:42 Um, but he's no different than any other young

1:46 quarterback that I've had the opportunity to work with.

1:48 I mean, everybody teaches footwork a little differently.

1:52 Everybody has a system of offense um and how you tie your quarterback,

1:56 particularly in the pass game to that.

1:59 So, um there's there's a lot of work there.

2:01 You know, we're able to just adjust

2:02 some fundamentals that we think will help him.

2:06 You know, I think a big part

2:07 of quarterback play is is understanding the, you know,

2:11 the the profile of the individual.

2:13 You know, they're all built a little differently.

2:15 Some guys are higher cut than others.

2:16 Um, so, um, so we just it was great to get them on film.

2:21 Frankly, the first thing that we did with Drew

2:24 and just no different than we did with, uh,

2:26 with, um, with Will and Mason, you know, we shoot,

2:29 we have a profile tape, so we were able to do that, um, yesterday,

2:33 evaluate that, and, you know,

2:34 tried tried tried some things today that he he responded to very favorable.

2:39 So, uh, he made a very good first impression.

2:43 What are your first impressions of both Max and Jennings?

2:47 Oh, um, excellent.

2:48 Obviously, they're definitely look like Pittsburgh Steeler linemen.

2:52 You know, I think just, you know,

2:54 when you we you look for you look

2:55 for young men that definitely have the, you know,

2:58 the anchor to play the style of football that we want to play.

3:02 Uh, you know, huge emphasis and focal point on the O and D line here,

3:06 you know, as far as how we want this team to to look and play.

3:09 and and those those guys fit right in.

3:12 Given the reps that might be available to wide receiver,

3:14 what are you picking up from Bernard as to how he's picking

3:17 up the offense and how much you can throw at him quickly?

3:20 You know, I think he's that, you know,

3:22 that's a question probably a little further

3:23 down the line when we get into OTAAS.

3:25 You know, I mean, it's is this is rookie orientation.

3:28 Um, you know, as we as you see, we went to the team drills.

3:32 You know, we wanted to go full speed as far

3:34 as how we line up and how we communicate, how we shift the motion, but you know,

3:38 we were blowing the whistle really quick there just

3:40 that we just wanted to really to get the communication,

3:42 everybody to fit and no different with the routes.

3:44 So, um, but football comes um, easy to him.

3:48 You know, his understanding is is very high.

3:51 Um, doesn't blink.

3:54 I love his demeanor.

3:56 um you could you could see why his versatility um in college,

4:00 you know, definitely carries over.

4:02 So, I think he's been an excellent fit for us.

4:05 Mike, with Dunker moving to guard in college, how's that transition been?

4:09 And is that something that takes a while for our young guys?

4:12 Yeah, definitely.

4:12 I mean, I you know, I think once you um you know, get started, you know,

4:16 once again, we've had two days on the field in helmets,

4:19 so um you know, same deal.

4:22 you know, the vertical sets and some of the things we

4:24 do are a tad different than maybe he's done in the past.

4:27 You know, it's for all those guys, but um I don't want to be redundant here,

4:31 but he's made a very good first impression.

4:34 I know My's offense is unique.

4:37 Uh how's Eli picked up some of the different concepts that you guys have?

4:41 Yeah, he's he's picked it up bright obviously.

4:45 um you know obviously has an excellent skill set.

4:48 You can see the the quickness um that that just you know jumps

4:52 off the field at you and but yeah he seemed very comfortable out there.

4:56 What are some of the things you're looking

4:57 for in in these settings from these players?

4:59 Is there anything specific you want to see especially like on the football?

5:04 What can they do?

5:05 Yeah, definitely exactly what I told him as part of the expectation.

5:07 And I I wanted to see the meet the mental and and emotional challenge, you know,

5:11 of, you know, take taking an installation

5:14 from the day time they got here Thursday night.

5:16 Um, so everybody met individually Thursday night,

5:18 come in and we put them on the exact same schedule that our vets are on.

5:22 So get two days of flow of how they're going to train,

5:25 the expectation of what exactly they need

5:27 to do uh when they come back here Monday.

5:30 And then really, you know, we stressed them mentally and uh and the emotional

5:34 challenge was to try to see them, you know, line up and play with the speed

5:37 in the pre- snap and and get the first part.

5:40 And and I thought they did.

5:41 I thought they I thought they did a really good job and, you know,

5:43 comparing to other teams that, you know,

5:46 I've put this, you know,

5:47 this this um this, you know, this practice type schedule through.

5:51 So, but um like like I said,

5:53 they made that was a very very good first impression,

5:55 you know, as both the offense and defense.

5:58 Drew talked a lot about footwork and the hierarchy of what makes a good

6:01 quarterback or what's allows a quarterback

6:03 to reach his full potential is footwork.

6:04 Where does that is that one of the like a priority of yours

6:07 when you're you know developing a quarterback or where does that kind of

6:12 Well, I'm not sure what you're asking me.

6:13 You say priority?

6:14 Well, is it is footwork unlocking good footwork is that a key to

6:18 Yeah, I mean I think it makes a difference.

6:20 Um, and it gives you the ability to play faster.

6:22 Uh, gives you the ability to transition in and out of the challenges that occur,

6:27 you know, throughout uh, quarterback play.

6:30 Um, you know, what we're teaching him

6:32 is different than the way he's played before.

6:34 You know, he hasn't spent a lot of time under center.

6:37 You know, he was a run and shoot guy in high school.

6:39 You know, he's played from nine yards deep.

6:41 So, you know, there's just a lot of nudess to him.

6:43 But, you know, it's just like anything you when

6:45 you see the response from Friday's practice, you know,

6:48 talk about it Sunday, Saturday morning,

6:50 and then for him to go out there and do it today, you know, it's encouraging.

6:54 It's it's frankly it's it's really the same same

6:57 types of stuff that we went through with Will, you know, four four weeks ago.

7:00 So, um, you know, these are two young guys

7:02 that have a lot of football in front of them, got a lot of work to do,

7:06 but gosh, I mean, they're definitely wired

7:07 the right way and they they bring an excellent,

7:10 you know, phys physical skill set.

7:12 because this is a special feeling for you as a coach.

7:14 You coach a lot of veteran quarterbacks,

7:16 but this is Drew is kind of like, you know, you got it.

7:18 You're getting first day.

7:20 He's a guy that you can roll from start to finish.

7:22 Is there a special feel for how you approach

7:24 him as a quarterback versus other guys you coach?

7:27 Well, I I I love the whole process.

7:29 I mean, it's uh it gives me, you know,

7:33 unbelievable joy to work with Tom Marth every day.

7:35 you know, I had to dig out the Beta Cam tapes from 2006 um just to, you know,

7:40 from our time together.

7:42 And so that that that's been a lot of fun uh for me.

7:46 Um but yes, uh I I love the young guys,

7:48 you know, especially when you get them when they're just starting out.

7:51 So, yeah, I've I've always enjoyed the development of the quarterback position,

7:56 and I've been so blessed to be around

7:58 so many great veterans that that I learned from.

8:00 So, uh I don't know if you you know,

8:02 probably can't tell by the way I look, but I didn't play quarterback.

8:04 So, um, but it's, uh, it's it's something I really enjoy.

8:08 How helpful is it to have this one-

8:10 on-one time with you mentioned you worked with, uh,

8:13 Will a couple weeks ago and now to have Drew just

8:15 to be able to hone in on each one individually when,

8:18 you know, you're developing to younger players.

8:20 I mean, it's it's it's really good uh to have

8:23 the one-on-one time in the classroom and the walkthroughs, but you know,

8:26 having Will and Mason together is is is very beneficial when you go through

8:31 it with another with another quarterback

8:34 and and frankly the quarterback school system of drills,

8:38 you know, the ideal is to have three guys.

8:40 So, it it'll be great to have all three of those guys

8:43 because there's I mean there's just a lot there's a tempo to it,

8:45 you know, um in the quarterback room,

8:48 the relationship of the of the quarterbacks in that room, that's important.

8:51 They spend a lot of time together, so we got to we have to have we have

8:55 a lot of fundamental conversations that we need to get started.

8:58 Um, so but I I think for a rookie to get the attention that, you know,

9:03 he received since Thursday has been outstanding,

9:06 but I'm really looking forward to getting him

9:08 in the room with uh with Will and Mason.

9:10 Well, you can't do things the same

9:12 way you did with the quarterback school before.

9:14 How many of those same elements or philosophies are still going

9:16 to be part of the development of these two young quarterbacks?

9:19 Uh, they're all there.

9:19 It's all the same.

9:20 It's just that, you know, the time, you know,

9:22 it's it's the the time that you have

9:24 with um with these guys here at the facility.

9:27 So, I mean, I mean, this has been going on for a decade.

9:30 You have to have, you know, the relationship, the communication, uh,

9:34 with your quarterbacks as, you know, as they work away from here.

9:37 And, um, and I I think that's just, you know, today's NFL, you know.

9:41 So, um, you know, most of these guys have

9:44 people they work they work with outside of, you know,

9:47 the team that they play for externally.

9:49 Um, some some of these guys have started back in high school.

9:52 So, just have an understanding of who they're working with and, you know,

9:56 what what the expectations of how we do it

9:58 and and and I've never come across any, you know,

10:02 quarterback coach or quarterback developer, you know,

10:04 outside of any organization I work with that that wasn't,

10:08 you know, cooperative and collaborative, uh, you know,

10:11 doing what's best for the individual quarterback.

10:14 Guys, a few more going to be putting everyone together here in the coming days.

10:17 What's going to be the biggest plan of emphasis

10:18 for you for the first couple of days of OTAAS here?

10:21 Well, we got one more week before we go to the OTAAS.

10:24 Uh, so we really want to finish, you know, um, we call it concept teach.

10:28 You know, we we've laid out the the concepts,

10:30 you know, throughout all, you know,

10:32 I talk about five playbooks that we want to install before we leave here.

10:36 Um, on June 12th, you know, so the offense, defense,

10:39 special teams, and and obviously game management is is a big one.

10:44 So, and also we have a we've called a a a playbook of fundamentals.

10:48 So, just to get everything uh taught,

10:51 the language um we want to accomplish that by June 12th because

10:54 when we get to LRO is when we really get to play football.

10:57 Two more.

10:58 Two more.

10:59 Mike, you just said that three quarterbacks

11:00 is is ideal for your quarterback school system.

11:04 It wouldn't be a press conference if we didn't ask you about Aaron Rogers.

11:06 Is there any update on the possibility of adding a fourth

11:09 to that before you guys come back before May 18th?

11:13 I mean, three quarterbacks is is the normal.

11:15 Uh four would be awesome.

11:18 So, Uh, Max, last one.

11:20 Mike, you didn't want to um uh bring in another

11:22 quarterback or you wanted just I mean for right now,

11:25 did you just want to have Drew do all the work?

11:28 We did and um and we pushed it.

11:31 I don't I don't know how you know how much you paid attention to, you know,

11:34 to go 35 snaps in a team drill.

11:36 That's that's that's pushing it, but he handled it.

11:39 You know, we we we you know,

11:40 we kind of gauged it yesterday to see how we'd work through it and and you know,

11:45 and he's a big part of it now.

11:46 you know, everybody else knowing their assignments and, you know,

11:49 defense getting their communication.

11:52 You know, it was important for us offensively to, you know,

11:54 the to really push the envelope in the pre-

11:56 snap component of it to make sure the defense is

11:59 seeing the four or five different personnel groups

12:00 and those types of things because that's that's what defense needs.

12:04 They need to they need the formations, they need the motions,

12:06 they need the communication, they need to make the adjustments.

12:09 So, I felt really good about that.

12:11 and and if your quarterback can't handle it,

12:13 then then you don't get to go to the the speed

12:16 and the tempo and the pre- snap uh that we were able to go.

12:18 So, and I thought Drew did a hell of a job.

12:21 All right.

12:21 Thanks, coach.