The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in 2025, but the offseason has brought plenty of change. Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after the Steelers’ Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans. The Steelers brought in former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to replace him.
Replicating last year’s regular-season success will be hard for the Steelers with all the changes. That’s why CBSSports.com’s Garrett Podell has the Steelers as one of five teams that will likely step back in 2026. He thinks the Steelers would benefit from bringing QB Aaron Rodgers back for another year, but there are other issues that will hold the Steelers back.
“The Steelers are still lacking in wide receiver depth outside of DK Metcalf, and Rodgers will be another year or older if he returns to Pittsburgh,” Podell wrote. “The franchise does have the ninth-most projected cap space in the NFL this offseason… so upgrades could be made. Their ceiling with an aging Rodgers is likely a 10-7 record in 2025, with a chance to regress if Rodgers is injured. If Will Howard or Mason Rudolph is the starting quarterback, a major fall could easily be in order.”
The Steelers still have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. The biggest one is indeed at the quarterback position. By all accounts, the Steelers want Rodgers back for 2026. Four-time Super Bowl champion QB Terry Bradshaw said he heard that Rodgers told the Steelers he’ll be back if they want him. Regardless of whether Rodgers returns or not, the Steelers need to plan for the future at the position. As Podell noted, if Rodgers suffers an injury or age hastens his decline, the Steelers could really struggle in 2026.
Podell points out that the Steelers need to address other positions as well. The wide receiver position is the most notable one. Outside of DK Metcalf, the Steelers don’t have any proven wide receivers. WR Calvin Austin III is the most proven, and he’s a pending free agent. Perhaps McCarthy and his staff can work some magic with WR Roman Wilson. However, the Steelers need an influx of talent at the position, whether through the draft, free agency, or trades. If they can get that player (or players), that will greatly benefit the offense in 2026.
Then there is the question of how well the defense will play next season. We all expect the offense to improve under Mike McCarthy. What will the defense do under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham? Former Steelers LB Robert Spillane played two seasons under Graham with the Las Vegas Raiders, and he loved it. However, will Graham get the defense playing hard and well with only one offseason to install a new system? Only time will tell.
The Steelers could certainly bolster their roster this offseason and challenge for the AFC North again in 2026. For a look at the Steelers’ salary cap situation, check out our own Dave Bryan’s breakdown. If McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan can bring in some impact veterans, that could really help the Steelers avoid a regression.
The Steelers could also struggle in the first year of major changes. Podell doesn’t mention this, but older veteran players could retire, like DT Cam Heyward. Or some players may just struggle under new coaching.
That’s why Podell including the Steelers in the list makes some degree of sense.
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