The Pittsburgh Steelers surpassed many people’s expectations in 2025. Few predicted that they’d win the AFC North, with many thinking that they’d finally have a losing season. However, the Steelers avoided that fate once again. They haven’t had a losing season since 2003, despite their roster not always being great in recent years. Much of the credit for that was given to Mike Tomlin. With him gone, though, perhaps this will finally be the year that Pittsburgh’s streak ends. The DraftKings sportsbook seems to believe that.
DraftKings recently released its early over/under season win totals, as shared by uStadium on Twitter, and they have the Steelers set at 8.5. That’s been the number many sportsbooks have had them at for the last few years. While the Steelers have had more than 8 wins in each of their last 6 seasons, they’ve undergone a major shift with Tomlin stepping down.
2026 NFL Win Totals are live on @DKSportsbook:
ARI 4.5
ATL 6.5
BAL 10.5
BUF 10.5
CAR 6.5
CHI 9.5
CIN 9.5
CLE 6.5
DAL 8.5
DEN 9.5
DET 10.5
GB 10.5
HOU 9.5
IND 8.5
JAX 9.5
KC 10.5
LAC 10.5
LAR 10.5
LV 5.5
MIA 4.5
MIN 8.5
NE 10.5
NO 7.5
NYG 7.5
NYJ 5.5
PHI 10.5
PIT 8.5
SEA 10.5
SF…
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) February 18, 2026
There doesn’t seem to be much faith that Mike McCarthy will give Pittsburgh an instant boost, or that he’s a major step down from Tomlin. It’s still early, though. That number could shift as the offseason progresses. There’s a lot left that the Steelers could do in free agency and the draft.
Also, the Steelers’ win total is ranked third in the AFC North. DraftKings has the Baltimore Ravens over/under at 10.5, while the Cincinnati Bengals’ number is at 9.5. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns sit at the bottom with a win total of 6.5.
That’s also consistent with most of the win totals in recent years. The Ravens and Bengals have franchise quarterbacks, so it makes sense that they’re ranked above the Steelers. However, both teams have obvious flaws, which is why neither made the playoffs last year. The Ravens also have a new head coach, though, so that could help them avoid having another disappointing season
For example, there’s no telling who their starting quarterback will be yet. While reports indicate that they want Aaron Rodgers to return, he could decide to retire. That would leave the Steelers with a big question mark and could drive their win total down.
Just as well, if Rodgers re-signs with them, the Steelers might feel like much the same team going into 2026. McCarthy could raise their ceiling, though, if he makes the Steelers’ offense less anemic. That might help them escape the cycle of mediocrity that they’ve been stuck in. Getting the quarterback position figured out is still the most important item on the Steelers’ to-do list, though.
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