The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has been a problem for the last several years, holding the team back more often than not. There are multiple different reasons why, but one of the biggest has been the Steelers’ struggles at offensive coordinator. Matt Canada was a disaster, and while Arthur Smith was better, he still had some major flaws. Mike McCarthy could fix that, though. While former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky likes the Steelers’ offense, there’s one aspect that he thinks McCarthy needs to focus on improving.
“I think this offense is set up to be a good offense in every area but one, and that one is a question mark,” Orlovsky said recently on ESPN’s NFL Live. “I like the offensive line, a young and improving group, good backs, addition of Rico Dowdle, obviously the trade for Michael Pittman Jr. still have [Pat] Freiermuth and DK Metcalf.
“So, I think that perimeter wise, there’s really good players, and I think this is going to be an efficient offense, which is what Aaron [Rodgers] wants to be. But my big question mark is how Mike McCarthy will take them to become an explosive offense. You’re not going to really win your division, you’re not going to matter in the playoffs, unless you find ways to be explosive.”
McCarthy has been one of the league’s best offensive minds for the past two decades. His Green Bay Packers consistently had a great offense. They were top 10 in yards and points in eight of his 13 seasons there.
Also, McCarthy helped Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys reach another level. They were top five in yards, including No. 1 twice, in three of his five seasons there. Also, they were top five in points twice, ranking 11th, 14th, and 17th in the other three seasons.
However, both those teams had their quarterbacks set when McCarthy got there. The Packers had Aaron Rodgers for most of his time as their head coach, and the Cowboys had Prescott.
The Steelers don’t have a quarterback at that level. However, they’re still pursuing Rodgers, and while he’s past his prime, he’s still got a strong arm. With the additions of Pittman and Dowdle, the Steelers’ offense could be more explosive in 2026. That all hinges on Rodgers returning, though, and that’s still not guaranteed.
Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle recently broke down Pittsburgh’s explosive passing offense, and how McCarthy can help improve it. Much of that data supports the idea that the Steelers’ offense will have more big plays this season. If the team eventually finds its next franchise quarterback, that should help the offense improve, too.
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