Colin Cowherd
Getty
Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd during a 2016 event.
It is safe to say the Pittsburgh Steelers are due for a deep playoff run. The franchise has not been to a Super Bowl since the 2010 season and hasn’t made it to the AFC Championship game since the 2016 season. In the Steel City, winning is a must, and when it isn’t happening, things can get ugly. Perhaps that is why Mike Tomlin decided to step down after his 19-year run with the team.
Despite the team’s hiring of new head coach Mike McCarthy, Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd believes the Steelers aren’t ready to contend for the Super Bowl. In fact, he thinks they aren’t even terrifying.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Have Struggled to Prove Their Legitimacy
Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh Steelers
GettyMike Tomlin guided the Steelers to an AFC North title in his final season as head coach in 2025.
Here is what Cowherd had to say via The Herd about the state of the Steelers over the last handful of seasons:
“It’s like the small town bully. He’s got the barbed wire tattoo, he’s got the four-by-four, the cowboy hat. But he’s really terrified to ever leave his hometown… You’re terrified to rebuild. You’re terrified to rebrand yourself.”
Herd w/Colin Cowherd
“It’s like the small town bully with the barbed wire tattoo, the 4×4, the cowboy hat. But he’s really terrified to ever leave his hometown.” @colincowherd AGREES with NFL execs about the Pittsburgh Steelers
Cowherd also noted how Pittsburgh has made the mistake of overpaying for its defense as opposed to adding more firepower on offense. He might be right in that aspect. After all, the Steelers did finish 25th in total offense and 26th in total defense a season ago.
However, coaching has never been an issue for the Steelers. How many coaches can win 10 games and the division title while having an underperforming offense and defense? Maybe Tomlin was the only one who could do that. That is part of the reason why he is likely to have a bronze bust in Canton one day. But now, it is up to McCarthy to change the way things operate in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers Are Likely to Be Formidable in 2026
Mike McCarthy Kenneth Gainwell
GettyMike McCarthy has made 12 playoff appearances in 18 seasons as an NFL head coach.
Are the Steelers looking like a team that can contend for a Super Bowl title in McCarthy’s first season at the helm? It may seem like an uphill battle because of the aging stars and the inability of this team over the years to truly win in the postseason, but crazier things have happened in this sport before.
Plus, the organization has all the makings of a contending team, and they haven’t even drafted yet. If future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to play for the Steelers in what would be his 22nd career season, the team would have an efficient and competent quarterback at the helm who can still play the hero role every once in a while. His experience with McCarthy is also a bonus.
Beyond Rodgers, the team has two No. 1 wide receivers in DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. Don’t forget about a pair of 1,000-yard scrimmage running backs in Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Defensively, the Steelers finished with the fourth-most turnovers forced in the league last season (27).
So while it might not be pretty, and while McCarthy is on his third team as a head coach, the Steelers are in a better position than most may think before the NFL Draft.