Now that the 2026 schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers is out, the takes are flying regarding the chances of the Black and Gold having a successful season under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
The first half of the schedule doesn’t look all that challenging, but the gauntlet the Steelers will have to work through in Weeks 10-15 is a major challenge. That could make or break the Steelers this season.
It’s the AFC North as a whole though that has one of McCarthy’s former quarterbacks in Ben DiNucci believing the Steelers won’t make the playoffs this season. Appearing on CBS Sports Thursday night after the schedule release, DiNucci stated he thinks the division will be too tough.
“I think it’s gonna be tough for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get back to the playoffs. When’s the last time that we’ve seen Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson not make the playoffs?” DiNucci said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “And this isn’t necessarily a slight against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this is everything to do with who else is in that division.”
Well, to DiNucci’s point, both Burrow and Jackson missed the playoffs last season. The Steelers won the AFC North under former head coach Mike Tomlin. Granted, Burrow was hurt much of the season and Jackson was playing through injury much of the year, on top of inconsistency. The Steelers kept Jackson from the playoffs.
Both appear healthy entering 2026 though, and Jackson has a new head coach and offensive scheme he’s in, one that could unlock his talents once again. The Browns appear to have a stronger roster, too, though like the Steelers, it will come down to the quarterback play under a new offensive-minded head coach.
Pittsburgh historically plays well within the division though. They’ve finished third just twice since 2012, and haven’t finished last since 1988. While the Bengals, Browns and Ravens might look good on paper, they still haven’t consistently figured out how to play — and beat — the Steelers.
That matters.
Ultimately though, DiNucci just sees the division as too difficult for the Steelers, along with some tough non-division matchups late in the year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, among others, will make it too difficult for McCarthy and Pittsburgh to reach the postseason.
“I think there’s a lot of uncertainty about what this offense is gonna look like, who’s gonna be part of it. And there’s a lot of moving pieces. They brought some guys in, in the offseason, Michael Pittman,” DiNucci added. “I think they’ve done a good job of revamping the offense around whoever’s gonna be the quarterback.
“But I think that division’s gonna be really good this year. And I think the Steelers are gonna have their hands full coming out of it again.”
It’s the same song and dance with the Steelers this time of year when it comes to analysts and their takes. The division is too good, the Steelers don’t have a quarterback, they will have a losing season, etc etc.
Yet, it hasn’t happened. Granted, Mike Tomlin is no longer the head coach, so it could happen this season. But McCarthy is too good of a coach and the Steelers’ roster is too talented to have the bottom fall out. This remains a playoff team.
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