The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in 2025, but it wasn’t pretty. Pittsburgh managed 10 wins and a solid record against its division rivals, but it certainly didn’t look dominant in doing so. The rest of the group finished the year with a losing record, and it took a missed 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the regular season to secure the division title.
In many ways, the AFC North has improved. But so have the Steelers, and these reasons support them winning the AFC North in consecutive seasons for the first time in nearly a decade.
New Coaching On Both Sides Of The Ball
The Steelers’ old coaching staff led the franchise to a division title last year. But the Steelers’ coaching staff on both sides of the ball may be an upgrade in 2026.
For the first time in the modern era, an offensive-minded head coach will lead the Steelers. Mike McCarthy has seen plenty of offensive success throughout his career as a head coach, and he’ll have talent at his disposal. He’ll also be working with a quarterback he’s had plenty of success with; he coached Aaron Rodgers during his prime in Green Bay.
Defensively, Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin’s scheme felt stale. Now Patrick Graham comes into town. While he’s never led an elite defense before, he’s turned pennies into dimes in his stops in Miami, New York, and Las Vegas. With some added depth and highly versatile pieces, Graham has the chance to be much more creative than we’ve seen in the last few years. If everything comes to fruition, the Steelers could benefit from the new coaching staff on both sides of the ball.
Much More Offensive Depth
With an offensive-minded head coach, the Steelers have started thinking more like an offensive team. The depth is arguably more impressive across all offensive units this year.
Receiver is the biggest example. The Steelers couldn’t find anyone to step up and help DK Metcalf last year, allowing Metcalf to be a non-factor too often. It’s never a good sign when you have to bring in names like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen late in the year. But in 2026, Pittsburgh added Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard, while Roman Wilson remains in the building as well. Even if just two of those three step up, it’s going to be much easier for Aaron Rodgers.
That’s not the only group with more depth, though. The offensive line wasn’t a big issue last year. But Gennings Dunker and Max Iheanachor add some more potential through the draft. In the backfield, Rico Dowdle should be an excellent complement to Jaylen Warren. If it lives up to expectations, the offense should be much more dangerous.
Versatility On Defense
The Steelers have been pretty stale defensively in recent years, but that could be changing with Patrick Graham leading the unit.
Up front, Graham has displayed creativity in the past. In his most recent stop, he had Maxx Crosby moving around both sides of the line. That’s something we could see with T.J. Watt, who’s flirted with the idea of moving around in the past and sounds open to it in 2026. With Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig all making big money, Graham is going to have to work to get all three on the field at the same time. But at the very least, the edge rushers probably won’t be stuck to one side too often.
The secondary might be the most versatile group on this defense. Jalen Ramsey moved around last season, and we could see him back deep, at nickel, or in the box this year. Jaquan Brisker can play all over the unit, and we could see him share the field with Ramsey and DeShon Elliott as well. The Steelers figure to be more versatile than we’ve seen in quite some time.
A Favorable Schedule (At Some Points)
In some ways, the Steelers’ 2026 schedule follows a similar formula as the last couple of years. Pittsburgh has a favorable start and a tougher end to the slate.
But the end of the 2026 season might not be as daunting as the last couple of years. As always, there are two tough matchups against Baltimore packed into the last several weeks. Certainly, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, and Jacksonville are all going to be difficult matchups after the Steelers come back from their bye week.
But the Steelers get Denver and Houston at home, and the Jacksonville game is one that Steelers fans should travel well to. And with all the problems the Steelers had last year, they still held it together down a similarly tough stretch to win the division. If they can get through that stretch this year, Carolina and Tennessee are more favorable matchups in Weeks 16 and 17.
The real time to get ahead is at the start of the year. Throughout their first eight games, the Steelers play just one team that made the playoffs last season. If the Steelers can get off to a hot start, it might give them a cushion during their tough end of the year.
Questions Among The Rest Of The Division
Certainly, the division could be tougher for the Steelers to beat this year. But it’s not without some questions. Baltimore has a new head coach, and if Lamar Jackson can stay healthy, it will make a huge difference. But that team also lost several free agents this offseason. Cincinnati has plenty of offensive talent, but its defense is questionable, even after adding some defenders this offseason.
Cleveland is building a solid roster, but it’s hard to be confident in their quarterback room. Of course, the Steelers have to prove themselves as well. They won the division last year, but part of that was due to the lack of aptitude from the other three teams.
However, the Steelers look better on paper this season. While their team has changed plenty, these reasons provide some optimism for their chances to win the AFC North again in 2026.
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