Mike Tomlin’s streak of non-losing seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually became a sore spot for fans. But that streak extends beyond Tomlin, as the Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003. Although not every season has been great, the Steelers have avoided hitting rock bottom. However, former NFL executive Marc Ross predicted that will change this year while giving his hot takes for 2026.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers, for the first time in 22 seasons, will have a losing record,” Ross said recently on NFL Network. “Last season they got to 10 wins on the strength of a lot of injuries and luck with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson getting hurt. But a lot of those games were ugly, with Aaron Rodgers only throwing for 207 yards per game. Now, he’s 42 years old. They made a couple big moves in free agency.
“But when you look at the schedule, I’m assuming Lamar [Jackson] and Joe Burrow come back; that’s four games against Baltimore and Cincinnati. Then, you’ve got the Packers, the Bills, the Eagles, the Patriots, the Broncos, the Texans, the Jaguars, and the Buccaneers in the non-conference schedule. It’ll be hard-pressed in 12 of those games to say if Pittsburgh will be a favorite or not.”
The Steelers play the Packers and Bills in the preseason, so those games won’t affect their regular season record. But Ross’ argument still has some legs to stand on.
The Steelers’ schedule this year looks daunting, particularly during the second half of the season. After their bye week, they’ll face the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Carolina Panthers.
Out of that group, only the Bengals missed the playoffs last year, mostly because Burrow spent the majority of the season injured. They’re a division rival, though, so they’ll play the Steelers tough no matter what.
If the Steelers struggle during that stretch, then they could be in danger of having a losing season. There’s also the question of whether Rodgers’ body will hold up, as it seemed worn and battered late last year. Some of the defenses he’ll face down the stretch this year could give him problems.
However, that’s still far away. There’s no telling what those teams will look like when the Steelers play them. Injuries happen, and sometimes, teams lose to opponents that look worse than them on paper.
The Steelers won their division last year and improved their roster this offseason. Yes, the Bengals and Ravens dealt with bad injury luck. But both teams have other issues, too. The Steelers could compete and finish with a non-losing record again. They’ve been in worse spots before and still managed not to have a losing record. Tomlin is gone, but the Steelers’ streak could live on.
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