Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy
It wasn’t very long ago that it felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers were written about yearly in ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s annual “Teams Due For Regression” article. But entering 2026, with a new head coach and an almost entirely new coaching staff, Barnwell thinks the Steelers have enough firepower to return to the playoffs. While he doesn’t see a repeat AFC North crown, Barnwell has the Steelers as an AFC Wild Card team in Mike McCarthy’s first season.
“I’m not optimistic about Aaron Rodgers making a deep playoff run in what is expected to be his final year as a pro, but the Steelers don’t have many other weaknesses to their roster. They’re one of the league’s most underrated teams in the trenches, with a young, promising offensive line led by Zach Frazier and Troy Fautanu,” Barnwell wrote
He also praised the Steelers’ defense.
“There’s a great pass rush and what could potentially be an excellent secondary if Joey Porter Jr. is on the field. Facing the league’s eighth-easiest schedule, the Steelers should be able to approach 10 wins and get back into the postseason, even without Tomlin in the picture.”
The talent on the Steelers’ roster has improved from last year, with a combination of outside additions and expected progression across the roster. One area in particular where the Steelers are much stronger is at cornerback. While the Joey Porter Jr. contract situation could complicate things, the Steelers signed Jamel Dean and drafted Daylen Everette. Everette, along with Asante Samuel Jr., was a standout in training camp, and cornerback is all of a sudden a deep position for the first time in a long time.
A lot of how far the Steelers can go will hinge on Aaron Rodgers and the passing game, and Barnwell doesn’t think Rodgers has enough in him to lead the Steelers on a playoff run. But in a world where few analysts predict the Steelers will even make the playoffs, his prediction is more positive than most.
One thing in particular that Barnwell recognizes that a lot of the national conversation is missing is Pittsburgh’s offensive line. Yes, there are some question marks on the right side with Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook/Max Iheanachor slated to start to open the season. But Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick could excel on the left side, and Zach Frazier is one of the best centers in the league. An offensive line that gives Rodgers time with revamped weapons in the passing game could help the Steelers win more games than many expect, and the same goes for the run game with Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren.
With the Steelers season kicking off on Sunday, we can finally put a lot of speculation and predictions to bed and see how the team actually looks when they hit the field against the Atlanta Falcons.