Now that the 2026 NFL season begins next week, we have an idea of who to watch out for and who may struggle. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are mixed opinions. Some say they’ll exceed expectations, while others say they will not be as good. There are reasons to support both arguments, but only time will tell. The Steelers have not finished with a losing record since 2003, and the bar for the Pittsburgh is even higher than 9-10 wins for some people. With that being said, we now take a look at the Steelers reasons for optimism and reasons to be concerned and worried.
Pittsburgh Steelers Season Outlook
Reasons To Believe In the Steelers
The very first reason to believe in the Steelers this season is the offseason they had. Pittsburgh without a doubt got much better this offseason. Offensively, they brought back Aaron Rodgers for one final year before he retires. They also helped their offense by signing Rico Dowdle and Michael Pittman Jr. They then drafted Germie Bernard from Alabama to solidify the receiving room. The Steelers also improved on defense; signing Jaquan Brisker and Jamel Dean to load up the defense.
The next reason to believe in the Steelers is the veteran experience they have on the team. Rodgers, Jaylen Warren, DK Metcalf, and a majority of their defensive has years of experience, which could benefit the Steelers when they play young teams.
Lastly, the Steelers never finish with a losing record. As mentioned before, the last time the Steelers had a losing record was 2003, and head coach Mike McCarthy and his squad look to continue that winning season streak.
Reasons To Be Concerned About the Steelers
While there are reasons to believe the Steelers will have a good season, we also have to factor in some concerns. The first one is age; Rodgers is 42 years old, and one hit could have him sidelined, and the entire roster is getting older, especially on defense. That is not to say they do not have young talent on defense, as Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Alex Highsmith, Payton Wilson, and Jack Sawyer are all young, but the overall lack of youth could be a problem for speed, more injuries, and the future.
The next concern is the schedule. The Steelers have to play the AFC North twice, and the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals always give the Steelers all sorts of trouble. The Steelers will also play the New England Patriots, who won the AFC Championship in 2025; the Denver Broncos, who played the Patriots in the AFC Championship; the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl two years ago and still have a talented team; and two teams that have gotten better, which are the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The final concern is the post-Tomlin era. In Mike Tomlin’s tenure as the Steelers head coach, he had zero losing seasons and a lot of good teams. While he did not have his team scoring a lot in his past seasons with the Steelers, he always knew how to win in the regular season and make the playoffs with not-so-great teams. McCarthy is a completely new face, and while he is good for quarterback development, he does not win as much as Tomlin does, which could be concerning in big division-rival games.
Do you think that the Steelers will be able to surpass expectations, or will they have their first losing season under a new head coach for the first time since 2003?
Main Image: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
