Pittsburgh Steelers
· 2026-07-09
The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently standing 4th in the American Football Conference with a 10-7 record, on a W1 streak, and are looking to improve with their next game vs Atlanta Falcons on 2026-09-13.
The Steelers made the playoffs last season but were steamrolled by the Houston Texans in a 30-6 home loss in the wild-card round, becoming the first team in NFL history to lose five straight playoff games by double digits.
The team's complaints from fans haven't changed in years, and probably won't be much different this season, with the Steelers famously never having a losing season under Mike Tomlin, but also not winning a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season.
The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, who at 62 years old seems like a knockoff version of Tomlin with all the same criticisms of not being able to raise a team's ceiling to an elite level, instead of swinging big on a young coach rising through the ranks.
McCarthy is from Western Pennsylvania, and it seemed like the Steelers got caught up with a fun homecoming story rather than trying to change the course of the team.
The Steelers brought back quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was good for his age last season at 42, but expecting more in his age-43 season seems to be a fool's errand, as he was a middle-of-the-road quarterback.
The rest of the roster looked old last season, especially an expensive and underwhelming defense, with some upgrades in free agency, but not a major shakeup.
The Steelers won 10 games and weren't a bad team, but they were far from great, and it's scary to make major changes, especially when there's the illusion of being closer to title contention than they are.
The team is hoping that Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers can bring change and improve their chances, with key players like receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Jamel Dean, and safety Jaquan Brisker helping to boost the team.
The Steelers are looking to make a long-awaited playoff run, and their next game vs Atlanta Falcons on 2026-09-13 will be a crucial test for the team.