Steelers’ Expectations Under Mike McCarthy Could Turn Toxic Quickly

The Pittsburgh Steelers are transitioning into a new era after former head oach Mike Tomlin stepped down from his responsibilities after the embarrassing 30-6 loss in the Wild Card Round to the Houston Texans. Out of all the potential candidates the Steelers could have selected to be the franchise's fourth head coach since 1969, they decided to pick the safest option available to them, hiring Head Coach Mike McCarthy to fill some relatively big shoes. A lot of pressure will be on McCarthy to succeed immediately, given the history of the Steelers as a franchise, and with this pressure comes a lot of warnings that have been issued throughout the media.

One of these warnings mentioned was that the Steelers cannot afford to have a slow start to their season. In McCarthy's first season coaching the Dallas Cowboys, the team started an abysmal 2-7 through nine weeks into the regular season. They'd go on to finish 6-10, which was 3rd in the NFC East and 12th overall in the NFC. That Cowboys team was riddled with injuries, but there are some who warn that despite any excuses, if the first season in Pittsburgh does not go well for McCarthy, there could be consequences.

In one of the more interesting remarks on this subject, Mike Florio appeared as a guest on 93.7 The Fan to discuss his thoughts on how the Steelers were poised to look under McCarthy in the first year of his tenure. As he was talking about the success McCarthy has had, he issued a warning to the team.

"How long is he gonna be here?" Florio said. "What are we really gonna do? And he did have three straight 12-5 seasons in Dallas, and 12-win seasons have not been plentiful in recent years for the Steelers, but they started 2-7 his first year, and the Steelers were the ones that gave the Cowboys loss number seven. A 2-7 start is not gonna go well. I've said this a couple times this week. They go 2-7 this year, there's gonna be a point where Styx calls up and says, 'Will you please stop playing our song? Because we don't like it being booed every time it's played.'"

Florio's comments are fairly accurate with regards to a potential slow start for the Steelers. As was seen during the 2025 season, there were plenty of moments where the fans expressed their displeasure with the team, with multiple "Fire [Mike] Tomlin" chants raining down during the home loss to the Buffalo Bills. This very same thing could happen only one year into McCarthy's tenure with the Steelers should they start off slowly, as Florio suggested. Plenty of fans were already unhappy with the McCarthy hire, and a start like this would vindicate them all.

The Steelers cannot afford to have a start like this in McCarthy's first year. Despite how many fans have clamored for the organization to have a year where they finish near the bottom of the league to get a high draft pick, it seems clear that the organization itself does not want to undergo a year like that, no matter what position it puts them in down the road. Ultimately, if they want to do their best to avoid a start like Florio mentioned, they're going to need to make an important decision soon.

Steelers Need To Decide On The Future Of The Quarterback Position

Should the Steelers fully commit to wanting to avoid a 2-7 start, they'll need to figure out what the plan at quarterback is. It seems like the team wants current quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return, and while this would certainly help them start off at a better pace, others believe they like quarterback Will Howard instead, and would rather trust him to run the offense. Either way, they'll need to make the decision and build a supporting cast around them to ensure success.

What did you think about Florio's comments on a slow start? Let us know in the comments below.

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