Steelers' Unique Offseason Could Drastically Shift As Mike McCarthy Era Signals Growing Front Office Power

The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the process of filling out the coaching staff under new head coach Mike McCarthy. As the process is still underway, with many potential candidates still being mentioned, another important process is just beginning with the new additions, that being the construction of next season's roster. There are a lot of questions about how the Steelers will approach roster construction under McCarthy compared to former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and if Steelers General Manager Omar Khan will have more input than he's had in past years with Tomlin.

With all the questions circling around the Steelers, people within the media, along with fans, have been wondering how these questions will be answered. One of the more intriguing hints that have been given regarding roster construction comes from the latest episode of the Kaboly + Mack show, in which hosts Mark Kaboly and Chris Mack went back and forth on what free agents the Steelers could keep or choose to let go. Within this conversation, the two began comparing the approach Tomlin took in the past to what McCarthy could do now, and Mack dropped a fairly interesting hint for how this entire offseason could proceed.

"I do think, if Omar had a difficult time, and I'm not saying he did, if Omar ever had a difficult time exerting his and the personnel department's influence on what Tomlin wanted to do with certain players, I would think his influence and the influence of he and Andy Weidl and the personnel department would only grow, even if only incrementally, with McCarthy coming in," Mack explained.

This is something to keep an eye on as the Steelers dive into the free agency period within the next few months. Should Mack's comments be proven correct, and Khan takes more of a role in helping McCarthy assemble his roster for his first year as head coach, then the team as a whole could look drastically different by the time the 2026 NFL regular season rolls around. Whether the approach would be better or worse for the team's plans to contend, only time will tell, but the potential for something new and better should excite Steelers fans who are hoping for changes that could help the franchise win more than just nine or 10 games a season.

The arrival of McCarthy will already mean that the Steelers' roster will see changes in construction, due to McCarthy's differing approach thanks to his experience on the offensive side of the ball. Whether or not Khan will have more of an input with the players McCarthy could choose to bring in isn't clear, but all signs are pointing to Khan having more influence than he used to when Tomlin was here. A lot of these decisions concerning the roster will take shape in the coming months, especially once the entirety of McCarthy's staff is filled. 

With all of the potential for change under McCarthy, the Steelers should do whatever they can to take advantage of new approaches to attempt to lift the team out of the rut they seem to be stuck in with regards to zero playoff wins since 2017. The Steelers haven't been remotely close to getting that elusive playoff win in the nine years since their last playoff win, and a significant change should be at the top of the priority list to try to get the team closer to breaking this streak.

Steelers Need To Be Creative With Free Agency And The Draft

If the Steelers want to give themselves the best shot to make positive strides before the 2026 NFL season begins, they need to try new and creative approaches to the offseason. If that means Khan gains more influence over roster construction, like Mack had said, then Khan should help as much as possible if the change could prove to be a welcome one.

What did you think about Mack's comments regarding Khan's potential growing influence in roster construction? Let us know in the comments below.

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