Steelers' Alex Highsmith Gives Definitive Answer On How To End Pittsburgh's Playoff-Win Drought

The Pittsburgh Steelers under former head coach Mike Tomlin set an active record that will likely not be broken for decades to come. This record actually started before Tomlin: 22 consecutive non-losing seasons, 19 of which were under Tomlin. The 22 consecutive non-losing seasons are still going, with the Steelers going 10-7 and clinching the AFC North in a thrilling Week 18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens during the 2025 campaign.

However, the Steelers are also on the verge of making a different kind of history. The Steelers are 0-7 in their last seven playoff games, with this season's loss coming in an embarrassing fashion, a 30-6 blowout home loss to the Houston Texans. Despite the regular season success, the postseason has been the Steelers' kryptonite for far too long, and the team and Tomlin finally parted ways. 

The Steelers exit the Tomlin era by bringing in another Super Bowl-winning coach, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, giving the pair each their first and only Super Bowl win. This is notable, as Rodgers' decision on whether to return to the Steelers is likely to be influenced by McCarthy one way or another. Regardless of who the quarterback is in the Steel City for 2026 however, McCarthy will have to break the Steelers' playoff drought, or his time in Pittsburgh is likely to be short-lived.

Steelers star linebacker Alex Highsmith was recently on PFT Live and shared his thoughts on how the Steelers can get over the playoff hump.

"I think for us whenever that moment comes, we just got to execute, we got to play an overall well-rounded game, having a home game this year was disappointing not getting that one done," Highsmith explained. "The Texans were a good team, but we really felt going into that game that we were gonna win."

The Steelers had their fair share of chances to overtake the Texans in their Wild Card matchup. Despite the lopsided final score, the game was close throughout the first half, with the Texans ahead by only a single point at halftime, 7-6. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud gave the Steelers every opportunity to take the game over as well, throwing an interception and losing two fumbles. 

Despite this, the Texans dominated the second half, thanks to the Steelers' inability to move the ball, outscoring them 23-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a landslide victory. As Highsmith said, in the playoffs, it takes a well-rounded game. The offense and the defense will have to be clicking on all cylinders in order for the Steelers to achieve playoff success moving forward.

The path to the playoffs for the Steelers doesn't get any easier. Their veteran-laden roster isn't getting any younger, and the Steelers won't continue this winning streak during the regular season forever. However, the window to compete is still open, and the franchise has to turn this around quickly to avoid a rebuild.

Steelers' McCarthy Will Have Short Window For Success

One downside of success are the expectations it sets. Steelers fans are not used to rebuilds, given their 22 consecutive winning seasons, and McCarthy is not a rebuilding coach. The expectation is for the Steelers to continue their regular season success and start a new streak of postgame success.

The Steelers will have to spend the offseason with that recent playoff loss as the lasting memory of an already emotional season. This is a team with star power and expectations to fulfill. Now, they'll have to produce when the lights are the brightest. As Highsmith said, it will take a complete team effort to do so. 

What are your expectations for the 2026 Steelers? Comment below!

#SteelerNation