The 2026 offseason has been one of change for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is very well documented that Mike Tomlin decided to step down from his position as head coach, which gave Mike McCarthy the opportunity to take over things for his hometown team. There will be a lot of pressure right off the bat, as the franchise is coming off of a season in which it won the AFC North. The staff looks completely different than it has in recent years, as is usually the case when a new regime comes in. All eyes will be on the new leaders in the Steel City.
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Former Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy stands on the sideline with his headset on as his old team participates in a professional football game on the road.
McCarthy will be calling the plays for the offense, but that doesn't mean that his new offensive coordinator, Brian Angelichio, shouldn't be garnering some attention. Previously working as the tight ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings, Angelichio has been around for quite some time and worked with McCarthy for a few seasons when both were with the Green Bay Packers.
Kevin O'Connell recently praised Angelichio for the work that he did when with the Vikings, which certainly was well-received by Steelers fans. Pittsburgh has been desperate for a consistent and dominant offense for many years, and the hope is that the duo of McCarthy and Angelichio will bring fresh ideas and more firepower. Putting up points is going to be heavily valued.
That's why something O'Connell said at the Annual League Meetings could be looked into and taken the wrong way. While the Vikings' leader did have glowing remarks for Angelichio, a small tidbit would have been easy to miss and then investigate.
"He's been vital for me in the red zone over our four years together [in Minnesota]," O'Connell stated.
That immediately raises a question of exactly how well, or how poorly, Minnesota's offense performed dating back to 2022 when Angelichio accepted a job with the Vikings. Unfortunately, the answer is not all that good. The Steelers haven't been very impressive inside the 20-yard line of late, so diving into the statistics could lead to some worry.
Minnesota was 17th in 2025, 19th in 2024, and 29th in 2023 when it comes to red zone touchdown scoring percentage. Three straight years of being in the bottom half of the NFL is not something that should be looked at as all that inspiring. O'Connell may have trusted Angelichio; however, the numbers don't lie and these present a worrisome trend.
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Former Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Brian Angelichio stands on the sideline and raises his hand in the air to signal to the offense while a professional football game is played in Minneapolis, MN.
McCarthy will certainly have a lot of say in what goes on for the Steelers' offense; however, Angelichio wasn't brought in to simply hold a title. The offensive coordinator will be very involved in game-planning, and he appears to have fell short when it comes to red zone success during his stint in Minnesota. This is a crucial part of the NFL that cannot go overlooked, and Pittsburgh will need to make sure that it has success inside the 20 of its opponents.
One of the very good things when taking a look at this area is that the Dallas Cowboys were first in the league in the same category in 2022. McCarthy clearly has experience and some creativity when and where it matters most. Angelichio will get to learn from that, and the overwhelming expectation will be that the unit doesn't falter with the two calling the shots.
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New Steelers offensive coordinator, Brian Angelichio looks on from the sideline during a regular season matchup during his time with the Minnesota Vikings.
Steelers Have To Find Success Early In The 2026 Season On Offense
There will be no more excuses in the Steel City for inept offense. The fan base will be looking for consistency and formidability because of the fact that the head coach is now the one running the collective. Angelichio ties into the plans as well because O'Connell is viewed as one of the bright young minds throughout the league.
However, recent red zone trouble can't be ignored, particularly because the Vikings' head coach directly mentioned that he relied on Angelichio when it came to that part of the field.
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