Steelers Receive Another Huge Warning As The 2026 Season Approaches

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a much different team when they take the field to begin the 2026 season. The roster is the same for the most part aside from some upgrades, including in the offensive arsenal. That seemed to be a focus for the team once Mike McCarthy was brought in as the new head coach. He is an offensive-minded coach, which was unexpected for the Steelers. He also announced early on that he will be calling the plays during the games, and he has been getting the team acclimated with his offensive system throughout the offseason program, and that will continue in training camp.

Going from Mike Tomlin to McCarthy is obviously going to be an adjustment for the players that have been with the team, but hopefully those adjustments do not show once the regular season begins. The Steelers cannot afford to get off to a slow start, especially with teams like the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals looking to bounce back in the AFC North. The Steelers also have a difficult schedule down the stretch, which is something the franchise needs to prepare for by winning games.

Beat writer Mark Kaboly spoke on his show Kaboly + Mack on Tuesday, and he discussed McCarthy and the outlook for this team. He seemed to be worried about all the change that is taking place, and that it could lead to a slow start to the 2026 season.

"You can't, to steal from Mike Tomlin, you can't warm up to this man," Kaboly said. "If you don't get off to a fast start, it might be rough. So I think they need to get off to a fast start."

Kaboly has been saying that the Steelers will either finish the 2026 season with a record of 12-5 or 5-12, and there is no in-between. A slow start would unfortunately support the latter of those two predictions, which might actually be exactly what the franchise needs.

With basically an entirely new coaching staff, a slow start might be expected, but the Steelers are an older team with good veteran leadership. Hopefully the leaders in the locker room can help ease the transition, especially Aaron Rodgers since he played under McCarthy for most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

McCarthy is bringing a new offensive system with him, but it is one that Rodgers is somewhat familiar with. It has been changed some since the last time the two were together, but the foundation remains the same. That should help the younger guys on the offense when it comes to understanding assignments and getting on the same page. Defensively, Patrick Graham has already said he does not plan on changing things too much, but he is going to scheme his defense to the strengths of the players that will be on the field, which is refreshing to hear.

Steelers Are Victims Of Brutal Late-Season Stretch Again

No team in the NFL wants to get off to a slow start, regardless of what their schedule might look like. However, since the schedule gets harder as the season moves along for the Steelers, a hot start is imperative to a successful season. The group has its bye week in Week 9, but from Week 10 through Week 15, it is an absolute gauntlet. It starts with the Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles on the road, then it is two home games against the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, followed by matchups with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Ravens. The Steelers will play the Ravens again in Week 18 as well. 

There is a legitimate chance that the Steelers go 0-6 over this stretch, which exemplifies why a hot start is so important for this team.

What do you think about Kaboly's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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