The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an underperforming offense for many years now, which is a big reason why they wanted to bring in Mike McCarthy to be the head coach. That side of the ball just has not developed well for a while, especially at the quarterback position. The hope is that the new leader can come in and finally fix that one position, which would then trickle down into the skill positions and offensive linemen being better as well. If this works, it would be a huge boom for Pittsburgh's future.

Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Drew Allar makes a throw in rookie minicamp with head coach Mike McCarthy looking on.
There is plenty of hope that this offense can finally turn a corner and make some noise in 2026. While making an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, wide receiver DK Metcalf explained what he believes will happen offensively with this new coaching staff and new core.
"I mean, whatever we put out there on the field, I think is going to be the best," Metcalf said.
It's definitely a bold claim from Metcalf that this is going to be "the best," especially with all the new faces on the coaching staff and new schematics that will be put into place. At the same time, training camp is always the time for endless optimism, as it just feels good to get back out there on the field and remind the world of how good you and your teammates really are.
There are a lot of factors as to what would make this offense "the best," as well as numerous questions that need to be answered. For Metcalf, he had a down year in 2025, as he had a career-low 850 yards on just 59 receptions. He struggled against press coverage, and opposing defenses learned that they could just eliminate him from the game by putting a safety over the top as well.

Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf sets up at the line of scrimmage during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Of course, everything starts at the quarterback position. The hope is that Aaron Rodgers can catch his second wind now that he's reunited with McCarthy for this last ride. If he's going to help this offense be the best, he can't target his backup running back 85 times for the second year in a row. Pittsburgh really needs to push the ball downfield to complement their power run game.
There are many other questions that need to be answered, which is why Metcalf's take was definitely bold. It's hard to expect a unit that has been sputtering for years to just turn it around in one year and play great. Odds are this will be a long-term project that won't reach its peak for a few years. Maybe then, there will be more talk about the Steelers being the best.
Steelers Have Plenty Of Reasons To Be Excited About The New Scheme
On the other hand, so many of the changes that are being made are key things that have been missing for years. Metcalf himself spoke about how his concerns are actually being heard by the coaching staff, which had seemingly not been the case in 2025. Even if changes aren't implemented immediately based on player requests, little things like that can do so much to boost the morale of a team.
This training camp has the Steelers running things that they have typically avoided for unknown reasons, like seam passes to Pat Freiermuth, as well as more plays under center. Rodgers himself requested that last part, and as mentioned before, McCarthy heard him. This is exactly what Pittsburgh was missing offensively in recent years. At the very least, it can't get much worse than it has with the previous carousel of offensive coordinators.
Aaron Rodgers finds Pat Freiermuth up the seam to his back shoulder for a 25 yard TD. Great throw. Freiermuth has been active all day.
β Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) August 1, 2026
What do you think about Metcalf declaring that the offense will be βthe best?β Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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