The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2026 season with a new head coach and expectations that remain difficult to pin down. Some observers see enough talent for Pittsburgh to remain in the AFC playoff picture, while others question whether the franchise has moved closer to becoming a serious postseason threat. Steve Palazzolo believes both things might be true.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands on the field and looks into the distance with his play sheet in hand as the team works out during a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh has lived in that uncomfortable middle ground for years. The Steelers have remained competitive, but their inability to win a playoff game has become a defining frustration. Even after moving from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy, there is still a question about whether the final result will look dramatically different.
Palazzolo addressed that uncertainty during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. He suggested Pittsburgh could finish in a familiar range, even while acknowledging that the traits that made Tomlin's teams predictable may not completely disappear. His assessment compared the old Steelers with the new version.
"It's a tough one because I think they may end up in a similar place," Palazzolo said. "We always talk about how predictable those Mike Tomlin teams were. Win the games you weren't supposed to, and lose the games you were supposed to win. It was just clockwork. All these things seemed to happen."
That history is why Pittsburgh can be difficult to project. The Steelers have often stayed relevant deep into the season even when their roster did not appear dominant. Palazzolo still sees enough on the current team, especially defensively, to believe another winning season is realistic.
The strength of the defense stands out most in his evaluation. Pittsburgh's pass-rushing talent and defensive front give the Steelers a chance to create problems for opposing offenses. If the defense controls games, the offense may not need to carry the entire burden every week. That belief led Palazzolo to an optimistic regular-season prediction. His recent simulation had Pittsburgh reaching the postseason, and he ultimately settled on 10 wins. He also predicted the Steelers would start the year by taking care of Atlanta.
"My simulation the other day had them sneaking into the playoffs somehow," Palazzolo said. "So let's go 10-7. I'll go positive preseason pick. They will roll Atlanta this weekend. Atlanta has got no pass rush. They will roll them and start it off right. They will go 10-7 this year."
Pittsburgh officially opens the regular season against the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 13. Atlanta's pass rush has become a storyline entering the matchup, especially with its edge group dealing with major losses. That creates an early opportunity for Pittsburgh's offense under McCarthy.
Steelers Could Improve Without Ending Their Biggest Problem
The dreaded question remains whether Pittsburgh can finally win once it gets there. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017. Every postseason appearance since then has ended without another victory.
Palazzolo was asked directly whether he believes that drought finally ends this season. His answer was simple: he does not. That creates the painful part of his otherwise positive 10-7 prediction because it suggests Pittsburgh could once again produce a respectable regular season without taking the step fans have waited nearly a decade to see.
That is what makes this season so important. Another winning record would prove McCarthy can keep Pittsburgh competitive immediately, and a playoff berth would give the new regime something to build around. Yet if the Steelers reach January and lose their first postseason game again, the conversation may sound painfully familiar.
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Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Kevin Stefanski talks to the media before practice at minicamp.
Pittsburgh has enough defensive talent for Palazzolo to believe 10 wins are realistic. He also likes the Steelers enough to predict an opening victory over Atlanta and a return to the playoffs. The problem is that his forecast still ends at the same wall Pittsburgh has been unable to break through since 2017.
Would a 10-7 season and another first-round playoff exit be enough progress for Steelers fans in Mike McCarthy's first year? Share your Steelers thoughts with @anthonyghalkias and follow me for more news throughout the 2026 season.
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