There has been a lot of change for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the course of the 2026 offseason. While the roster received a big-time makeover, it's impossible to ignore the transition that occurred when Mike Tomlin stepped down and Mike McCarthy was brought in. The team suddenly went from being focused on defensive success for 19 years to shifting to an offensive philosophy. There could be some serious challenges early on that end up being relatively hard to recover from. It all will begin on Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons travel to the Steel City for a Week 1 battle.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
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.
Despite the big change, Pittsburgh still has a very impressive streak going regarding non-losing seasons. The last campaign that saw that organization finish under .500 was 2003. For well over two decades, the franchise has been a model of consistency for the entire NFL. It is not going to be easy to replicate this success with a first-place schedule and completely fresh regime being in charge.
A lot of the blame will be placed on McCarthy if things go south quickly, and Tomlin would be owed plenty of apologies if that were to happen. Where the collective will truly be tested, however, is toward the end of the year because the lineup of opponents seems incredibly daunting. The contests in December and January are likely to determine if a postseason appearance will occur or not.
Time is running out for predictions to run rampant across social media as the regular season has officially arrived. There was something notable that popped up on 93.7 The Fan's The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller show on Thursday evening that could grab some attention. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that he believes a losing record is coming, and it's mainly for three key problems.
"I have them at eight [wins] and nine [losses]," Fittipaldo said. No playoffs. I think it's gonna be very similar to years past. I think they're gonna be in it in December. I just have some major concerns about this receiving [corps]; more so the depth than anything else. I have concerns about the offensive line and obviously, above and beyond Joey Porter Jr., they're playing without DeShon Elliott. They list one safety on their depth chart, so I have no idea what the secondary is gonna look like either."
All of the points from the beat writer are completely reasonable. No one is quite sure what the Steelers have behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., while the starting offensive line barely played together in the preseason. On top of that, one of the most underrated contributors on defense in DeShon Elliott is set to miss at least four games as he landed on Injured Reserve (IR).
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Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) stands on the field as the Pittsburgh goes through a workout during the annual Friday Night Lights practice at 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Every team across the league runs into issues during any given season. The Steelers, however, won't care about anyone but themselves. Fittipaldo has brought to light that there are plenty of question marks that could come back to bite the organization. All of those problematic factors will also be mixed in with a new coaching staff that will be tasked with juggling a plethora of complications.
Elliott's absence may be the most crucial of them all. After suffering a serious knee/hamstring injury in 2025, he underwent surgery. He seemed to be back to full health after playing in the second exhibition contest; however, he later would find himself on IR. It hasn't even been confirmed if four games is the expected number of games that he will be sidelined for.
Steelers Have To Smile In The Face Of Some Adversity
Tomlin may not be around the locker room anymore, but the team could certainly take his advice. Every franchise is dealing with something this time of year and excuses cannot be made because of any possible roadblocks. Now, it is pretty much go time and the Steelers will lean on a veteran locker room to control anything that could potentially hinder the group from being successful.
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