The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to enter a new era in 2026 under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy, who, after coaching the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, has made his way home to Pittsburgh to lead his hometown team. In the final season of legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career, will the Steelers be able to gather up some magic and contend for a potential Super Bowl?
While the team itself is flying under the radar, all eyes will be on them when they take the field against the Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday. Speaking of flying under the radar, that is exactly how Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport sees this season going in the Steel City.
Pittsburgh Steelers Predicted to Have Winning Record Yet Again
Here is what Davenport had to say about his prediction of the Steelers once again going 9-8 this next season:
“The Steelers have veteran talent on both sides of the ball. They are the defending AFC North champions. The team hasn’t had a losing record since 2003. Is Pittsburgh a Super Bowl contender? No. But they’ll clear 7.5 wins – with relative ease.”
Given the fact that the Steelers won 10 games last season with both a bottom-half offense and defense, it could be interesting to see what happens if McCarthy gets this ship turned in the right direction immediately. With over 180 career NFL wins, including playoffs, and a Super Bowl ring, few current coaches have as strong an NFL track record as the 62-year-old McCarthy. Furthermore, he has plenty of veteran talent on both sides of the ball to lean on, and it starts with his MVP quarterback under center one last time.
Vintage Aaron Rodgers May Appear One More Time
The Steelers have not had a losing season since 2003, as Davenport noted. Part of the reason why they were able to keep that streak alive was the play of Rodgers. In fact, it was admirable. After a tough two-year stint with the New York Jets, Rodgers came in before the 2025 season with plenty of question marks. Even though he wasn’t his 2011 self, he battled through a fractured wrist for much of the year en route to recording 25 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
While those aren’t MVP numbers, Rodgers once again proved that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, especially situationally. He led this team to signature victories over the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots, a potent Detroit Lions team when healthy, and an eventual sweep over the arch-rival Baltimore Ravens, which included a clutch performance in the team’s win-or-go-home game in Week 18.
Rodgers did all of this with a makeshift wide receiver corps, especially at the end of the season, with Pro-Bowler DK Metcalf suspended. In fact, now-retired star pass-catcher Adam Thielen and Rodgers’ former Packers teammate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, had to step in.
This season, under the head coach that Rodgers is most familiar with and in an offense that includes new stars such as 1,000-yard receiver Michael Pittman Jr., second-round receiver Germie Bernard, and 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle, expect to get one last look at arguably the greatest quarterback of all time at nearly his best. If he plays that way, expect 9-8 to be Pittsburgh’s floor.
Steelers Given Meek Win-Loss Prediction for 2026