Mike McCarthy is the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there are a lot of reasons to have mixed emotions. However, he does have a strong track record of winning offenses and generally gets the most out of that side of the ball.
He has a well-defined scheme and uses a ton of shotgun, which should greatly benefit some players currently on the roster. But there are a few players who could get lost in the shuffle here in Pittsburgh with the coaching changes. So without further ado, here are the biggest winners and losers for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Mike McCarthy hire.
Winners and losers fromthe Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to hire Mike McCarthy
Winner: Pat Freiermuth, TE
The 2025 season was a frustrating one for Freiermuth, who had just one game of five or more receptions. Despite being the best receiving tight end on the roster, Arthur Smith never utilized a gameplan to make him a consistent target in the passing attack.
But that should change with Mike McCarthy, who likes to use his tight ends out of the slot. Players like Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson had career seasons with McCarthy calling the shots. Expect more targets down the middle of the field and more opportunities for Freiermuth to earn targets as one of the focal points of the offense.
Loser: Darnell Washington, TE
On the flip side of the tight end position, it’s hard to envision Washington’s role growing in 2026. Mike McCarthy’s offenses generally live in 11 personnel (3 receivers, 1 tight end, 1 running back), and Freiermuth is the better route runner and more consistent receiver. Washington will still play, but the Steelers will not be close to the league leaders in two or three-tight-end sets any longer.
Washington will still provide value as the No. 2 tight end, but don’t expect him to play anywhere near 57 percent of the offensive snaps like he did last season. Instead, expect it to be around the 35 percent range, which is around Luke Schoonmaker (the No. 2 tight end in Dallas), the same number of snaps he received with the Cowboys.
Winner: Jaylen Warren, RB
We don’t think of Mike McCarthy as a coach who wants to run the ball all that often, but it’s hard to ignore his track record with running backs. During the 2021 season, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for over 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. They did it again in 2022, but this time, the duo totaled 24 touchdowns.
Pollard became the lead back in 2023, and he reached 1,300 yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive season. And in 2024, Rico Dowdle finished with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage despite not being a full-time player for the first half of the season.
McCarthy values running backs who can excel as pass blockers and can be used as a receiver, and that’s why Warren makes so much sense. Pittsburgh will likely live in shotgun, and Warren has shown that he can thrive next to the quarterback. Kenneth Gainwell could be considered a winner here, too, but with his contract up, that one remains to be seen.
Loser: Kaleb Johnson, RB
There are parts of Johnson’s game that do fit Mike McCarthy well, as he likes to run the ball inside, especially near the goal line. Could he be his modern-day Ezekiel Elliott? That is certainly possible, and there is a decent chance that this is just a better scheme fit for Johnson, as McCarthy loves to run inside zone.
But as we mentioned above, McCarthy’s offense usually lives in shotgun, and he wants running backs who thrive as pass blockers. That’s not really Johnson’s strength, and we didn’t see him used as a receiver much at Iowa or with the Steelers.
Warren is a better fit in the offense and should have a monster 2026 season. Johnson will have a role, but it’s just not as clear-cut as the other backs on the roster.
Winner: The Offensive Line
One thing that you can bank on is that Mike McCarthy’s scheme and coaching will help the play of the offensive line. He doesn’t leave his tackles alone on an island very often and does a good job of scheming around them. The Cowboys have had a plethora of offensive line injuries over the years, with McCarthy, and it never held them back from being an elite offensive unit.
It’s also worth noting that McCarthy believes in getting his five-best offensive linemen on the field. That meant moving Tyler Smith to left tackle one season, sliding a future Hall of Fame tackle in Tyron Smith to right tackle in 2022, and several other moves. He’s going to make sure the best players are on the field, regardless of draft status, contracts, etc. That should be encouraging for a unit that showed real signs of progress during the 2025 season.