We learned a lot from the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 season... and unfortunately, there's been more bad than good. Though some players have thrived under the direction of Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh's new coaching staff, others have hit all-time lows in their careers.
This isn't to say that things are certain to remain this way; we've still got a long season ahead.
However, in the first quarter of the season, the biggest winners and losers have been painfully obvious, and they've had either a significant positive or negative impact on the team. Based on expectations and on-field performance, here are the biggest Steelers winners and losers at the quarter mark.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest winners and losers at the quarter mark of the 2026 season
Winner: Jaylen Warren
This one is blatantly obvious. For whatever reason, the Steelers refuse to make Jaylen Warren a feature, full-time running back... and it doesn't seem to matter how dominant he is at times.
Warren looked strong from the gate, even amid the offensive line struggles in the first two games of the season against the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. As Rico Dowdle failed to do anything significant on the ground or through the air, Warren picked up the slack.
Dowdle's injury absence proved to be addition by subtraction for the Steelers, as Warren really took off in Week 3 and Week 4 for some of the top performances of his career. He's been the one true consistent spot on offense, and he's one of the most efficient running backs in the entire NFL entering Week 5.
Winner: T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt isn't the same player he once was on a play-to-play and down-to-down basis. However, the ability to create splash plays is something that remains as strong as ever. Watt had an exceptional pick-six on a point-blank throw from Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush in Week 1.
But Watt's splash play hardly ended there. Through four games, Watt has racked up 4.5 sacks, six tackles for a loss, seven quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, in addition to his 35-yard interception returned for a touchdown. The four-time First-Team All-Pro edge rusher is one of the only players keeping the defense afloat early in the season.
Winner: Zach Frazier
If there's one thing we can count on when it comes to the offensive line, it's that Zach Frazier is almost guaranteed to do his part week in and week out. The 2024 second-round pick has been everything advertised and more early in his career.
While the O-line has caved in plenty this season, it's rarely been the fault of Frazier, who is a constant anchor at the point of attack. Frazier has also been a bully in the running game—steamrolling defenders. His impressive play has resulted in him earning the fourth-highest PFF grade among all NFL centers entering Week 5.
Winner: Darnell Washington
Talk about making the most of your opportunities. In addition to being a dominant run blocker, Darnell Washington has reeled in nine of 13 passes this season for 119 yards and a touchdown. The mammoth tight end is impossible to bring down on first contact, and he's finally starting to see an uptick in usage in the receiving game (as he should).
Washington is having a career season, and at 25 years old, he's a staple of the offense and one of the most consistent players this team has. He's one-of-one at the tight end position, thanks to his unmatched size, strength, and physicality.
Loser: Rayshawn Jenkins
Now comes the bad. It's no exaggeration to say that Rayshawn Jenkins might be the worst starting safety in the NFL, and the Steelers are finding out quickly why he's now on his fourth team in as many years.
Jenkins is an absolute liability in the secondary, as he constantly finds himself out of position. This has resulted in numerous big plays. Most recently, Jenkins was benched in the second half against the Browns on Thursday Night Football for rookie seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings. The Steelers need to get DeShon Elliott back pronto.
Loser: Michael Pittman Jr.
One of the most disappointing players on the team this year is wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. The March trade acquisition was expected to be a competent WR2 in Pittsburgh, at least for one season, but he's been anything but.
Late in his career, Pittman has been zapped of all athleticism and the ability to create space (which has never been his forte). He didn't win a single rep against man coverage in Week 4 against the Browns, and he's been one of the least efficient receivers in the NFL this year.
As a result, Pittman is currently PFF's 109th-ranked WR out of 115 qualifying players at the position. Sadly, the All-22 tape matches his dismal 50.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus at the quarter mark.
Loser: Asante Samuel Jr.
Equally disappointing as Pittman is veteran cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Despite a dominant August with practice and preseason performances, Samuel fell flat early in the season. His worst performance (unsurprisingly) came against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was bullied by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins before getting benched for rookie Daylen Everette.
Samuel is still a savvy veteran who can turn things around, but he's already dealing with a natural size and speed disadvantage against bigger, more athletic receivers. He serves as the perfect reminder of why we shouldn't read too deeply into training camp and preseason performances.
Loser: Patrick Queen
Don't get me wrong;m there have been a few bright spots with Patrick Queen this season—like the interception against Drake Maye and the Patriots in Week 2 on the underthrown pass. However, most of his sample of play in the first quarter of the 2026 season has been disastrous.
Queen quietly manages to escape criticism from the national media despite being a complete liability to the defense on most plays. The coaches' tape is hard to watch. His performance has been bad enough that the Steelers have every right to consider a demotion if they believed they had anyone who could take his place.
Loser: DK Metcalf
Thank goodness DK Metcalf finally pulled himself up by the bootstraps in Week 4 with an excellent bounce-back performance. But we can hardly pretend like the first three games of the season didn't happen. If we are taking Metcalf's four-game sample as a whole, it's been downright ugly most of the time.
Metcalf is on pace to see a career high in drops and a career low in touchdowns while missing the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth season in a row (two straight in Pittsburgh). He's hardly played like a $33 million-per-year wideout, and he has a lot of ground to make up to earn a fraction of that paycheck.
Week 4 was a step in the right direction, but he's been more bad than good for the Steelers in the first quarter of the 2026 season.
Loser: Aaron Rodgers
Then there's Aaron Rodgers—a polarizing figure for so many reasons, but his play has left much to be desired. The 42-year-old quarterback has made a handful of plays while still showing off impressive arm talent in his old age.
Unfortunately, the aging QB can no longer maneuver the pocket and avoid the rush. This has made him a sitting duck... and opposing defensive coordinators already have him figured out.
All it takes is blitzing Rodgers, and you force the NFL's oldest quarterback to rush to get rid of the ball or take a sack. He simply doesn't possess the ability to escape the rush, and I counted 13 negatively graded plays on 16 pressures in Week 4 alone.
Rodgers' utter lack of mobility and inability to extend the play are handicapping the Steelers' offense in 2026. Sadly, this might not get any better as the season goes on.
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