The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting set for their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and Mike McCarthy is hoping to make an impression in his first year as the team's head coach. The Steelers are looking to avoid a despicable 10-year drought without a playoff win, and with just 17 games on the NFL schedule, their road to the postseason starts at Acrisure Stadium.
With a new coaching staff and an aging roster, this is a do-or-die year for the Steelers. While I'm not predicting Pittsburgh to make a Super Bowl run anytime soon, I think they could surprise some folks in a few departments this season.
As McCarthy prepares his team for Week 1, I took some time to come up with my bold Steelers predictions before their 2026 season kicks off.
These seven bold Pittsburgh Steelers predictions could come to fruition in 2026
The Steelers won't have a 1,000-yard receiver
This one may not be exceedingly bold (the Steelers failed to have a 1,000-yard receiver last season), but I think it could happen again. In 2025, DK Metcalf led all pass-catchers with 850 yards. Sadly, the second-place leaders—Kenneth Gainwell and Pat Freiermuth—each earned just 486 receiving yards.
While I don't expect the Steelers to have a 1,000-yard receiver this year, I think we'll see stronger numbers across the board. Assuming their weapons stay healthy, Metcalf will be pushing this milestone, while Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard could both put up respectable numbers.
In terms of actual wide receivers last year, Calvin Austin III was second on the team with a measly 372 yards. The Steelers' weapons should have more production through the air this year, even if they fail to have a 1,000-yard receiver.
The Steelers will score 25+ points per game
For many teams, scoring 25-plus points is just another Sunday at the stadium. For the Steelers, doing this over the course of a season is a milestone fans desperately want to see reached. This is something this franchise hasn't accomplished since 2020, when Ben Roethlisberger was still the quarterback. The Steelers have seen four offensive coordinators since then.
Over the past five seasons, the Steelers have averaged just 20.2 points per game. Now, in steps Mike McCarthy—an offensive-minded coach who will undoubtedly be more aggressive on offense than Mike Tomlin allowed his coordinators to be.
Scoring 25 points per game isn't always a sign of a good offense, as often teams with bad defenses are forced to compete in shootouts. But assuming Pittsburgh's defense is respectable this year, scoring over 25 points per game would be enough to make the Steelers potentially threatening.
The Steelers will lead the NFL in sacks
We're used to seeing the Steelers near the top of the sack column. For a five-year span from 2017 through 2021, Pittsburgh ranked first in this department, earning between 52 and 56 sacks in each year. Unfortunately, since 2022, the Steelers have recorded between 40 and 48 sacks in each season and have ranked between 6th and 16th over the past four years.
This year, we could see the Steelers regain their sack crown.
With a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham, a healthy defense (knock on wood), and ascending front-seven players like Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton, and Derrick Harmon, the Steelers could go from a team that brings the quarterback down at a respectable rate to one that does so at an elite rate. It's wishful, but a 52-plus sack season is hardly out of the question.
Aaron Rodgers will have a 30+ passing touchdowns
There was a time when we could have penciled in a 30-touchdown season for Aaron Rodgers without hesitation. But over the past four seasons, Rodgers hasn't earned more than 28 passing touchdowns in a single year.
So why predict him to do it now, when he'll be 43 before the season's end?
First, it's important to remember that this is a bold prediction. But more than that, it's entirely within the realm of possibility when we consider all the factors at play. Despite Rodgers' age, he's thrown for at least 24 touchdowns in his last three healthy seasons (he played just one game in 2023 with the Jets due to a season-ending Achilles injury).
Meanwhile, many of Rodgers' weapons have improved. The veteran QB will shift from throwing to players like Kenneth Gainwell, Adam Thielen, and Marques Valdes-Scantling to Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, and Rico Dowdle.
The biggest factor, however, is McCarthy, who will open up the passing game more than any Steelers offensive coordinator since Todd Haley. Rodgers will obviously need to stay healthy to reach the 30-touchdown mark, but it's certainly attainable if he does.
Pat Freiermuth will record 800+ yards for the first time
Pat Freiermuth will turn 28 years old this season, and at this stage of his career, we know who he is. But thanks to the upgrades on offense, I think the veteran tight end could have a career year... and one that could even rival Heath Miller's most productive campaign in 2012.
Hitting 800-plus receiving yards felt more realistic a few years back. In 2022—Freiermuth's second season in the league—the former second-round pick recorded 732 receiving yards in 16 games. Sadly, he hasn't come close to topping his career high in this department over the past three years.
This year, McCarthy could look to target the middle of the field often with slants and posts. This is Freiermuth's bread and butter. While fellow tight end Darnell Washington will see plenty of action, Freiermuth stands to have a bigger role as a pass-catcher, and he could even finish second on the team in receiving yards this year.
Payton Wilson will lead the Steelers in interceptions
The Steelers' cornerbacks have never really been known for taking the football away, and that might not change much under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. If Joey Porter Jr. suits up and plays this year, he's unlikely to earn more than a lone interception or two. The same trends have been true with Jamel Dean (though he did earn a career-high three picks last season with the Buccaneers).
At the safety position, DeShon Elliott will miss at least the first four games of the season after being placed on IR, while ball skills aren't really Jaquan Brisker's forte. Thus, by default, it stands to reason that Payton Wilson could lead the team in this category.
Wilson was known for being a splash-play machine during his college days at NC State, and we have seen flashes from him early in his NFL career. If Wilson can earn a mostly full-time role on defense this year, he has the ball skills and playmaking chops to lead the team in picks.
His biggest competition for the team lead could be Jalen Ramsey, who will bounce around the secondary and has had three seasons of four interceptions during his NFL career.
Steelers will finish top-three run defense
I remember a time when I used to get upset when the Steelers' defense let the opposing running back cross the line of scrimmage (which goes to show how spoiled we were in the 2000s). We might never see another Steelers defense quite so dominant against the run, but by today's standards, they could still be a top-three run defense unit in the NFL.
Last season, the Steelers ranked just 15th in run defense, allowing 115.9 rushing yards per game. In fact, Pittsburgh's average rank since 2018 is 15th, and in 2021, they finished dead last in the league.
That could all change this year.
Patrick Graham is going to bring a spark and energy to the defense that has been lacking. Additionally, Derrick Harmon in Year 2 stands to play a pivotal role in the team's run defense this season. I'm not saying the Steelers are going to be in a tier of their own at the top of the league, but they have the talent to hold opponents to under 100 rushing yards per game and finish as a top-three run-defense unit in the league.
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