All eyes are on the Pittsburgh Steelers this upcoming season. And rightfully so.
An impressive off-season haul of seasoned veterans and motivated rookies is helping Mike McCarthy circle the wagons before his debut season as Pittsburgh’s head coach. While players and the coaching staff fine-tune schematics, fans are passing the time by predicting their regular-season record.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently joined the fun. He shared his thoughts on the team’s chances this season on the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. And honestly, I do not think he is far off.
“I have us at 12-5,” Roethlisberger said.
It was a bold statement from the former franchise quarterback. But it's hard not to see his point. Roethlisberger knows what winning football looks like in Pittsburgh. He also understands the value of quarterback play and the importance of a coaching staff putting players in a position to succeed. So when he puts the Steelers in the 12-win conversation, it is worth paying attention.
"I just think that Aaron is going to thrive more in this offense that he knows,” Roethlisberger confessed.
I 100% agree.
Not only is Arthur Smith finally removed from the equation, but Aaron Rodgers is reunited with a familiar face in McCarthy. Pittsburgh’s head coach has already committed to being theprimary play-caller for the upcoming season. That alone changes the feel of this offense. The familiarity between signal-caller and head coach is something Pittsburgh struggled to replicate in previous seasons.
Now, they have one of the best quarterback and head coach tandems in NFL history back together with something to prove.
Ben Roethlisberger believes Aaron Rodgers will improve with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026
Rodgers does not have to spend the entire season learning a brand-new voice. McCarthy knows what Rodgers likes. And Rodgers knows what McCarthy expects. That chemistry does not guarantee success, but it gives Pittsburgh a serious head start.
If the Rodgers and McCarthy reunion was not enough to earn Pittsburgh extra wins in the win column, the offensive improvements should help. Roethlisberger pointed to that as well.
“I think the additions at the skill positions will be huge,” Roethlisberger confessed.
He is right again.
Investments in Michael Pittman Jr., Rico Dowdle and rookie Germie Bernard were necessary to take Pittsburgh’s offense to the next level. In 2025, Rodgers struggled to carry the offense on his own. He found some comfort in Kenneth Gainwell and DK Metcalf, who helped create production through the air. But limited options made Pittsburgh one-dimensional too often.
As a result, the offense suffered when defenses forced Rodgers to win with less.
New weapons for a seasoned quarterback with promise were a great move by Pittsburgh’s front office. It allows Rodgers to maximize whatever juice remains in his 42-year-old body without putting too much pressure on the All-Pro to work his own magic every week. He does not have to be Superman anymore. He just has to be efficient, accurate, and comfortable.
That is why Roethlisberger’s prediction makes sense.
The hard work from Omar Khan’s front office this off-season does not go unnoticed. Pittsburgh squeezed out 10 wins last season. But they did so without the full collection of key additions gathered during an intentional off-season period. The roster is deeper, and the offense looks more balanced.
It would be madness to expect this team to decline after the work they put in. At the same time, expecting a massive leap may be slightly unrealistic. That is what makes Roethlisberger’s 12-5 prediction feel fair. A two-game improvement is the perfect prediction for a franchise that got a step better and still has something to prove.
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