Mike McCarthy leaves no doubt about Steelers expectations in 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers are clearly not interested in trying to rebuild in 2026, as their hiring of Mike McCarthy as their next head coach gives them a similarly high floor to what they had under Mike Tomlin. Despite clear roster holes and an aging core of star players, General Manager Omar Khan will likely be tasked with maximizing the potential of the team for the upcoming season.

If there was any doubt that the Steelers still view themselves as playoff contenders, McCarthy put those doubts to bed during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Friday afternoon.

McAfee asked the Steelers HC about team construction and the expectations for this season, and he had this to say about his roster.

"You look at the roster, this is not a start-over opportunity at all, I mean, it's a football team that was in the playoffs last year. So, to categorize it, it's a playoff roster."

Mike McCarthy shows that he is under the same delusion that the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers leadership is

It's no surprise that McCarthy would say that the Steelers have a playoff roster, and he is right about that...technically. Aside from the obvious questions at quarterback, it's hard to know how much Tomlin's unique ability to get the most out of a lackluster roster is now gone with his departure.

McCarthy could certainly offer a similar skillset, especially with the expected boost to the offense he should provide, but will it be enough to keep them in playoff contention?

T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward will be another year older, as will guys like Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Rodgers (if he returns). They do have an ample amount of cap space and a significant amount of draft capital, but this is a relatively weak free agent and NFL draft class.

Could the Steelers retain their status as a playoff contender with the right combination of offeseason moves? Absolutely, but my mind goes back to the question many fans find themselves asking; what is the point?

Remaining "competitive" just to have a 10-11 win ceiling and a likely one-and-done playoff appearance has been the standard in Pittsburgh for far too long, and hiring McCarthy and not looking to rebuild the roster only guarantees more of the same. This was the Steelers chance to stop ramming their collective heads against the wall and do things right, but McCarthy made it clear that isn't happening in 2026.