A decade and a half of mediocrity. That's what Pittsburgh Steelers fans have had to endure. The brutal purgatory was likely the driving force in the team's split with long-time head coach Mike Tomlin.
But after a shift to Mike McCarthy, Steelers fans are facing the uncomfortable possibility that nothing has changed. Mike Sando of The Athletic recently polled NFL executives on the state of the AFC, using their votes to rank each team in the conference from top to bottom. The Steelers placed tenth, with five of the six voters putting them in the "Sub-.500" tier.
Pittsburgh finds itself in the all too familiar middle of the pack.
NFL executives confirm Pittsburgh Steelers fans' fear that nothing has changed
The Steelers had an opportunity to choose a new direction after parting ways with Tomlin. There were innovative coaches available who could help drive the franchise into a new era, even if it meant taking an initial step back.
Instead, they hired the candidate who was arguably most similar to Tomlin. Mike McCarthy is a proven winner with NFL experience. But like Tomlin, McCarthy hasn't coached his way to a conference championship game in almost a decade.
League executives don't see any improvement coming in the first year of McCarthy's tenure. In fact, some expect regression.
One anonymous executive in Sando's article said, "Pittsburgh has been sick of Tomlin, hating the one-and-dones, but be careful what you wish for, because on paper, they have sub-.500 written all over them. A shaky O-line with an aging quarterback is not a good combo."
This team has talent on both sides of the ball, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should provide a boost to a unit that struggled last season. It's hard to picture the Steelers being anything less than competent in 2026.
But Pittsburgh still has a limited ceiling. Even in a familiar system, it's hard to imagine Aaron Rodgers suddenly making significant improvements to his game in his age-42 season. His preference for quick passes put a cap on what the Steelers could do last season, and it looks like we'll be watching more of the same in 2026.
The Steelers certainly deserve recognition for being the most consistent franchise in football over the last two decades. But at a certain point, consistency without top-end potential isn't worth pursuing. If these league executives are right, Pittsburgh is about to learn that lesson the hard way.
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