We know the Pittsburgh Steelers are in it to win it in 2026; it's the whole reason they brought back a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers for one final season and decided to keep some of their expensive, aging veterans around. But what does the future look like beyond the 2026 season?
If you ask the experts at ESPN, it's not bright. In fact, it's downright gloomy.
On Monday, an ESPN panel, consisting of experts Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, Louis Riddick, and Seth Walder, power-ranked all 32 NFL teams based on what they think their overall roster, quarterback, coaching, and front office will look like from 2027 through the 2029 season. Sadly, they ranked the Steelers 30th overall.
ESPN determined that, for this stretch, the Steelers will have the 20th-ranked roster while ranking 32nd at quarterback and 31st in coaching. They also had the Steelers' front office ranked just 27th.
The only two teams ranked worse than the Steelers for these future NFL power rankings were the Miami Dolphins (31st) and the Arizona Cardinals (32nd). And just like that, the Steelers were hit with a brutal reality check of what could be waiting for them after 2026.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must outperform ESPN's future expectations past 2026
While 30th seems remarkably low, it's not hard to understand ESPN's reasoning behind the decision to rank the Steelers among the worst NFL teams for the future. After the 2026 season, the Steelers aren't expected to have a quarterback on their roster who could serve as a respectable starter.
Likewise, ESPN has concerns when it comes to Mike McCarthy's coaching staff and some of the decisions GM Omar Khan and the front office have made (mainly streaming mostly washed-up quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers).
Meanwhile, it's deflating to see the Steelers rank under the Cleveland Browns (No. 28) and New York Jets (No. 29)—two of the league's most poorly run organizations—in these future power rankings.
But it's important to remember that these are just predictions, and there is still reason for hope.
As Solak noted in the article, the Steelers' future in the trenches looks bright.
"The good news is that GM Omar Khan has drafted well, and there are exciting young players on both sides of the trenches. That should soften the inevitable transition awaiting the Steelers after consistent mediocrity in recent years," Solak wrote.
To break free from this narrative, the Steelers will need to do several things. First, their young players have to show promise during the 2026 season. From there, they need to find a quarterback for 2027 and beyond who can inspire hope—whether that is Drew Allar or someone a high-level prospect early in the 2027 NFL Draft.
McCarthy must also prove to be a quality coach late in his career with a third organization. He needs to bring a spark to this offense that's been missing over the past seven years.
If the Steelers can find a way to pull these things off over the next half year or so, we could be looking at a very different future power ranking this time next year. But if not, Steelers fans will have plenty of reason to worry about the future of this team.
For now, let's hope this egregious future power ranking lights a fire under the organization and serves as a reality check for where things could be headed if the Pittsburgh Steelers don't turn this sinking ship around.
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