The Pittsburgh Steelers will not slide under the radar this campaign—not after an offseason tangled in staff changes and roster reshuffling. Expectations are high, despite fans acknowledging Mike McCarthy is walking into a tough situation. The veteran head coach is caught between a rock and a hard place. He must maximize the present while helping Pittsburgh build a more stable future.
Luckily, Bleacher Report gave him a little extra motivation before the season even begins.
According to B/R, McCarthy is not considered a top-10 NFL head coach entering the 2026 campaign. Sure, he has not coached a game in the black and gold yet. But his resume still deserves respect, despite a list filled with many of his esteemed peers.
At first glance, the ranking appears solid.
There is little room for Pittsburgh’s newest head coach to squeeze into the conversation without a debate. Sean McVay and Andy Reid have found the recipe for crafting successful seasons. Kyle Shanahan, Mike Vrabel, and DeMeco Ryans have all earned recognition for their impact.
Nick Sirianni, Dan Campbell, and Mike Macdonald have also built strong cases through recent seasons.
But do their recent accomplishments completely outweigh McCarthy’s full body of work?
Bleacher Report gifted the Pittsburgh Steelers motivation with Mike McCarthy snub
McCarthy will walk into his introductory season with his hometown team carrying a 174-112-2 regular-season record. His win total stacks higher than almost every coach on Bleacher Report’s list, outside of Andy Reid and Sean Payton. It is not easy to survive in the NFL as long as McCarthy has.
Let alone win at the rate he has across multiple eras of football.
But hardware is not granted to the best regular-season team. And that's where McCarthy’s resume takes a hit.
His 11-11 playoff record shows experience, but does not match the postseason success of coaches like McVay, Reid, or Shanahan. It also leaves room for younger coaches with recent playoff momentum to earn more respect in today’s conversation. Sirianni and Macdonald have better postseason success rates. It's what gives them an edge over McCarthy in Bleacher Report’s eyes.
The tradeoff between experience and recent success matters. Analysts often lean toward what they've seen lately. And I do not blame them, especially with the NFL being a results-driven league. Plus, McCarthy’s last few seasons did not end with a playoff breakthrough that silenced criticism.
Still, I do not believe McCarthy is far off from a spot on the list. He's certainly an honorable mention candidate.
Coaching is not based on one season. It is consistent with the nature of the leader. McCarthy has won big games. He's also developed quarterbacks and led locker rooms with championship expectations. We cannot dismiss his ability just because his newest chapter has not been written yet.
For Pittsburgh, the snub might be a blessing. McCarthy does not need extra noise, but he does need momentum. Bleacher Report provided both.
The Steelers have rebuilt enough of the roster to compete. Now McCarthy has the opportunity to remind the league why his name still belongs among respected NFL coaches. Thankfully, he has plenty of time to rewrite the narrative.
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