The Pittsburgh Steelers underwent a major change this offseason, with longtime head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down. The franchise turned to Pittsburgh native and Super Bowl-winning coach Mike McCarthy, who is determined to get his hometown team back to the top.
While it’s a major shift seeing someone different as the Steelers’ head coach, everything else is seemingly the same for the franchise. Just like last offseason, the team is awaiting an Aaron Rodgers decision, and unfortunately, one writer thinks Pittsburgh will find itself in a familiar spot once the season starts.
Kristopher Knox, in a recent piece for Bleacher Report, listed realistic record expectations for all 10 new head coaches. For McCarthy, Knox predicted a 9-8 finish for the Steelers. If that actually happened, it would be maddening for Pittsburgh, because the franchise would still be stuck in a cycle of mediocrity.
Bleacher Report predicts a 9-8 finish for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their first year under Mike McCarthy
Knox explained that McCarthy made sense as a hire because of his offensive prowess and his experience with Aaron Rodgers. Acknowledging that Rodgers' future is still unknown, Knox argued that the expectation will be even lower for Pittsburgh if the team is without the future Hall of Famer. Even if Rodgers does return, the writer believes the Steelers’ ceiling is a year similar to last season.
"Even with Rodgers, the Steelers probably aren't Super Bowl contenders. Even winning the AFC North will prove difficult, as Baltimore and the Cincinnati Bengals both appear poised to rebound. However, Pittsburgh added a few notable pieces who should keep it in the playoff mix," Kristophor Knox of B/R wrote.
That would be a nightmare because that’s just average, and Steelers fans are tired of average. For the majority of the last decade, Pittsburgh has floated just above .500. The franchise hasn’t been good enough to really contend for a Super Bowl, but things also haven’t been bad enough to undergo a full rebuild. The result of hanging in the middle has been just repeating the same season every year.
Fans are tired of that cycle, and with a coaching change made, now seems like the perfect time for a change, one way or another. However, it could ultimately be more of the same for the Steelers, even with Mike McCarthy calling the shots. That would be a nightmare for Pittsburgh, but it is a realistic possibility.
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