The Pittsburgh Steelers replaced Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been predicted to go 9-8 in Year 1 of the Mike McCarthy era by NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report.
Pittsburgh replaced Mike Tomlin with McCarthy, who has coached the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
"Pittsburgh hired a proven head coach in Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down at the end of the 2025 term," Moton wrote. "In 18 seasons, McCarthy's teams won 61 percent of their games. The Steelers won't bottom out on his watch, though there's some concern about a roster with several key players older than 30. At 42, Aaron Rodgers can still perform at a high level, but he needs more from his defense, which ranked 17th in scoring and 26th in total yards last season. Newcomers Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker must shore up the secondary."
Pittsburgh hasn't missed the playoffs since 2022. In Year 1 of the McCarthy era, the Steelers face the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans.
McCarthy and Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers as members of the Packers. Rodgers hasn't won a playoff game since the 2020 season, while the Steelers haven't won a postseason game since the 2016 season.
One of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, Rodgers finished with 3,322 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025. He completed 65.7% of his passes.
It will be intriguing to see how Rodgers and Co. perform in 2026. A four-time MVP, Rodgers will retire from the NFL after this season. Will he go out on top or lose to Father Time?
We'll find out soon.
"I think we were close last year," Rodgers said. "I think we added some good pieces. I felt like we needed a lineman probably at some point, drafted a guy in the first round that I like. I thought we needed somebody who could work in the slot. Obviously, Germie (Bernard), being picked there, is a guy they think can do it. Bring in (Michael) Pittman, was obviously a good addition. Rico Dowdle, Jamel (Dean) on defense. (Jaquan) Brisker as well, so a lot of good pieces added to the mix."
