The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most successful NFL teams over the last couple of decades. Their notorious non-losing season streak is proof of that. Yet after getting to the postseason things have gone terribly wrong over the last 10 years. Those factors combine to form an overflowing level of pressure in Pittsburgh. We’ll never know if it truly got to Mike Tomlin toward the end of his tenure, but his departure begins the Mike McCarthy era for the Steelers.
One that brings perhaps the most pressure in the league in 2026, at least to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“I look at three teams with first-year coaches. In Buffalo, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. And this is a different situation than most first-year coaches walk into,” Breer said on his Breer Report show when asked to name NFL teams under the most pressure this season. “Pittsburgh was in the playoffs last year…I think it’s a lot more pressure than it normally would be on a first-year head coach to perform. And on the quarterbacks, of course, in those spots. Aaron Rodgers, his last hurrah as an NFL quarterback…Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, because of the coaching changes, are under a unique level of pressure.”
When Tomlin stepped down, many envisioned a new era of Steelers football brought on by a young, dynamic head coach. It’s no surprise fans with those hopes were initially disappointed when McCarthy and the Steelers put pen to paper.
But McCarthy has won some of them over so far. And pressure isn’t anything new for him. With one of the more unique coaching careers the league has seen, McCarthy has coached arguably the three most iconic NFL franchises – Green Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh. He’s no stranger to a rabid fan base demanding wins.
However, it won’t be easy to get off to a fast start in Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers looked limited in 2025. Michael Pittman Jr. and one of Germie Bernard or Roman Wilson will have to step up for that to change this year. And while Patrick Graham will breathe new life into the defense, that unit had plenty of problems last season.
While taking the Steelers job certainly adds some pressure for McCarthy, it’s one he understands well. And one benefit to his new job is the leash he’ll be provided. He won’t spend two decades in Pittsburgh like Tomlin, but he doesn’t need to worry about getting fired after one or two years. Compared to most new head coaches around the league, that’s a nice position to be in.
However, Steelers fans are rightfully ready for the playoff losing streak to end. Breer thinks McCarthy’s task of ending it puts the Steelers under a ton of pressure, more than almost any other team. With training camp around the corner, it won’t be long until we find out whether this team has what it takes to do so.
