Jerome Bettis is not framing Pittsburgh’s coaching change as a Mike Tomlin problem. He’s looking at it as a roster problem first, and that shifts the pressure in a big way.
The Steelers legend believes the organization finally gave its coach a better group to work with, and that belief cuts against the easy narrative that Tomlin was the main reason Pittsburgh kept falling short in January. Bettis saw a team make the playoffs last season with personnel he viewed as lacking, and he’s giving Tomlin some credit - while putting more of the burden on general manager Omar Khan and the rest of the organization.
That also changes the conversation for Mike McCarthy. If the roster is actually improved, then simply matching last season’s 10-7 finish and heading into another quick playoff exit would not count as real progress.
“I'm optimistic when you see what they've added because I really believe it's about the talent that you put on the field, and unfortunately, the last few years, the talent hadn't been as substantial as it needed to be from that standpoint,” Bettis told Still Curtain managing editor Tommy Jaggi on a FanSided podcast.
It’s a pretty blunt assessment of how Pittsburgh has built this team. Bettis is not pretending Tomlin escaped blame.
The Steelers had stale offensive ideas, shaky game management, and postseason losses that repeatedly slipped away. But Bettis’ point is that coaching was not the only issue, and maybe not even the biggest one.
The offseason moves back up that view. Bettis singled out Michael Pittman Jr., Rico Dowdle, and Germie Bernard as meaningful additions.
Pittman gives DK Metcalf a proven partner after Pittsburgh spent too many seasons hoping an unproven receiver would grow into a dependable second option. Dowdle brings consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and Jaylen Warren is still there to share the load.
Pittsburgh also got Pittman via trade and moved up for Bernard, which makes the receiver work look like more than simple depth shopping. The Steelers invested in giving McCarthy enough weaponry to use three-wide sets without leaning on one player to do a job he hasn’t earned yet.
“I think ultimately they made the playoffs last year,” Bettis said. “I think with a limited roster, you got better players. I think you get a better chance.”
That’s the standard Bettis is setting now. He expects Pittsburgh to break through in the playoffs and believes McCarthy should inherit a more functional offense, better skill-position depth, and a team that already knows how to get to the postseason.
Tomlin took the heat when a limited roster stalled in January. McCarthy now gets the upgraded version. And if Bettis is right about the talent, another respectable 9-8 or 10-7 season won’t be enough.
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