The Steelers are sitting at 5-2 to open the 2026 season, but Kurt Warner isn’t buying them as a true AFC threat just yet.
The Hall of Fame quarterback, appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, pointed directly to Pittsburgh’s offense as the part that could keep the team from making a real postseason push. In Warner’s view, the problem isn’t just that the Steelers are winning - it’s that their scoring profile doesn’t look like it can survive against the conference’s top teams.
“When you look at the AFC and the teams that are going to be around, they can all score points,” Warner said.
“That’s the challenge for the Steelers right now, is how do you score points?”
Warner’s bigger concern is how Pittsburgh is finishing drives. The Steelers have been able to get results, but their offense has not consistently turned possessions into touchdowns, and that leaves little margin against the AFC’s better attacks.
“Any defense would line up against a team that has to go 10-12 plays per drive to score a touchdown,” Warner said.
That concern gets sharper near the goal line, where Pittsburgh has not found much success on the ground. Warner pointed out that the Steelers have only one rushing touchdown this season, a number that underlines how often their offense has struggled to cash in.
So while the record looks strong, Warner’s message is clear: winning early is one thing, but keeping up when the games tighten up in January is something else entirely. Pittsburgh’s defense can keep them in the fight, but if the Steelers want to be taken seriously as a contender, the offense has to start producing more consistently and with more force.
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