With the regular season set to open, the Mike McCarthy era in Pittsburgh is officially here, and the Steelers are walking into it with more questions than comfort. This is the part where wins and losses start doing the talking, and there’s no hiding from what the roster looks like right now: a team with plenty to prove and several spots that could go sideways fast.
The biggest pressure point might be up front. Dylan Cook appeared to benefit from the injuries around him and grab the starting right tackle job, but he never fully separated himself.
Max Iheanachor looks like the eventual answer there, though the rookie does not seem ready to take over immediately. That leaves Pittsburgh in a tricky spot, with Cook needing to do just enough to keep the position steady until Iheanachor is prepared.
There’s similar uncertainty on the other side of the ball, especially in the secondary. Jalen Ramsey, Jaquan Brisker, Jamel Dean, and Joey Porter Jr. are likely to be out there in Week 1, but the group has not had much real time together during the summer. That kind of missed chemistry can show up quickly, and the Steelers could be dealing with breakdowns that come from simple miscommunication.
Then there’s the Rodgers factor. Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers enjoyed plenty of success together in Green Bay, but that relationship clearly went sour late in that run as the Packers hit rougher waters. Pittsburgh can’t afford early-season friction or a bad stretch to drag the whole operation off course, especially with that history sitting in the background.
The inside linebacker group is another major swing point. Pittsburgh did not meaningfully upgrade the room, even though it was part of last year’s problem.
So now the bet is on Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson to rebound in a big way. If they don’t, the defense could be in real trouble.
And that’s the larger question hanging over everything: can the offense finally be the unit that drives this team? McCarthy was brought in to help find a future quarterback and get Pittsburgh’s attack moving in the right direction.
For years, the defense has carried the load. Now the Steelers are trying to flip that script, and if the offense can’t lift the team, it could be more of the same.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans Were All Saying The Same Thing About Pam Oliver
Pam Olivers latest spotlight came with a bigger honor attached, as the longtime Fox sideline reporter was named to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fames Class of 2025. It was a fitting recognition for nearly three decades covering the NFL, including countless Sundays in stadiums from coast to coast, and Steelers fans had reason to take notice when she was back on the sideline during the Falcons-Steelers game.
What stood out to viewers, though, was the strain in her speech, which quickly sent many fans in the same direction online. Oliver has been open about battling debilitating migraines that can affect her on-air work, sometimes even forcing her to miss games, and the reaction around the broadcast reflected both concern and appreciation for how much she has put into the job over the years. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers QB Depth Plan Says Plenty About Their Young Passers
The Steelers have settled their quarterback pecking order for the season, and it says plenty about how they view the young arms behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. Will Howard has been slotted in as the third-string option, giving Pittsburgh a developmental quarterback to keep in the room while the top two spots are set with veterans.
Drew Allar, a third-round pick, is inactive for the season opener and is expected to spend the year in a developmental redshirt role, a sign the Steelers are willing to let the process play out. Howards preseason had its rough stretches, but the organization still appears to believe in his upside, while Allar is being treated as the longer-term project in a depth chart that leaves the future open. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Face A Bigger Joey Porter Jr. Problem Than Week 1
Joey Porter Jr. has already made the Steelers early-season plans more complicated than anyone wanted, and it does not stop with his back injury. The second-year corner is unlikely to be available for Week 1 against the Falcons after missing training camp and being limited in practice, which leaves Pittsburgh trying to sort out its secondary without one of its most important young defenders.
Porters situation now has a longer shadow over it because there still is no long-term extension in place. With the injury, the lost summer work, and the contract uncertainty all hanging over the same player, the Steelers are suddenly dealing with more than just a short-term absence, and the possibility of a trade before he suits up again has started to circulate. [Read more 🡒]