Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished 10-7 and won the AFC North. But despite re-signing QB Aaron Rodgers, a panel of NFL Network analysts largely expects them to disappoint. Out is Mike Tomlin and in is Mike McCarthy, and the head coach change could be why five of the seven analysts expect the Steelers to finish below .500.
Colleen Wolfe, Nick Shook, Lance Zierlein, Dan Parr, and Brooke Cerosimo have the Steelers finishing with a losing record. Bucky Brooks and Grant Gordon have the team at 10-7.
Cerosimo is the lowest on the Steelers, predicting the team to finish with a 6-11 record. Wolfe, Zierlein and Parr predicted a 7-10 record, while Shook believes the Steelers will finish 8-9.
Needless to say, there’s plenty of variance in how analysts see the Steelers this season. Rodgers isn’t the MVP-caliber quarterback he once was, but he was still solid for the Steelers last season. He gives the team the same Week 1 starter at quarterback in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2021. Improved weapons with the additions of Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, and Rico Dowdle should boost the offense to a better spot than last season.
But the defense is aging. While there’s still plenty of talent to remain a top unit, it has struggled over the past few seasons, especially defending the run. There’s hope things will turn around with Patrick Graham running the defense, but concerns about older players could be one reason some analysts are low on Pittsburgh this year.
Frankly, it’s hard to see a team that won the AFC North last year be as bad as most expect. Six or seven wins would be a massive disappointment. Really, any losing season would be a letdown. It would set a bad tone for the start of the McCarthy era if Pittsburgh finished under .500 for the first time since 2003.
Brooks has been high on the Steelers this offseason, even naming McCarthy a dark horse to win Coach of the Year. He and Gordon are clearly in the minority among their peers in their views on the Steelers, but they could wind up looking smart at the season’s end.
History is on their side, but there are still plenty of unknowns with a new coaching staff. Still, it feels like a yearly occurrence where analysts are low on the Steelers, only for the team to wind up winning 10 games and making the playoffs.