Local Insider Shares His Number One Steelers Concern
The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of new faces. In many ways, that refresh is a welcome change. It comes with its own growing pains, and leads beat writer Mark Kaboly to list it as his chief concern entering the Mike McCarthy era.
“If they can get everything in order in time, just a whole new staff, whole new system, can they get everybody on the same page for September 13th?” Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan Wednesday when asked to name his number one concern.
Top to bottom, McCarthy’s system is far different. A modified practice schedule, a different area of expertise, and all the big and small things to iron out before the regular season begins. McCarthy’s on-record noting the challenge of a first offseason with a new team, and he’s no stranger to it. Pittsburgh is his third head-coaching job, after taking over Green Bay in 2006 and Dallas in 2020.
Players must be able to respond. For many veterans, such a wholesale change in the coaching staff and scheme has them feeling like rookies. That could invigorate and motivate, but it is likely to come with its own adjustment period. A margin of error Pittsburgh might not be able to afford.
“I guess for lack of better terms, I’m worried about a slow start because they just don’t have enough time to get up speed,” Kaboly said.
Predicting schedules is difficult, but the back half of Pittsburgh’s 2026 slate appears more challenging than the beginning. That makes stacking early victories all the more vital, beginning with the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener at Acrisure Stadium. Divisional play also comes early this year, with the Steelers facing the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Three, followed by a Thursday night road game against the Cleveland Browns days later.
In 2006, McCarthy’s Packers got off to a sluggish 1-4 start before rallying to finish the year 8-8. In 2007, Green Bay raced out to a 4-0 start. In 2020, Dallas opened the year 1-3 and didn’t get much better the rest of the way, finishing 6-10. In 2021, the Cowboys lost the season opener but won their next six games.
That suggests Pittsburgh could be in for a cool 2026 start, but McCarthy has a veteran-laden team, and knowledge of past mistakes could put the Steelers in a better position this time around.
