Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Season Preview

“Large” remains a theme with Pittsburgh’s pass-catchers when you look to the TE room, where the 6-foot-7, 264-pound Darnell Washington has emerged as a legitimate problem for opposing defenses. Paired with veteran Pat Freiermuth, Washington surpassed his reception total from his first two seasons combined with 31 catches and was nearly impossible to bring down on the first hit, making him a go-to option on third downs and inside the red zone.

The departure of running back Kenneth Gainwell (Tampa Bay) following a breakout of sorts shouldn’t be overlooked, but Pittsburgh quickly moved to replace him with another player who experienced a career renaissance in 2025, Rico Dowdle. He’ll be paired with Jaylen Warren, who handled his first year as the starter well and gives the Steelers big-play potential out of the backfield.

The offensive line they’ll run behind returns most of its key players from 2025, but some change could be in order depending on the health status of left tackle Broderick Jones, who is coming off a season-ending neck injury and did not have his fifth-year option picked up. First-round selection Max Iheanachor projects as a right tackle, indicating that a move from the right side to the left could be in order for Troy Fautanu. The Steelers also used a third-round pick on Gennings Dunker, who is expected to transition from tackle to guard.

Defense

Pittsburgh’s defense went through some uncharacteristic struggles in 2025, ranking 29th against the pass and 26th in total defense. Turnovers were its saving grace — the Steelers were plus-12 on the season — but no one would have mistaken this group for the Steel Curtain of yesteryear. The Steelers, under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, will simply need their key players to be better.

It starts with the star, T.J. Watt, who is most primed for a bounce-back season after an incredibly frustrating 2025 campaign that included a three-game absence due to a partially collapsed lung. He notched only seven sacks, marking the first time since his rookie year that he posted single digits during a season in which he played more than 10 games. The Steelers inked Watt to a mega extension before the season and are banking on their All-Pro to continue to ascend. A decline in his age-32 season would signal big problems for a defense that feeds off Watt’s big plays and super-sized energy.

There is still significant support around Watt, who actually finished third on the team in sacks behind Alex Highsmith (9.5) and Nick Herbig (7.5). Pressuring the QB from the edges shouldn’t be a problem for Pittsburgh. Additionally, the Steelers beefed up their depth on the Cameron Heyward-led defensive line with the signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day, to go along with another year of development from Derrick Harmon.

With linebackers Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson entrenched in the middle of the field, Pittsburgh added two key defensive backs behind them, cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker, to further bolster a secondary that dealt with injuries and inconsistency throughout 2025. Jalen Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro at CB, said he found “renewed energy” when he had to play some safety during the second half of the season. Ramsey is a pivotal chess piece for Graham, who can help Pittsburgh maximize its coverages if the back end can stay just a little healthier than last season. Ideally, that will result in a little more production from Ramsey on the stat sheet, as he’s coming off a season in which he posted just one interception and eight passes defended to go along with a career-high three sacks. Dean and Joey Porter Jr. are the likely starters on the outside at cornerback, while third-round draft pick Daylen Everette can potentially carve out a niche on special teams or as key depth in a Steelers defensive backfield that is no stranger to adjusting plans on the fly.

Specialists

There aren’t many kickers better equipped for the unpredictable and unfriendly elements of the AFC North than Chris Boswell. Now in his 12th season, all with the Steelers, Boswell seems to be getting even better, especially from long distance. Of the 52 field goals he’s made from 50-plus yards throughout his career, 22 have come in the past two seasons. The Steelers, perennially locked in close games, have needed every single one. Fourth-round draft pick Kaden Wetjen is an early candidate to spice up the Steelers’ return game, which ranked in the bottom half of the league on both kickoffs and punts. Throughout his time at Iowa, Wetjen returned six kicks for touchdowns while averaging 17.7 yards on punt returns and 27.5 yards on kickoffs.

Final Analysis

Don’t discount the new-coach bump. It happens somewhere every year. For it to be the Steelers, McCarthy will need to tap into the success he found on the offensive side of the ball in Dallas and marry it with a bounce-back year from the defense. He’s got the track record, and so do plenty of players across the roster, so nothing can truly be ruled out from one of the NFL’s most experienced teams.