Steelers, Mike McCarthy get props for big offseason changes

It's Year 1 for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and the team. Expectations are high for what McCarthy can do with the Steelers, especially since he won a Super Bowl with quarterback Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay. So, can he deliver?

That question will get answered over the coming weeks and months. But for now, it should make Steelers fans happy that McCarthy is already getting props for one area of the team that's looking solid ahead of the fresh season.

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today has released his ranking of the defensive units in the NFL going into the new season. He has the Steelers at No. 8 on the tally.

Steelers defense could be a strength

In the piece, Middlehurst-Schwartz credits not only McCarthy for being tasked with a turnaround for this team but also McCarthy and the Steelers for bringing on new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

"Never known as a franchise to embrace radical change, the Steelers once again pursued a steady route as they tasked Mike McCarthy with leading the post-Mike Tomlin transition," Middlehurst-Schwartz notes. "Still, a defense that had long been static and predictable could be in store for a significant shake-up under new coordinator Patrick Graham, whose more varied and dynamic approach could help maximize returns from the league's highest-paid collection of talent."

He adds, "Pittsburgh can't afford to let the standoff with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. boil over, but the ingredients are here for the organization's first top-10 finish in total defense since 2021."

Just think about what a top-10 finish in total defense would do for the Steelers. They already have a quarterback who's won multiple MVP awards in Rodgers. If he can get points on the board without having to worry about a weak defense letting the other team score, it could be huge for this season.