3 Steelers bold predictions for 2026 NFL season: Will Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy reunion crash and burn?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have more reason for urgency than perhaps any other NFL team. Aaron Rodgers is getting ready to retire and could be suiting up for his last NFL season this fall. That fact, along with where Pittsburgh is as an organization, make it incredibly important to make a Super Bowl run now before they are forced to retool.

Pittsburgh has a loaded roster that should help them stay competitive in the AFC this year. But a lot needs to break their way to get to the playoffs, and even more to get some postseason wins.

Can the Steelers make this season a special one? Or will it be the beginning of a rebuild for the vaunted franchise?

Below are three bold predictions for the Steelers ahead of the 2026 regular season.

Aaron Rodgers plays out of his mind in 2026, Steelers have top 10 offense

Pittsburgh had a solid offense in 2025, but it was far from great.

The Steelers finished the regular season averaging 305.6 total yards (25th) and 23.4 points (15th) per game. That’s the type of production that can work only with an elite defense backing it up.

There’s untapped potential in Pittsburgh’s offense and it is the unit that needs to grow if 2026 is going to be a special season.

Fortunately, the Steelers made some moves this offseason that have the offense looking more dangerous than it has ina long time. Every major contributor is back from last year, or has been upgraded from significantly. Beyond that, the Steelers added Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard to their wide receiver room. They also brought Rico Dowdle into their backfield to join Jaylen Warren.

It would not take much improvement for the Steelers to suddenly have a league average offense. But their ceiling is even higher than that, especially if Rodgers can continue to play solid football.

Pittsburgh could finish the regular season with a top 10 offense if all of their new players play well.

On top of that top-10 finish, Rodgers will throw for 4,000 passing yards for the first time since his MVP season in 2021.

The Steelers will not trade or extend Joey Porter Jr. during the regular season

If Pittsburgh’s offense looks renewed, they’ll need a solid defense to back them up. Keeping Joey Porter Jr. for the rest of the season is a big part of that.

Porter has been the subject of several trade rumors over the past few months. It seems unlikely that Porter would get traded before Week 1 considering how close it is. But that does not mean he couldn’t be traded at the deadline.

All of this comes down to the contract dispute between Porter and the Steelers. Is Pittsburgh willing to give Porter a big-money extension, whether that’s now or in the offseason? And perhaps more importantly, will Porter play without a new deal?

The Steelers absolutely must keep Porter for the entire season if they want to realize their full potential. They may get some tempting offers around the deadline, but Pittsburgh cannot budge from their stance on keeping Porter.

Porter is not going anywhere until the 2027 offseason at the earliest.

Pittsburgh wins 11 games in regular season, at least one playoff game

The 2025 season was in some ways the ultimate Steelers experience. At least for how the team has looked since losing Ben Roethlisberger.

Pittsburgh did not have many flashy players and did not consistently blow out their opponents. But they were a tough out and won the division with a 10-7 record. If the Steelers want to go to the next level, they’ll need to do better in 2026.

How could the Steelers go about winning 11 games during the regular season?

Matchups against the Falcons, Browns (x2), Colts, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers, and Titans look like a solid path to eight wins by itself. The Steelers would only need three more wins to hit 11, which they could do in a few different ways. One easy way is to imagine they split with the Bengals and Ravens, then get another win against a team like the Jaguars, Texans, Broncos, or Eagles.

Realistically, 11 wins may end up being the floor that is needed to make the playoffs in the AFC. It is easier to list the teams who aren’t playoff contenders than it is to list everyone who could make a run. That shows how competitive the conference is, and it should make even getting to the playoffs a real achievement.

The Steelers will make the playoffs with 11 wins, especially if they have a top 10 offense. They can also win at least one playoff game, depending on how healthy they are and generally how their luck holds up.

Make no mistake, a Super Bowl run is within the range of outcomes for the Steelers. But a lot needs to go right for that to actually happen.

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