The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through major changes as a franchise, but that hasn't changed the expectations for the 2026 season. The organization is still trying to win now, and that will be even harder to do this time around as the coaching staff is basically entirely different from the 2025 season. Head Coach Mike McCarthy was hired by Pittsburgh after a thorough coaching search, and he put together his new staff immediately after that. They have gotten to know the players throughout the offseason program, and there has already been some noticeable differences between McCarthy and former head coach Mike Tomlin.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and DK Metcalf walk out of the tunnel ahead of a Week 3 clash with the New England Patriots during the 2025 season.
Tomlin deciding to step down after the 2025 season came to a close was a shock to a lot of fans, but it did feel like it was time for a change. Thankfully the end of his tenure with the Steelers was not a firing, but it was the coach deciding to walk away on his own terms. He had faced a lot of scrutiny over the last decade or so as the postseason success was just not there, and there was speculation that the message in the locker room grew stale, or that the coach took his foot off the gas.
Beat writer Mark Kaboly spoke about some of the differences he is already seeing between McCarthy and Tomlin during a recent episode of Kaboly & Mack. He focused on the differences between the two when it comes to their coaching styles and how they go about running a practice.
"I mean, the attention to detail is off the charts," Kaboly said. "What you should be thrilled about is the game management aspect that he's putting forward right now. I'm talking about stuff as simple as, during the middle of practice, they blow the whistle and say, 'TV timeout, everybody back to the huddle.' Just to get them in the mindset. I mean, we're in June here. We're acting like it's a regular game, we're not just going to go through the motions. They're trying to use every single ounce of time to their advantage."
The attention to detail from McCarthy is great to hear about, especially during this time of the year when most teams' sole focus is installing systems on either side of the ball.
Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
Steelers' Mike McCarthy walks into the NFL's league meetings during the 2026 offseason.
McCarthy is taking every step of the process very seriously, which will hopefully the team in the long run. He is turning practice into a game-like simulation. He is taking no liberties, and he even has coaches that are assigned to game management. This is an area that Tomlin always struggled, choosing when to challenge and when to call timeouts.
"I mean, you got game management coaches," Kaboly said. "It's very, very structured the way they do things there."
Fans were always frustrated with the way that Tomlin would use his timeouts and challenges, but it seems like McCarthy is going to have some people on the staff to help him in that area. Tomlin claimed he did too, but those names were never revealed to the public.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin meets with ex-Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy after a prime time game during the 2025 season.
Steelers Will Still Miss Mike Tomlin's Coaching Ability
Every coach has their own specialty, and Tomlin seemed to always be able to get the most out of his rosters. He was considered a player's coach, and that is probably how he got the most out of each player. The guys on the field loved to play for him. Some of that may be true for McCarthy as well, but he is more of an X's and O's type of coach. He is the first offensive-minded head coach that the Steelers have since before Chuck Noll, so there is a significant philosophical switch taking place within the organization.
What do you think of these comments from Kaboly? Does this make you more optimistic for the 2026 season? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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