Inspiring News Breaks About Steelers' Offense Under New Head Coach Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers are embarking on a new era as a franchise under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. After 19 years with Mike Tomlin running the show, many felt that it was time for a change in Pittsburgh. Tomlin decided to step down after the 2025 season came to a close, and McCarthy was hired at the end of a thorough search that was put together by Art Rooney II and Omar Khan. The hiring of McCarthy broke some trends for the Steelers. The organization has typically hired first-year, defensive-minded head coaches. McCarthy is the complete opposite of both of those things.

McCarthy has plenty of experience as a head coach, having had a great career so far with the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, and now he has the opportunity to coach his hometown team. He is also an offensive-minded head coach, which is a change of pace for Pittsburgh. The offense has been inconsistent for the Steelers over the last seven or eight years, and McCarthy will hopefully be able to fix that while reuniting with his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning, and he was asked about what to expect from this team in 2026 under a new head coach. He gave some reasons for optimism thanks to McCarthy's offensive approach to the game.

"Just going back to the type of hire that McCarthy was, I think we need to see a big jump in the offensive numbers this year," Fittipaldo said. "I wrote the story a few weeks ago about Mike McCarthy likes to get 55 offensive touches every game. Those 55 touches not only lead to more time of possession, but they usually lead to more points. That's something the Steelers have really struggled at. But just from a philosophical standpoint, I think pushing the envelop. Maybe going for it in some of those fourth down situations, not being this conservative team. I think you're going to see Mike McCarthy push the envelop more on offense, and that's going to be a complete change."

Tomlin was always very timid when it came to going for it on fourth down, and a lot of that had to do with a constant belief in his defense. He was a more conservative coach, and Fittipaldo does not believe that is going to be the case with McCarthy.

The Steelers were actually right in the middle of the league in 2025 when it came to points scored, but it would be nice to see that number jump up a little bit. Pittsburgh cracking the top-10 in points scored in 2026 would make the season interesting, especially with an improved defense under new Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham.

McCarthy and Rodgers are going to be looking to recapture some of the magic they had together in Green Bay, and hopefully that can happen in Pittsburgh. Offensive Coordinator Brian Angelichio will also be helping out, but McCarthy has already made it clear that he will be calling the plays on game day.

Steelers' Offensive Production Will Come Down To One Critical Factor

Pittsburgh's offense will only go as far as the offensive line will take it, and that is a bit concerning considering how young the group is and the changes that are taking place with the starting five. Both Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick are switching to the left side for their third seasons in the league, while the right side is still up in the air. Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, and Gennings Dunker are battling for the starting right guard spot. Dylan Cook and Max Iheanachor are fighting for the starting right tackle spot.

The play of this group is critical to the success of the team. Rodgers can't move like he used to, and the running game is going to have to be more efficient than it was in 2025.

What do you expect from McCarthy running the offense? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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