The Start to the Steelers’ 2026 Season Could Hinge on These Five Players

There are plenty of new faces in Pittsburgh this season, but none bigger than the change at head coach. Mike McCarthy takes over for Mike Tomlin, while Aaron Rodgers returns for what is expected to be his final NFL season.

Those moves alone would make the 2026 Steelers one of the NFL’s more intriguing teams entering Week 1, but the changes don’t stop there. Pittsburgh added Michael Pittman Jr. to a receiving corps led by DK Metcalf, while several familiar faces on defense will be counted on to maintain the standard on that side of the ball.

With so many moving parts, the opening weeks should tell us quite a bit about what this Steelers team can become. Here are five players we’ll be watching closely as Pittsburgh begins the 2026 season.

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How quickly can Rodgers settle into McCarthy’s offense?

Rodgers and McCarthy are hardly starting from scratch. McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006 through most of the 2018 season, a partnership that included a Super Bowl championship and two of Rodgers’ four NFL MVP awards. The terminology and personnel may be different in Pittsburgh, but there should already be a level of familiarity between the quarterback and head coach that most teams installing a new offense don’t have.

Rodgers’ performances could also affect real-time odds around Pittsburgh’s first few matchups. More importantly for the Steelers, those games will show whether he looks comfortable running the offense when the pressure increases.

Watch what happens before the snap and on third down. If Rodgers is getting the offense organized without burning time, finding his preferred targets and avoiding unnecessary mistakes, Pittsburgh should have a much better idea of where the passing game stands.

Metcalf and Pittman reshape the receiver room

DK Metcalf returns after leading the Steelers with 850 receiving yards in his first season in Pittsburgh, catching 59 passes with six touchdowns while averaging 14.4 yards per reception. This time, defenses also have Michael Pittman Jr. to account for after the Steelers acquired him from Indianapolis. Pittman caught 80 passes for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns last season with the Colts.

That gives Rodgers two experienced receivers with different strengths, making their early usage worth watching.

Their contrasting strengths could reshape how Pittsburgh approaches different coverages. Metcalf gives Pittsburgh a proven downfield threat, while Pittman’s size and ability to work underneath and intermediate areas of the field should give Rodgers a different type of target. Add in rookie WR Germie Bernard and speedy, but inexperienced Roman Wilson, and the group should look drastically different than last year.

However, those possibilities will require time to develop. The opening weeks provide the first meaningful indication of how effectively Metcalf and Pittman complement each other within McCarthy’s offense, and whether or not Bernard and Wilson build a rapport with Rodgers.

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Heyward continues anchoring the defensive line

Cameron Heyward remains the veteran anchor of Pittsburgh’s defensive front. He started all 17 games last season and finished with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks, continuing to handle a significant workload in the middle of the Steelers defense.

The question isn’t whether Heyward brings experience or leadership. At this stage of his career, it’s how long he can continue performing at a high level while Pittsburgh works younger players into the defensive line rotation.

Fans following NFL insights can also track how Pittsburgh’s defense develops as the season begins. Effective interior play can disrupt rushing lanes and prevent quarterbacks from operating comfortably inside the pocket.

Heyward’s early performances should consequently offer a useful measure of Pittsburgh’s effectiveness up front. If the defensive line establishes itself quickly, the veteran will remain central to that identity.

Queen commands the middle of the field

Patrick Queen enters his third season in Pittsburgh after once again leading the Steelers in tackles. Queen finished 2025 with 120 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, while adding a sack, four passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

It marked Queen’s fourth consecutive season with at least 115 tackles, making his consistency in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense one of the more established parts of the unit.

That influence also affects the rest of the defense. Reliable linebacker play gives teammates greater freedom to maintain assignments without repeatedly compensating for breakdowns against the run.

Pittsburgh’s opening schedule should provide an immediate examination of Queen’s impact. His ability to diagnose plays and reach the football consistently will be an important indicator of Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme’s early effectiveness.

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Watt faces questions after falling sack production

Despite having a reputation as a highlight-reel defender, T.J. Watt enters 2026 facing questions that were far less prominent earlier in his career. His sack production has declined across three consecutive seasons.

There is some important context behind last year’s number. Watt appeared in only 14 games (after missing three of the final four contests of the regular season) and opposing offenses continued devoting significant resources to slowing him down.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Watt was chip-blocked on 30.8% of his pass rushes in 2025, the highest rate of any edge defender in the league.

That decline is reflected in wider evaluations. ESPN’s annual survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts ranked Watt seventh among edge rushers entering 2026 after placing him second a year earlier.

At 31, Watt enters 2026 with more questions surrounding his production than at almost any point in his Steelers career. The opening weeks should offer an early indication of whether Watt’s 2025 season was an outlier or the beginning of a new stage in his career.

Early performances could set the tone

Pittsburgh’s opening weeks will provide considerably more than an early record. They should offer evidence about how McCarthy’s reshaped team intends to compete throughout 2026.

Rodgers and his receivers must establish offensive chemistry, while Heyward, Queen and Watt carry significant defensive responsibilities.

Each enters the season with something different to prove, whether it’s Rodgers adapting to a new roster, Metcalf and Pittman developing chemistry with their quarterback, or Pittsburgh’s veteran defenders showing they can continue playing at a high level.