The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering 2026 with a new head coach, a reshaped staff, and plenty of intrigue around how quickly Mike McCarthy can settle things in Pittsburgh. But one Steelers insider does not expect the transition to look smooth right away.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor predicted that Pittsburgh will have a winless September, pointing to a brutal opening stretch that includes the Falcons, Patriots, and Bengals.
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“New Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski has plenty of experience against the Steelers from his time in Cleveland, and the Bengals offense will continue to be a handful — especially with a healthy Joe Burrow,” Pryor wrote. “It could be a bit of a wait before new coach Mike McCarthy wins in his hometown.”
schedule wallpaper
schedule wallpaper
That would be a stunning start for a franchise that rarely bottoms out early. Kevin Stefanski went 6-7 against Pittsburgh during his Browns tenure, and most of those matchups were tight. The largest disparity came in Stefanski’s first season when the Steelers handed the Browns a 38-7 loss at Heinz Field. The Bengals are a different problem with Joe Burrow healthy after Pittsburgh split with a Joe Flacco-led Cincinnati team in 2025. The two-time Comeback Player of the Year missed eight games last season. Burrow is 4-3 against the Steelers and has a passer rating of 92.4 with 1,854 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in those games.
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In between, the Steelers travel to Foxborough to face a rising New England Patriots team led by MVP candidate Drake Maye.
Still, history only goes so far. McCarthy brings new staff, new schemes, and a different approach, meaning September could reveal more about Pittsburgh’s transition than its ceiling.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers insider predicts winless September for Pittsburgh
