Mike McCarthy likes Steelers’ QB room as roster decisions loom
Head coach Mike McCarthy says all four Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks have played well enough to earn roster consideration heading into final cuts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will open their 2026 season Sept. 13 against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.
The matchup will be coach Mike McCarthy’s regular season debut at the helm of his hometown team after replacing Mike Tomlin in January. It will also be the first full look at the roster that GM Omar Khan substantially remade in the offseason with 10 draft picks and numerous free agent signings joining the fray.
Here’s a look at the top storylines to watch as the action plays out for the team’s second Week 1 appearance at home since 2014.
How quickly will Michael Pittman Jr. make his presence felt?
The most noteworthy addition of the offseason did not appear for the Steelers in the preseason as he battled a nagging injury, and he entered Week 1 listed as questionable on the injury report. Pittman was acquired in a trade March 13 and subsequently signed to a three-year, $59 million extension to be the reliable No. 2 receiver this offense has lacked behind DK Metcalf and George Pickens before him. In six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, he caught 485 passes for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns. Fans will be anxious to see how quickly he can establish chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and begin contributing meaningfully.
How will the outside linebacker rotation look?
On paper, nothing has changed since the end of the Mike Tomlin era. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the designated starters. Nick Herbig is their primary backup. In practice, Herbig is entering this season with a freshly inked four-year, $100 million contract extension under his belt. The temptation to get him into the game more consistently will be palpable for first-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. And for Watt, it may be necessary to keep him fresh as his 32nd birthday looms Oct. 11. His sack total has dropped from 19 to 11.5 to seven over the past three seasons, a trend that will put his performance under an immediate spotlight.
What will happen at right tackle?
McCarthy was reluctant to commit to naming a starter at the position in his weekly news conference Sept. 7. Veteran Dylan Cook has been penciled in atop the depth chart since the start of training camp, but the team didn’t invest a first-round NFL draft pick in Max Iheanachor this past spring for him to sit if he’s ready to assume the role. And it wouldn’t have traded former first-round pick Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys if it wasn’t confident in the development it’s seen from Iheanachor so far. The most likely scenario is that Cook will get the nod for Week 1 but face immediate pressure from Iheanachor should he struggle. Don’t be surprised if he makes the decision difficult for McCarthy’s staff, though. Cook was Pittsburgh’s top rated pass blocker last season by Pro Football Focus. He allowed just nine pressures across 226 pass blocking snaps after he assumed the starting role from the injured Jones late in the season.
Where will Jalen Ramsey be used? How will the secondary look overall?
The veteran defensive back spent most of training camp and the preseason on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Joey Porter Jr., the team’s top cornerback, only returned to practice recently amid lengthy negotiations on a long-term contract. Starting safety DeShon Elliott was placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll be out for at least the first four games of the season. And neither safety Jaquan Brisker, nor cornerback Jamel Dean saw much preseason action despite signing two of the more noteworthy free agent contracts. It all frames Week 1 as an interesting test of how Graham intends to put all of the pieces together, with a special focus on Ramsey. Now 31, he built his reputation as an All-Pro cover corner on the outside, but made the transition to safety at times last season because of injuries. Coaches have floated comparisons to Hall of Famer Charles Woodson and how he was used as a versatile proverbial chess piece by McCarthy defenses late in his career with the Green Bay Packers. Fans will be intrigued to see how that plan manifests with Ramsey.
Will Rodgers favor Roman Wilson or Germie Bernard in the slot?
It’s an open question after the veteran quarterback notably called out Wilson for a “repeat mistake” in practice last week. The duo did not have much chemistry last season. Wilson totaled just 12 receptions for 166 yards within an offense that was starved for consistent pass catchers. For that reason, the second-year receiver appeared to be on notice when Bernard was selected in the second round of the draft in April. Since then, however, Wilson has gotten the nod on McCarthy’s depth charts as the starter in the slot between Metcalf and Pittman. In the end, Rodgers is going to be the arbiter of which player we see more. Bernard had a nice preseason with five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, though all of that production came with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and/or Drew Allar at quarterback.