Steelers Now
Kevin Clark of ESPN has major concerns with the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2026 season. Out of all 32 NFL teams, Clark is worried about the Steelers the most.
“It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Clark said Thursday on ESPN’s First Take. “Last week, we talked about teams where I see the check-engine light… I am in the body shop — I’m concerned about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“First of all, you look at some of the numbers last year for Aaron Rodgers, who is one of the most talented guys who’s ever played the position. Still has a lot of good qualities, but he threw the ball quicker and shorter than basically anybody on record in the history last year. I don’t think that was an Arthur Smith stat. I don’t think that was a receiver stat, even though he has better receivers this year. I think it was an age stat.”
The Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003. Clark wonders if things will go off the rails with Mike Tomlin no longer leading the team.
“You add in the fact that Mike Tomlin is leaving, and Mike McCarthy is not anywhere close to Mike Tomlin as a coach in my book,” Clark said. “You also add in the fact that the strength of the franchise has been defense for a long time, and that seemed to be trending in the wrong direction last year.
“So I’m just looking at this and if we’re talking about teams that maybe aren’t gonna repeat the success that they had last year, they’re at the top of my list.”
The Steelers are always at least competitive. They haven’t had a losing season since 2003. While last season ended on a brutal note, getting manhandled by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card game, the Steelers won the AFC North for the first time since 2020.
The Steelers’ odds to win the AFC North sit at roughly +550 across major sportsbooks, making them the third-favorites to win the division. The Baltimore Ravens are once again the favorites, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cleveland Browns are expected to be in the basement of the AFC North again, especially with All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett no longer on the team.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: ESPN Analyst Makes Bold Prediction on Steelers’ 2026 Season
