Steelers Now
A former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers does not have very high expectations for the 2026 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added several new pieces to their roster that they think can help them contend for another AFC North title and maybe even a Super Bowl. However, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark expects them to be in the same spot in a year from now.
“The ceiling for this team is what we’ve been seeing for the last few years. This team can be slightly above average. Aaron Rodgers can get this team to nine wins or 10 wins, and maybe sneak into the playoffs or you’re fighting for a wild card,” Clark said on NFL Live. “Nobody expects this team to compete with the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, some of the top rosters in the AFC.”
A 9-8 or 10-7 record is certainly quite a bleak outlook, especially since the Steelers just finished atop the AFC North at 10-7 last season.
Since then, Pittsburgh has traded for veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., signed running back Rico Dowdle in free agency and added Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Then on defense, the team signed veteran cornerback Jamel Dean, former second-round safety Jaquan Brisker and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day.
However, Clark believes the Steelers’ inability to admit they have a quarterback problem is what has kept them in mediocrity and will continue to be until they find their answer at the position.
“The Steelers made a decision that they weren’t going to rebuild the last two years, they weren’t going to go to try and find their quarterback of the future. They’re gonna try to compete at whatever level that may be,” Clark continued. “I think that they can be competitive. I think that they can fight, be the second or third team in the AFC North and fight for that wild card, but again, will be home by the divisional round, thinking to themselves, ‘Are we stuck in quarterback purgatory or is our next guy in the draft in 2027?’”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steeler Offers Bleak Outlook For 2026 Season
