Steelers Now
A Pro Football Hall of Famer doesn’t have high expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026.
There are many people who believe the Pittsburgh Steelers improved their roster enough this offseason to finally end their playoff win drought and maybe even contend for a Super Bowl in 2026. However, Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter is not among those who think that.
While Carter does believe the Steelers could put up better numbers this season, he expects them to fall flat once again.
“I don’t care what Aaron Rodgers drinks or smokes, ain’t nothing take him 10 years back,” Carter said on his Fully Loaded Podcast. “Now, the receiving corps is a little bit stronger. They made the trade for the young player from the Colts [Michael Pittman Jr.]. Bring him over, have him opposite DK Metcalf. I do believe they are more dangerous, and I do believe Aaron will go out with better numbers, but the reality is, that’s an old football team, and they didn’t get any younger.”
The Steelers wide receiver room is certainly much improved from that of a season ago. They traded for Pittman and then added wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pittman is bringing a ton of leadership and experience to Pittsburgh with 485 catches for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns in his professional career.
Meanwhile, Bernard is coming off a career-high 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns at Alabama last season.
Rodgers also played quite well last season with a limited amount resources, passing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading the Steelers to an AFC North title.
So, as long as Rodgers doesn’t take a step back in a year he’s set to turn 43, it’s easy to imagine him and the Steelers having a better statistical season.
The question is: Will better production lead to more wins?
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Hall of Famer Gives Steelers Roster Reality Check: ‘That’s an Old Football Team’
