Steelers Now
A former Super Bowl champion reveals has high expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026.
It’d be difficult to find anybody that doesn’t believe the Pittsburgh Steelers will be competitive in 2026. However, nobody is viewing them as true Super Bowl contenders, either.
Former Steelers offensive lineman and Super Bowl XLIII champion Willie Colon thinks that could change and quickly, though.
“The Steelers are going to be sneaky. They gonna be dangerous, man. I don’t think people are giving them enough credit,” Colon said on Good Morning Football. “Old man Aaron Rodgers, he has a lot up his sleeve.”
The Steelers, who just won the AFC North a season ago, did have quite a productive offseason.
On offense, Pittsburgh 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. All of them could contribute early and often.
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.
Dowdle has taken off over the past two seasons, racking up over 1,000 yards in back-to-back campaigns, and Bernard is coming off a career-high 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns with Alabama last season.
Then on defense, the team signed veteran cornerback Jamel Dean, former second-round safety Jaquan Brisker and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day.
In 2025, Dean recorded 46 tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, one sack, two forced fumbles, nine passes defended and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against the New York Jets.
He also allowed just a 47.7 passer rating rating when targeted last season, and allowed just one touchdown, per Pro Football Focus.
Meanwhile, Brisker had 93 tackles, one sack, eight passes defensed and one interception and Joseph-Day racked up 41 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery.
Of course, much of the Steelers’ success will fall on the shoulders of Rodgers, but he threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions last year with a lot less around him.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Super Bowl Champ Pounds Table For Steelers: ‘They Gonna Be Dangerous’
