The NFL’s 2026 season gets underway tonight with a Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The Steelers season won’t be long behind, with Pittsburgh set to face off against the Falcons during the early slate of games this Sunday (1 p.m. EST).
With anticipation mounting, we at BTSC decided to bring back our staff roundtable and discuss what we’ll be watching this season with the Steelers, and what else we’re thinking about the rest of the NFL. While we’re certain
to be surprised by some outcomes of this season — this is why you play the games! — it’s always fun to look back at the end of the season on how we thought the season would go, and see where we were on the right track and where we were hilariously off base.
After you’ve read our selections, be sure to sound off in our comments with your takes! We look forward to reading your thoughts about the upcoming seasons and talking ball with the BTSC community.
Here we go Steelers!
Which Steeler are you most excited to watch this season?
Mike Nicastro: Call me crazy, but my choice is Aaron Rodgers. How often will we get the chance to watch a top-five quarterback of all time have his swan song with the team you root for? I’m excited about the additions to the offense, as well as reuniting with his former coach, Mike McCarthy. It will be entertaining – for better or for worse.
Joey Bray: I am very much looking forward to seeing Nick Herbig in what should be an expanded role. Every season Herbig has been in the league, his sack total has increased. This season should be no exception, given the fact that Herbig signed a massive extension in the offseason. I would not be shocked if Herbig leads the Steelers in sacks this season.
Ryland Bickley: Jaylen Warren. He’s long been one of the league’s most underrated running backs, in my eyes, and I’m excited to see what he can do in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
Ryan Parish: I will echo this answer a little further on in this exercise, but the Steelers selected the exact two players I wanted them to in this year’s draft when they took Max Iheanachor and Germie Bernard with their first two picks. I think both will eventually take over important roles for the team during the season, and I will eagerly await their debuts.
Jarrett Bailey: I look forward to Aaron Rodgers shutting up a lot of people again. Not projecting a top-10 quarterback season by any means, but he’s still a top-20 guy.
What is the most interesting storyline for this year’s team?
Ryland Bickley: It’s abstract, but can the new coaching staff finally give the Steelers the jolt the team has seemingly been missing the past several seasons? In more concrete terms, that’s innovation on both sides of the ball and maybe some rising stars on the coaching staff. It’s also the roster’s most highly-paid position groups actually living up to their potential. And most importantly, will the team look like it’s actually building towards eventual Super Bowl contention, not floating in a perpetual state of wild card losses?
Ryan Parish: The Steelers are a team trying to straddle two different timelines. They want to “win now” for their older core (Rodgers, Heyward, Watt, Ramsey), but they’re also keeping 11 rookies and have several other young players we’d like to see make the leap this year: Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Troy Fautanu, Roman Wilson, Payton Wilson, Mason McCormick, Jack Sawyer, Carson Brueneer. Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton just got large extensions — and Joey Porter Jr. will either get one just under the wire before Sunday or potentially be a franchise tag candidate next year — can they continue to get better and pay off those deals? While the Steelers may have the “oldest roster” on average in the NFL (27.1 years old), that list of players I reeled off is a significant chunk of the roster. How many of those players can take a major step forward in their development this year? The answer will tell us how viable this roster’s construction is as the team enters the post-Rodgers era in 2027.
Jarrett Bailey: If the Steelers are a playoff team again, the best storyline will be how everyone who swore Mike Tomlin was the only thing good about the Steelers and the only reason they win games will have egg on their face. Defensively, they’ll be better. Offensively, they should be better. This is a team that has all the tools to make it to the postseason.
Mike Nicastro: The Rodgers-McCarthy reunion is intriguing, of course, but I’ll go with the aging defense. When will Father Time find them? Cam Heyward and Jalen Ramsey will eventually hit a wall – and TJ Watt isn’t getting any younger. Do they have a stellar year left in them collectively?
Joey Bray: How different does this team look under Mike McCarthy? While the Steelers return much of the same talent that won them the division last season, how differently will the team perform week-to-week and respond to adversity under a new head coach? I am very intrigued to see a new era of Steelers football under Mike McCarthy.
Who will be the Steelers team MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year?
Jarrett Bailey:
- Team MVP: Aaron Rodgers
- DPOY: Nick Herbig
- OPOY: Jaylen Warren
Ryland Bickley:
- Team MVP: Troy Fautanu
- DPOY: TJ Watt
- OPOY: Jaylen Warren
Mike Nicastro:
- Team MVP: Aaron Rodgers
- DPOY: TJ Watt
- OPOY: DK Metcalf
Joey Bray:
- Team MVP: Nick Herbig
- DPOY: Cam Heyward
- OPOY: Zach Frazier
Ryan Parish:
- Team MVP: Zach Fraizer
- DPOY: Cam Heyward
- OPOY: Michael Pittman Jr.
11 rookies made the roster. Who is the Steelers Rookie of the Year?
Ryan Parish: Anyone who followed my draft coverage knows I was a big fan of both the players the Steelers selected with their first two picks: Max Iheanachor and Germie Bernard. Iheanachor likely won’t start for the first part of the season, but I believe Bernard is already putting pressure on the coaching staff to play him with how he looked in the preseason. His ability to get open quickly underneath, as well as create yards after the catch, pairs well with the type of quarterback Aaron Rodgers is at this point in his career. That’s why I have Bernard eeking out this honor.
Joey Bray: One of the biggest surprises of the 53-man roster was the Steelers keeping Eli Heidenreich as the team’s RB3. Not only will Heidenreich be the team’s third running back, but he will also be the personal protector on special teams. I would not be shocked to see Heidenreich get some runs as a return man this season as well. It’s pretty obvious that the Steelers coaching staff sees Heidenreich as someone who can play anywhere on the field, and it would be silly to keep him on the roster and not put the ball in his hands. Despite being a seventh-round pick, he has one of the clearest paths to immediate production of any Steelers rookie. I think he is an underrated pick for Steelers rookie of the year.
Mike Nicastro: I think Max Iheanachor will take over the starting right tackle spot early and won’t let it go. Germie Bernard will come on late, but “IMax” will have the biggest impact.
Ryland Bickley: It appears Max Iheanachor is on the fastest track to a starting gig this season of the team’s rookie class, and if he continues on what has been a promising trajectory this summer, he should quickly establish himself as the roster’s top right tackle. If the Steelers hit on the Iheanachor selection, it’s an easy pick for this award.
Jarrett Bailey: Germie Bernard. He’ll get quality snaps very early on and be an important part of the passing game.
What’s the Steelers’ final record, and do they make the playoffs?
Jarrett Bailey: 11-6, fifth seed in the AFC.
Joey Bray: 8-9, missing the playoffs.
Ryan Parish: 11-6. Yes, they lose the division on a tiebreaker, but sneak in as the 7th seed by one game, thanks to the AFC West cannibalizing itself.
Mike Nicastro: 10-7. Yes, as the fifth seed.
Ryland Bickley: 10-7, seventh seed – they sneak into the playoffs yet again.
What will be the final standings in the AFC North?
Joey Bray:
- Ravens: 11-6
- Steelers: 8-9
- Bengals: 7-10
- Browns: 3-14
Ryland Bickley:
- Ravens: 11-6
- Steelers: 10-7
- Bengals: 10-7
- Browns: 5-12
Mike Nicastro:
- Bengals 11-6
- Steelers 10-7
- Ravens 10-7
- Browns 4-13
Jarrett Bailey:
- Bengals: 12-5
- Steelers: 11-6
- Ravens: 9-8
- Browns: 5-12
Ryan Parish:
- Ravens 11-6
- Steelers 11-6
- Bengals 10-7
- Browns 2-15
NFL’s surprise team that’s better than expected?
Ryan Parish: Every year, the NFL seems to have at least one team go from worst to first in their division. This year, my pick for that is the Saints, who I have winning the NFC South. I like the offense that head coach and playcaller Kellen Moore has brought to New Orleans, and I think Tyler Shough is talented enough to play the quarterback position at an above-average level, even if true superstardom might be out of his reach. The offensive line has quickly been rebuilt and isn’t talked about enough. The defense has some intriguing pieces like a finally arriving Chase Young, as well as some underrated players like Jonas Sanker, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Justin Reid.
Jarrett Bailey: Since Ryan already said my darling NFC team in New Orleans, I’ll say the Titans in the AFC. Love the defensive additions in John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor, and Cordale Flott. Cam Ward has actual NFL receivers to throw to in Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson, and the coaching staff is one I’ll hesitantly believe in. Robert Saleh will have the defense playing at a respectable level, and Brian Daboll is a proven floor-and-ceiling raiser with quarterbacks.
Ryland Bickley: The Vikings and Saints are my top choices as well, but to throw a more obscure pick out there, I think the Panthers remain a little underrated after winning the NFC South last year (at 8-9, to be fair) and putting up a good fight in the playoffs. That said, if Bryce Young can be solid in 2026, Carolina has a better starting lineup than you might think and could be a tough team to beat, even if I don’t see them making the playoffs.
Mike Nicastro: The Vikings. I think Minnesota will make a stunning run to the NFC Championship Game.
Joey Bray: With Ryan and Jarrett taking a few of my favorite “worst to first” candidates, I’ll take a bit of a different route here. I have the Houston Texans going into the playoffs as the top seed in the AFC. On most major sportsbooks, their win total is set at 9.5, which I think is entirely too low given they have arguably the best defense in the entire league. I’m banking on CJ Stroud to have a bounce-back season and for the Texans to be one of the very best teams in the league throughout the regular season.
8. Who wins NFL MVP?
Ryland Bickley: It feels like we’re due for another Josh Allen/Lamar Jackson debate in the MVP race, but my less-obvious pick is Dak Prescott.
Joey Bray: Give me the Iceman, Caleb Williams, to win the award. Everyone seems to think the Bears are a prime regression candidate, but I think everyone is underestimating just how lethal that offense will be in Chicago with Ben Johnson in charge and Williams throwing the ball.
Ryan Parish: I’ll continue my little rivalry debate with Joey over who really is the best quarterback from the 2024 class: Drake Maye. He was MVP runner-up last year on a team with a less-than-perfect line and where his top two receivers were the now-traded-away Keyshonn Boutte and Mack Hollins. This offseason, the Patriots continued to invest in the offensive line and brought in AJ Brown to be the top wideout. If Maye can play even better than last year with a bona fide alpha receiver at his disposal, MVP is within reach.
Jarrett Bailey: Joe Burrow throws 50 TDs and wins MVP.
Mike Nicastro: Dak Prescott.
Who are the OPOY and DPOY?
Jarrett Bailey:
- OPOY: Ja’Marr Chase
- DPOY: Myles Garrett
Mike Nicastro:
- OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
- DPOY: Myles Garrett
Ryan Parish:
- OPOY: AJ Brown
- DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
Ryland Bickley:
- OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
- DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
Joey Bray:
- OPOY: Puka Nacua
- DPOY: Myles Garrett
Coach of the Year?
Ryland Bickley: Kellen Moore (Saints)
Joey Bray: Ben Johnson (Bears)
Ryan Parish: Liam Coen (Jaguars)
Mike Nicastro: Kevin O’Connell (Vikings)
Jarrett Bailey: Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys)
Division winners and the playoff field
What’s your Super Bowl matchup, and who is winning?
Ryan Parish: Winner of the Seahawks/Rams playoff game (I’ll say Seahawks, but it’s a coin flip) beating the Jaguars.
Ryland Bickley: Rams over Texans
Joey Bray: Rams over Chiefs
Jarrett Bailey: Cowboys over Bengals
Mike Nicastro: Rams over Bengals
Let us know what you think in the comments and share your predictions. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
- Steelers release first depth chart of regular season
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- Dylan Cook trending to start at right tackle for Steelers Week 1
