When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for the first time this preseason to unofficially begin their 2026 campaign, it will mark the first time since 2006 that someone other than Mike Tomlin is on the sideline as the team’s head coach.
Tomlin resigned as Steelers head coach in January following a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the wild card round. It marked the Steelers’ sixth consecutive postseason loss, and extended their franchise-long streak of seasons without a playoff win in the Super
Bowl era to nine seasons.
Mike McCarthy was hired as the team’s fourth head coach since 1969, and an almost entirely new coaching staff was subsequently hired. One of the biggest additions to the new staff is defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, whose defense will look much different in terms of philosophy then that of Tomlin and former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. When asked about those changes via Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Cam Heyward says the team is full embracing the new regime.
“You embrace the change,” Heyward said. “There are things that you want to say the same, but you have to be willing to put your ego aside and do what’s best for the group. It’s not just young players, some coaches too, that still have to learn, and we just want to be an olive branch to that.”
T.J. Watt hinted at changes being made specific to his usage last week, saying he’ll be moving around along the defensive line.
”I think in the past it was more about me being stubborn,” Watt said via Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports. “I think [with] this new system… a lot of it is built in, so I really can’t say no. I have to move with it. A lot of us are interchangeable parts. You’re not just learning your position, you kind of have to learn the whole defensive front structure because we all are basically interchangeable. We can do different things [and] I think you’re going to see a lot more movement of not just me, but the whole front.”
Pittsburgh finished 26th in yards allowed, which included allowing the fourth-most passing yards (4,146) and sixth in passing touchdowns allowed (30).
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