The move places McCarthy at the helm of one of the most stable franchises in professional sports. Since 1969, Steelers fans have known only three head coaches—Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin—and the franchise has claimed six Super Bowl titles in that span (Noll four, Cowher and Tomlin one each).
That stability has been matched by a string of winning seasons. Across the Tomlin era, the Steelers posted just nine losing seasons; Tomlin never had a losing year, with the worst finishes at 8-8 occurring three times. The longstanding non-losing-season streak has long been a point of pride for Pittsburgh, but some analysts have questioned whether it could end soon.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano, in a bold 2026 projection, said Pittsburgh could post its first losing season since 2003. His viewpoint suggests the roster may require a more extensive rebuild than the team has shown publicly willing to undertake, and that Tomlin’s leadership could have steadied a fragile roster in recent years.
Ownership considerations add another layer. Adam Schefter noted on The Pat McAfee Show that Steelers owner Art Rooney II has publicly resisted a full rebuild, preferring to stay competitive with a veteran roster. The decision to hire McCarthy—with his experience developing quarterbacks—reflects a strategy aimed at continuity and long-term development rather than an abrupt rebuild.
McCarthy arrives with five losing seasons across his Packers and Cowboys tenures, his most recent 7-10 in Dallas and a 4-7-1 mark in Green Bay in 2018. In Pittsburgh, expectations are shaped by a different standard: success has historically been measured by deep playoff runs and sustained contention.
If Graziano’s forecast proves accurate, 2026 could mark the end of one of the NFL’s most impressive streaks and, perhaps, the start of a deliberate rebuild under a new leadership profile. McCarthy’s background and the Steelers’ ownership stance will shape how Pittsburgh navigates that potential transition.
