If there is one area of serious doubt surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers, it is the outlook of their offense. Despite sweeping changes made specifically to address that concern, many national analysts continue to overlook them. As a result, the unit continues to carry a growing chip on its shoulder. Now, a recent ranking has once again cast doubt on the Steelers’ offense.
CBS Sports ranked the NFL’s “triplets” from worst to best, with the Cincinnati Bengals earning the top spot. Pittsburgh, however, landed at No. 27. Just five spots away from last place.
“The Steelers fell two spots, suggesting skepticism about Aaron Rodgers' solid-on-paper season, in which he threw for 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Rodgers again played extremely conservative football and essentially refused to get hit, firing short, quick passes all year long. Jaylen Warren will split reps with Dowdle, but we kept Warren in the lead role here because he's the more versatile player. Metcalf isn't the best fit with Rodgers' style of play, and he posted the second-fewest yards per game of his career last year.” CBS detailed.
Are the Steelers ranked too low?
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A ranking of 27th feels far too low for the Steelers’ offensive trio. They sit behind inferior groups such as the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, while several other rankings could reasonably be debated as well.
At this stage of Aaron Rodgers’ career, there is certainly an argument that Pittsburgh does not have a top-10 or even top-15 trio in the NFL. However, expecting the offense to look exactly like it did last season after such sweeping changes is misguided.
Yes, these rankings are based on votes and opinions. Still, the perception that the Steelers will simply roll out the same Mike Tomlin-Arthur Smith offense from a year ago is puzzling. At what point does the bigger picture come into focus? The offense will depend heavily on Rodgers, but the scheme and philosophy will look significantly different than before.
Steelers poised to take a step forward on offense in 2026
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Much of the skepticism stems from Smith’s offensive approach. His system relied heavily on the running game as the primary way to open up the passing attack. His passing concepts were limited, and that became obvious whenever the Steelers took the field. Add in the fact that, outside of DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh lacked another reliable wide receiver, and the offensive limitations became even more apparent. Both of those factors have changed dramatically.
Mike McCarthy not only knows how to get an offense moving, but he also does so with a diverse set of West Coast principles designed to stretch the field. His system will not rely solely on play-action deep shots or checkdowns.
The Steelers also added multiple wide receivers, including proven WR2 Michael Pittman Jr. His skill set complements Metcalf’s and should create more opportunities for Metcalf to return to Pro Bowl form. McCarthy’s offense will also provide a fresh opportunity for Roman Wilson, who will compete with second-round pick Germie Bernard for the WR3 role.
The Steelers are poised to finish well above the five spots separating them from the bottom of this list. They have the necessary pieces to make that happen.
Now the question is whether McCarthy, Rodgers, Warren, and Metcalf can turn that potential into production.
