The Pittsburgh Steelers are all in on the 2026 season under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy. The goal is to compete for a Super Bowl, and after a busy offseason that saw GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl shore up key positions on the roster via trade, free agency and the NFL Draft, the arrow is pointing up.

Though the national media doesn’t seem to have much belief in the Steelers this season with many of them seeing the Steelers placing third in the AFC North, Pittsburgh should still be a playoff team under McCarthy. The offense should make improvements with McCarthy’s scheme reshaping things, while key veterans in Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle will be asked to do the heavy lifting.

Defensively, Pittsburgh should be much-improved under first-year coordinator Patrick Graham, who brings some innovation to the table after the Steelers were stagnant in recent years. But it comes down to how key pieces perform on the field.

For Pittsburgh to take that step forward in 2026 and beyond, veteran faces must perform up to their level of expectations. Below are my five players under the most pressure this season.

1. T.J. WATT, OLB

He’s the highest-paid player on the team, and he’s coming off a disappointing season with just 7.0 sacks and 43 pressures. Though he missed a handful of games late in the year due to a freak injury that resulted in a collapsed lung from dry needling, Watt wasn’t himself. He appeared a step slow and lacked creativity as a pass rusher.

It didn’t help that he aligned on the same side of the formation every snap, creating a stationary target for opposing offenses. With Graham in the fold now, that should change. Watt will move around the formation, will drop into coverage more this season, and should be able to get some help from his coordinator with schemed-up pressures, allowing him to win in ways he hasn’t before.

He’s healthy, sounded motivated all offseason to prove the doubters wrong, and has a ton of talent around him. It’s time for Watt to get back to his game-changing ways.

2. DK METCALF, WR

In his first season with the Steelers, DK Metcalf had some great moments. His huge performance in Baltimore comes to mind, as do his touchdown against Miami on Monday Night Football, and his 80-yard romp in Dublin. But those great moments were too far and few between for a receiver making more than $30 million a year.

The Steelers traded for him and extended him on a huge contract expecting a No. 1 receiver. He didn’t perform like it. However, he didn’t have much help around him, and the offensive scheme was very bland. That all changes this season. He has Michael Pittman Jr. opposite him, and an intriguing rookie in Germie Bernard in the WR room.

McCarthy brings a WR-friendly scheme to the table, too, which should help create spacing and splash plays in the passing game. Metcalf had a great training camp and has had guys like Rodgers and McCarthy raving about him in the buildup to the season. He has to find a way to translate that to regular season action.

3. KEEANU BENTON, DL

Fresh off a monster contract extension this summer, there’s a lot of pressure on Keeanu Benton to live up to the contract the Steelers gave him. Benton had a career-best 5.5 sacks last season and showed the ability to be a disruptive piece on the interior in pass rushing situations. He still has to make improvements as a run defender, but after a rough start to the 2025 season he finished on a high note.

Now, he’s working under a new defensive line coach in Domata Peko and should have more opportunities under Graham. He’s still listed as the starter at nose tackle, but he should see more snaps in sub-package as an interior pass rusher, which could allow him to produce in a big way once again.

He can’t afford to start slow, especially with some of the concerns regarding his new extension.

4. JAMEL DEAN, CB

The Steelers have tried to solve the cornerback issue in recent years with veteran free agents and trade acquisitions. Names like Patrick Peterson, Donte Jackson and Darius Slay simply haven’t worked out for one reason or another. The Steelers have gone down the veteran road once again, giving Jamel Dean a big contract in free agency.

He isn’t in the same conversation as Peterson or Slay, who were at the end of their careers, but Dean is on the wrong side of 30 now and was facing being cut or taking a pay cut before his big season last year in Tampa Bay. He’s a long, physical corner, but he’s had a rollercoaster career.

The Steelers need him to be that top cover corner they added to the roster right out of the gate, especially with Joey Porter Jr.’s status up in the air. There’s no warming up to it, and Dean needs to be the 2025 version quickly. 

5. TROY FAUTANU, LT

Part of major moving parts along the offensive line, Troy Fautanu is under a lot of pressure flipping from right tackle to left tackle. The Steelers have been searching for their franchise left tackle since Alejandro Villanueva left in free agency ahead of the 2021 season. Dan Moore Jr. wasn’t the answer, and neither was Broderick Jones.

Now, the onus is on Fautanu to solidify the spot. He was a left tackle in college and was good enough there to become a first-round selection of the Steelers. Last season at right tackle, Fautanu was really good, but it’s a different ballgame at left tackle. He has to be the high-level piece up front the Steelers expect, especially in pass protection on Rodgers’ blind side.

He’s working under a pair of new offensive line coaches in James Campen and Jahri Evans, and those two have a history of getting the best out of their offensive lines. To do that in Pittsburgh, Fautanu will be a vital piece of that. All eyes will be on him up front offensively.