Noah Hiles: This year's Steelers are the NFL's most boring team

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jul 28, 2026

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — I won’t bury the lede. You all read the headline, so let’s get right to it.

The 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers enter this season as the most boring team in the NFL.

I know this won’t be a popular opinion among our readers. I get it — but I also don’t care. My job is to write what I feel, to tell it like it is. And right now, with training camp set to begin this week, I’m truly struggling to find any form of excitement among this group.

This column isn’t aimed to be a “hot take.” My goal here isn’t to ruffle feathers. Not long ago, I thought this season had the potential to be one of the most interesting in franchise history. The Steelers had a chance for a fresh start. But most of the decisions made since Mike Tomlin’s departure have been, at best, underwhelming.

This year should mark the beginning of a new era. And while it does on paper, it’s hard to feel as though anything will be much different. Following this team will likely feel like attending a classic rock concert. There might be some new faces on stage, you might hear a few new songs from recent albums, but for the most part, it’s going to be almost the same experience as last time.

Sure, there are some intriguing storylines to cover.

There’s a new sheriff in town. Mike McCarthy is just the fourth Steelers head coach in 58 years. He’s a hometown guy — a point this organization has made sure to emphasize, almost to an exhausting level.

This year will mark the final season of Aaron Rodgers’ legendary career. He will have more weapons and a further developed offensive line, which will perhaps allow him to eclipse a few additional milestones.

The defense will look to prove itself under new leadership. Maybe a new voice could generate a bounce-back year for T.J. Watt, or even lead some younger talents to take a step forward.

But while all of these things are interesting in a vacuum, in the end, will any of it really matter?

Ask yourself this: What’s the goal for the 2026 Steelers? What, in your mind, would make this upcoming season a success?

Is it a Super Bowl?

Do any of you really believe that to be realistically attainable with this group of players? If so, may God bless your soul.

Is it to simply win a playoff game?

If so, then how is this any different than last year? Or the many years prior?

The present just seems so familiar, so stale, so … meh. And to make things worse, the future isn’t much better.

As things currently stand, it’s hard to see any sort of long-term vision for this franchise.

McCarthy is the third-oldest head coach in the NFL. John Harbaugh (63) and Andy Reid (68) are the only active coaches who have been on this planet longer. The average age of an NFL coach this season is 48. McCarthy will turn 63 in November.

When you look five years down the road, it’s worth wondering if he will still be on an NFL sideline. And even if he is, how many players on this team will still be around?

Someone who definitely won’t be on an NFL sideline in five years is Rodgers, who is the oldest active player in the NFL. McCarthy was brought in to find Rodgers’ replacement, to develop the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback.

Perhaps that happens later on, but not this year. I don’t care how good some of you believe Drew Allar and Will Howard looked in college. Neither will be a successful starter at this level.

This isn’t to say the Steelers lack young talent. Their roster features a handful of solid players still on their rookie deals. But as I wrote earlier this summer, hardly any of them have superstar potential. I see plenty of competent role players, more than a few dependable starters, but no game changers.

Again, those types of players could arrive in future drafts. They could be selected by this current general manager and developed by this current coaching staff. But as far as this year is concerned, I don’t see more than two or three young players capable of a true breakout campaign — and even that might be a stretch.

I hope I’m wrong.

I hope this season is interesting, and I’d welcome “interesting” in any way, shape or form.

I’d love to see this team exceed expectations. There’s nothing better for the city of Pittsburgh than when the Steelers go on a deep postseason run. I’d love to see a few young players develop into All-Pros, for Steelers fans to have a new crop of stars to rally around. I’d also be open to seeing this team struggle, only because it would be something different.

Like I noted above, the Steelers haven’t experienced “different” in a long time. It’s been essentially the same show, year after year. Even when things change, they more or less stay the same.

I have a hard time believing this year will be any different, and that’s boring. The Steelers have become boring, the most boring team in the NFL.

That might not be a fun sentence to read, but right now, it’s the truth.

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