PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Mike McCarthy said he’s no stranger to what the Steelers have on the roster. He said during his year away from coaching he watched a lot of Steelers games and says he loves what he is walking into in 2026.
“Mike Tomlin and (Steelers GM) Omar (Khan), they've left me with a lot to work with,” McCarthy said at Acrisure Stadium on Tuesday. “I feel good about the direction.”
The cupboard is most full on the defensive side. While not performing to the level they wanted to in 2025, finishing 26th in total defense, 17th in points against, eighth in interceptions and second in forced fumbles, McCarthy said he believes there is a lot to build off of.
It’s a team with TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Jalen Ramsey, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen and younger players Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Joey Porter, Junior, Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson.
McCarthy said he will keep the traditional Steelers 3-4 look, that is important to him.
“I've always been a fan of it,” McCarthy said. “I always felt it was the toughest one to compete against as an offensive coach. Part of the reason why I went to it in Green Bay.”
It’s when he hired former Steelers defensive coordinator under Bill Cowher, Dom Capers in his second season with the Packers and stayed with that defense. He noted that he’s been a head coach for 18 years and had one top five defense, and that was the year his Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
“Defense wins championships,” McCarthy said with Hall of Famer Mel Blount and Steelers Hall of Honor linebacker Joey Porter attending the news conference. Also there at Acrisure Stadium Tuesday, were current players Joey Porter, Junior and Highsmith.
Porter is part of the bigger question this offseason as McCarthy discussed the returning players. Porter, Benton, Queen, Herbig and Heyward are among the players going into the final years of their contracts. Figuring out which of these players are most important to their future and the decision with Heyward, the 36-year-old captain, is crucial. Then it’s about augmenting through free agency. The Steelers currently are ninth in available money according to overthecap.com with $37,604,170. They have 12 picks in the upcoming draft that will be held feet from where McCarthy spoke.
“Like I said,” McCarthy repeated. “They've left me a lot to work with, so I feel good about the direction. I'm really excited about the defense.”
He’s been with the Steelers unofficially since Saturday, officially since Tuesday. McCarthy hasn’t even really been to his office yet on the South Side, but is a firm believer they will all work together well.
“I did feel very comfortable from the moment that I was able to sit down with Art and Omar,” McCarthy said. “And that's a connection, I know where I am in my life, in my career, the GM/head coach relationship is critical, and I couldn't be paired with a better guy.”