“If Mike Tomlin had an ounce of pride, he’d quit,” Pittsburgh radio host Mark Madden had said earlier this year, and then five minutes later, Tomlin had stepped down from his role as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. That decision sparked mixed reactions about Tomlin’s tenure, considering his 19-straight winning seasons, but zero playoff wins beyond 2016. Mike McCarthy has now replaced Tomlin ahead of the 2026 season, and Madden believes that McCarthy’s first season as the Steelers’ HC can hurt Tomlin’s reputation.

“You know what I think we’re going to realize this year, that (Mike) Tomlin was an awful coach, and an awful staff. I think the difference in seeing how the coaches operate already, and I think this is gonna be a much more buttoned-up team. I think it’s gonna be so readily evident and right away,” said Madden.

Calling a coach with 193 regular-season wins, a Super Bowl ring, 13 playoff appearances, and eight division titles might sound harsh. But at the same time, context also matters. Tomlin surely would be on his way to Canton, yes. But it’s also worth noting the games he has lost over the years.

He won his first Super Bowl and made another trip to the big game in his first four years. Since then, his postseason record has gone downhill. He was 8-12 in the postseason and didn’t win a playoff game in almost a decade. Moreover, under Tomlin’s leadership, the Steelers relied heavily on a defensive mindset. Now, it’s evident that the Steelers are known for their defensive legacy, but under Tomlin, the defense was very much outdated.

As for the offense, Tomlin was often criticized for focusing on complementary football, which prioritized protecting the defense, controlling possessions, and limiting turnovers. While the franchise had multiple offensive coordinators, many criticized the Steelers for relying on a conservative offense. This is one of the reasons why Madden believes that the new Steelers coaching staff will make a difference in the 2026 season.

For the first time in over half a century, the Steelers have hired an offense-first head coach. Second, upon arriving in Pittsburgh, McCarthy had already started steering away from Tomlin’s blueprint. The veteran head coach started his coaching career under Paul Hackett, who was a disciple of Bill Walsh, who invented the West Coast offense.

“I’m a believer in the tradition of the West Coast offense,” McCarthy said after the Steelers hired him to replace Tomlin. “And the first thing that always came to mind was the offense needs to be built to make the quarterback successful. As simplistic as it is, that starts with running the football. I mean, you have to run the football, because if you don’t run the football and you don’t tailor your protection schemes and the action-pass game to the run game, obviously it’s not going to affect the defense and have the benefits of what you’re looking for.”

And it wouldn’t be unfair to say that McCarthy is backing up those words, as the head coach continues to implement major changes within the team. Reports suggest that McCarthy has taken charge of offensive play-calling while leaving the defensive duties to defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. In his first-year as the Steelers’ HC, McCarthy has brought Rico Dowdle to bolster the running-back room, which already has Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson.

Meanwhile, he has shifted Troy Fautanu to left tackle while moving Mason McCormick inside at guard to address major voids on the offensive line. The Steelers have also brought Michael Pittman Jr. to complement DK Metcalf in the wide receiver unit. Lastly, McCarthy is also reuniting with his Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, in what is expected to be the final season of his NFL career.

That said, while the new HC has handed Graham control of the defensive side of the ball, he’s ushering the Steelers towards a new direction. One built around an offensive-minded head coach.