After squeaking by the lowly Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers were thwarted by the New England Patriots this past Sunday and presently stand with a record of 1-1. They have a tough contest against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals this weekend before the schedule eases a bit. What’s the sense of the players these days after a coaching change saw Mike Tomlin head into the television booth and Mike McCarthy come back to the sidelines? Here’s what people around the locker room have told me.

From what I’ve been told the past few days, Steelers players have several concerns. The initial concern is that the veteran talent, especially on defense, is being wasted, and there’s not much margin for error with the 2026 Steelers. Star pass rusher T.J. Watt is in his 10th season, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been in the league one year longer, while defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is 37 years old and a 16-year veteran. Besides them, then there’s quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the 42-year-old who has announced that this will be his final season in the NFL.

The next red flag is the offensive line, a unit which was described to me as “atrocious” by a source. Over the first two weeks, the team totaled just 149 yards rushing. After being sacked twice in Week 1 against Atlanta, the number was doubled the following game, as the Patriots put Rodgers down behind the line of scrimmage four times. Depending on which metrics you trust, opponents have pressured Rodgers 34 times in two games.

Changes on the line are expected ahead of the Bengals contest, as Max Iheanachor, the first-round offensive tackle from Arizona State who was selected with the 21st overall pick in April by Pittsburgh, is expected to start Sunday. If he doesn’t start the game, Iheanachor will get extensive playing time against Cincinnati.

Most concerning in the very early stages of the season is what one source close to the team described as the “Mike Tomlin hangover.”

As one would expect, things are different in the building with a new head coach, but I’ve been told the team misses Tomlin’s edge. The Steelers are not playing with the same passion or energy as they did when Tomlin was on the sidelines, and some are concerned about whether they can turn it around. There was a feeling the Steelers would win every week when the former coach led them onto the field or would find a way to get it done when they were down. That same belief is no longer there, or at least not yet there, with McCarthy.

McCarthy’s arrival has intensified focus on the window, with the aging core leaving no room for a rebuild. It was stressed to me that this was not meant to disrespect McCarthy in any way; rather, the franchise, which ranks amongst the older teams in the league, seems slow in assimilating to the change in coaching styles. Given the age of the roster, including the stars on their depth chart, people in the league believe it’s now or never for the Steelers.  If the team continues to play mediocre football, or even worse, that will surely raise the value of Tomlin, who’ll be one of the hottest names during the off-season coaching search.