The way things have unfolded this offseason, one thing is clear: the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t look like the strongest team in the AFC North. ESPN’s Kevin Clark has openly admitted he’s concerned about the team, while the Steelers have managed to place just one player in ESPN’s roster rankings so far. Now, Aaron Rodgers‘ former teammate and Carolina Panthers long snapper J.J. Jansen has added to the criticism by calling the team uninteresting.

“I just don’t know that the team’s all that interesting, especially when you consider that division’s also got the Bengals and the Ravens,” Jansen said on the NFL Daily podcast. “…I still feel like they are a 9-8 team. They’re going to beat some teams that they shouldn’t, and they’re going to lose some games that they shouldn’t. I would certainly trust the ball in Aaron’s hand in the fourth quarter, but it’s just an uninteresting 9-8, 10-7, 7-10 kind of team for me.”

Under Mike Tomlin’s guidance for one last time, Pittsburgh finished 10-7 and qualified for the playoffs. But it’s not unfair to say that the team looked inconsistent at times. After winning four out of the first five matchups, Aaron Rodgers’ unit managed just three wins in the next seven games.

Over the years, the Steelers have been a winning team. But they’ve not been able to stand out in the league. They have undergone some major changes this offseason, but that still doesn’t make Pittsburgh as alluring a team compared to others in the division.

For starters, ESPN released its roster rankings at each position. Among running backs, cornerbacks, edge rushers, defensive tackles, tight ends, and offensive tackles, the Steelers managed to put just one player in the top 10. We’re talking about T.J. Watt, who was ranked 7th among the top 10 edge rushers. And rightfully so, as he has been an All-Pro in each of his past five healthy seasons.

Besides, the AFC North features teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals enter the 2026 season with their star offensive trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins intact. The Ravens, meanwhile, addressed last year’s pass-rushing concerns by signing Trey Hendrickson to a multi-year deal this offseason.

Now, Jansen trusts in his former Green Bay Packers teammate, Aaron Rodgers; there’s no denying it. Still, there’s a caveat. Rodgers will turn  43 this season. He is the trump card for the Steelers this year; take him out of the equation, and the postseason hopes go kaput.

While Tomlin has led the Steelers to 19 straight winning seasons, it’s still unclear what the team will look like under Mike McCarthy’s leadership. However, from ESPN’s Kevin Clark’s perspective, McCarthy is nowhere close to Tomlin.

Per Kevin Clark, Mike McCarthy is not in Mike Tomlin’s range

The Steelers made the playoffs last season under Mike Tomlin. But with Mike McCarthy now taking over as head coach, Kevin Clark has made his stance on the coaching change clear, admitting he doesn’t see the Steelers finding much success this season.

“Mike Tomlin is leaving, and Mike McCarthy is not anywhere close to Mike Tomlin as a coach in my book,” Clark said on ESPN’s First Take. “You also add in the fact that the strength of the franchise has been defense for a long time, and that seemed to be trending in the wrong direction last year… So I’m just looking at this, and if we’re talking about teams that maybe aren’t gonna repeat the success that they had last year, they’re at the top of my list.”

Clark made it clear that he’s concerned about the Steelers. He gave multiple reasons, including Rodgers’ heavy reliance on quick throws (2.59 seconds, third-fastest in the league) and a major head-coaching change. The Steelers enjoyed the initial success during Mike Tomlin’s tenure, but failed to win a playoff game after 2017.

McCarthy, meanwhile, is coming after a one-year hiatus. Unlike Tomlin, he is an offensive-minded coach, having also called plays for the Dallas Cowboys as their head coach. We will have to wait and watch how Pittsburgh shifts its strengths from defense to offense under his regime.

Whether McCarthy transforms that experience into a playoff win also remains to be seen.