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A new 2026 NFL mock draft projected Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round this spring.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a change at head coach this offseason after longtime Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down this offseason. In comes another longtime Super Bowl-winning head coach in Mike McCarthy. In his 19th season as an NFL head coach and on his third different team as a head coach (Packers, Cowboys), McCarthy will be looking to bring a different feel to Pittsburgh this year.

So far, it has been just that. According to insider Mark Kaboly, McCarthy has made many changes to the way the team is operating. There truly is a different vibe in the building.

Mike McCarthy Looks to Bring Another Title to the Pittsburgh Steelers

GettyMike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers spent 13 years together with the Green Bay Packers.

Here is what Kaboly had to write via social media on Saturday about the different feeling McCarthy has brought to the building:

“Pretty much everything that the team did (during rookie minicamp) was different than when Tomlin was in charge. The philosophy, the drills, the timing of meetings, not having practice on Mother’s Day, which was a Tomlin staple, all were different…It is going to be interesting to see how the veterans – who are creatures of habit by nature – will react to what some may say are radical changes.”

The odds of professional players freaking out over the changing of the process in a place like Pittsburgh are low. The Steelers are a winning NFL organization with an experienced head coach and an experienced roster. Don’t expect the goal of winning a Super Bowl to change just because some things have been tweaked. McCarthy is looking to bring a title back to his hometown team. To do that, he believes some habits have to be changed.

The Steelers Can Win in 2026

GettyEdge-rusher T.J. Watt is the Steelers’ all time-leading sack man (115 and counting).

McCarthy is a winner. In his 18 NFL seasons, he has compiled a career record of 185-123-2. He has made the playoffs 12 times, won eight division titles, appeared in three NFC Championship games, and taken home one Super Bowl. One of the best quarterback gurus and offensive coaches of his era, he will look to win big in the Steel City, which is quite possible in his first season.

Not only will he possibly have another chance to work with his former great quarterback with the Packers, Aaron Rodgers, but he will have the luxury of coaching a team with loads of experience. Along with Rodgers on offense sits a pair of big-bodied pass-catchers in DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. On defense, future Hall of Fame defenders T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey stand ready to oppose any offense.

Pittsburgh can absolutely contend for the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl. McCarthy will be the reason for that. The changes that are being shown, even in rookie minicamp, are proof that something special could be on the horizon. Time will tell whether or not he can bring the Lombardi home sooner rather than later.