Steelers' Mike Tomlin 'Hangover' Slowing Mike McCarthy Acceptance

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still learning how to operate without Mike Tomlin as their head coach.

Per NFL insider Tony Pauline, a source told him the Steelers are dealing with a Tomlin "hangover", and that the type of "energy, edge and passion," he brought to the table has yet to surface now that Mike McCarthy is in charge.

"The other red flag that was described to me by a source is the Mike Tomlin hangover," Pauline said. "With Mike McCarthy taking over as the team's head coach to replace Tomlin... one would expect changes. I'm told the energy, edge and passion that Tomlin brought with him is not yet there with McCarthy.

"A player said every week when Tomlin led the Steelers onto the field through the tunnel, there was a belief that the team was going to win. Even if they fell behind, they believed Tomlin would find a way and bring them back. That belief is not there with McCarthy, or at least not there yet with their new head coach."

Following a Week 2 loss to New England, the Pittsburgh Steelers sit at 1-1, and our NFL Draft analyst @TonyPauline breaks down two growing concerns inside the building. 🚨🏈

- "Atrocious" O-Line Play:
Pittsburgh has managed under 150 total rushing yards over two games. Expect… pic.twitter.com/LxmLF4U3kF
— EssentiallySports (@ES_sportsnews) September 24, 2026

Tomlin Isn't Easily Replaceable

Tomlin and the Steelers felt like they had been on a collision course towards parting ways for several years before he stepped down following the conclusion of the team's 2025 campaign.

They had lost seven-straight playoff games by the time Tomlin left the organization, and it felt as though Pittsburgh had been toiling in mediocrity for far too long.

A change was necessary for both parties, but that doesn't mean Tomlin was completely dispensable or replaceable for the Steelers.

A future Hall of Famer who didn't have a single losing season over his 19 years with the team, Tomlin was about as popular of a head coach as they come amongst his players.

He did offer a level of intensity and charisma that simply isn't super common across the league, and he had the resume to match it.

McCarthy comes with his own unique qualities and practices as a coach that differ quite heavily from Tomlin's, such as his extreme attention to detail and his offensive background, though the transition to the former from the latter perhaps hasn't been super smooth thus far if Pauline's report is any indication.

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy looks on from the sidelines against the New York Jets during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McCarthy Needs More Time

The crowning achievement during McCarthy's short tenure with the Steelers up to this point is how sharp and improved the defense looks as a whole, which is largely a product of his decision to hire Patrick Graham as the defensive coordinator.

On the flip side, McCarthy's offense has been unproductive over the first two weeks of the season, and it feels rather similar to the type of output Pittsburgh has become accustomed to on that side of the ball over the last several years.

There's still plenty of time to turn it around, though, and really that's the main takeaway from Pauline's report.

Trying to reorient themselves and adapt to a new coaching staff headed by McCarthy after Tomlin spent nearly two decades at the helm was never going to be an entirely seamless process for the Steelers.

McCarthy's demeanor and style of coaching is quite different from Tomlin's, even if their overall resumes aren't all that dissimilar, and he does deserve some grace while he steers the ship and figures things out with a new organization.

It's not a guarantee that the McCarthy hire will ultimately work out for Pittsburgh, but it is too early to form any concrete opinions about him.

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