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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Now returning for what will likely be the last season of his NFL career, Aaron Rodgers would be the easy answer here. Reuniting with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, there are huge expectations for this offense to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers on a deep playoff run.
But let's be honest, Rodgers' legacy is pretty much cemented. Win or lose, he's a Hall of Fame quarterback, and at 42 years old, I think everybody's already tempering expectations. The fact that he's still playing at this level is an accomplishment in itself.
Another player under immense pressure this upcoming season, but whose legacy is far from cemented, is DK Metcalf. He posted a career-low 850 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns on 59 catches last season, and the team has a potential out after the $25 million he'll be owed in 2026. He got paid like a WR1 and has looked anything but since arriving in Pittsburgh.
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But the Steeler probably under the most pressure to perform in 2026 is T.J. Watt.
Watt too is coming off arguably the worst season of his career and is still one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL at 31 years old. He's earned that contract and remains one of the best in the game when healthy, but Pittsburgh still hasn't gotten past the Wild Card round of the playoffs in the entire time he's been a Steeler.
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Watt signed a three-year $123 million extension last summer, which made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time. But what followed was one of the least productive seasons of his career.
He finished with just seven sacks, down from 19 in 2023 and 11.5 in 2024. His 19 QB hits were also the third-lowest mark of his nine-year NFL career, and his 10 tackles for loss tied for his second-fewest.
Last season was also the first time since 2022 that Watt missed significant time due to injury and failed to make an All-Pro team. It's left some to wonder whether the decline has officially set in.
Watt is a former Defensive Player of the Year and undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer, but success in Pittsburgh is defined by Super Bowls, and Watt still doesn't have one.
A bounce-back year silences the critics. But a repeat of 2025, and the questions will only grow louder.
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