Mike McCarthy Gets Key Roster Piece “On Board” After Mike Tomlin’s Exit, Says Insider

The 2026 season will mark the beginning of a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers with Mike Tomlin stepping down after an illustrious 19-year run. Replacing Tomlin, the Steelers’ front office brought in Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy. Although the move has faced scrutiny about this drastic shift to an offensive coaching style, the 62-year-old’s presence has already gotten his players to believe in the franchise’s new era.

One name backing McCarthy is All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who is “on board,” according to Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.

“I don’t know if he wanted to be here this year. I think they talked him into coming back this year,” Kaboly said on The Pomp & Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan. “I think the [Mike] Tomlin stuff, he was a little bit still in the same Aaron Rodgers boat where ‘I’m not sure [what] I want to do.’ But I think McCarthy talked to him and was able to get him back on board.”

Ramsey considered leaving after Tomlin’s exit, given their longstanding relationship, leadingto rumors about Ramsey looking for a new team ahead of the 2026 season. Furthermore, the Super Bowl LVI champion struggled to perform at his All-Pro level and was moved from the CB1 role to safety.

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But new HC Mike McCarthy has seemingly cleared any uncertainties about Ramsey returning to Pittsburgh for a second season. According to Kaboly, the veteran cornerback will play a crucial role in the Steel City’s success in the 2026 season.

“I think he’s one of the keys to this team this year. He plays extremely well,” Kaboly said. “He can play four or five different positions. I think they turn into a top-five, top-10 defense.”

Supporting this analysis, Steelers assistant head coach Joe Whitt Jr. described Jalen Ramsey as a key element for the team’s strategy and shared his plans for the All-Pro cornerback, as reported by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

“The way we used Charles Woodson in Green Bay, he played the star. He played corner. He played safety. He played the money. He did all of those things,” Whitt Jr. said. “Charles could do it all in one game. He’s one of the rare guys that can do it. Jalen has a similar skill set, similar size, and similar speed. I’m just excited to see how we work with him and the way we use him.”

With these comments, it’s clear that Mike McCarthy and Co. consider Jalen Ramsay to be a cornerstone player for the 2026 season. Meanwhile, the HC has also found support from defensive leader Cameron Heyward.

Cameron Heyward is ready to “embrace the change” with Mike McCarthy as head coach

Under Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers were a defensive juggernaut, bringing back the days of the Steel Curtain defense. The Yellow and Black finished top-five in scoring defense four times in Tomlin’s first five seasons in the NFL. However, Tomlin failed to maintain this consistency over the last 12 seasons of his tenure, as the Steelers finished in the top five just twice in 2019 and 2020. Similarly, the franchise also failed to finish in the top five in sacks since 2021.

Now, as the Steelers enter this new era with Mike McCarthy at the helm, the franchise aims to improve on these mistakes with defensive tackle and veteran leader Cam Hayward expressing his support for the new coaching staff.

“You embrace the change,” longtime defensive leader Cameron Heyward said, per ESPN. “There are things that you want to say the same, but you have to be willing to put your ego aside and do what’s best for the group. It’s not just young players, some coaches too, that still have to learn, and we just want to be an olive branch to that.”

With Jalen Ramsey and Cameron Heyward both buying into Mike McCarthy’s vision, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear ready to turn the page. The new era in Steel City is already generating belief from the players who matter most.

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