Last week, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson bashed the Pittsburgh Steelers , saying the situation Mike McCarthy has stepped into is “all bad.” Ex-Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison defended the franchise, which hasn’t won a playoff game in nine seasons, on the “Deebo & Joe” podcast on Monday.
“I don’t think it’s being set up to fail,” Harrison said. “I wouldn’t go that far. 100%, Mike McCarthy is a win-now hire. That’s why the Steelers keep saying, ‘We’re not rebuilding.’ When you look at it, Mike Tomlin went, what, 19 years without having a losing season? … Right now, he has to do .500 or better. But they’re saying it as if, ‘It’s Super Bowl right now, or it’s bust!'”
Joe Haden , a former Steelers cornerback and James Harrison’s co-host, believes the team is much more than its quarterback — which at this point appears to be Aaron Rodgers , but he hasn’t committed just yet.
“I’m looking at Mike McCarthy building a good team,” Haden said. “As many good players — quarterback is always gonna be thing that everybody sits and talks about — but what about our line? What about our running backs? What about our receivers? What about our defense? What about our corners? How good is the execution gonna be as a full team. … We don’t have to be terrible. Will Howard doesn’t have to be a Pro Bowl quarterback for the Steelers to win 9-10 games.”
The Steelers own the No. 21 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in the shadow of Acrisure Stadium. They figure to bolster their roster even further with the 12 choices they own during the entire selection process.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : James Harrison Fires Back at Steelers Detractor: ‘I Wouldn’t Go That Far’
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