Updated
Updated · Steelers Depot · Jul 5
Steelers Carry 21-Coach Staff, Tied for NFL's Smallest in 2026
Updated
Updated · Steelers Depot · Jul 5

Steelers Carry 21-Coach Staff, Tied for NFL's Smallest in 2026

3 articles · Updated · Steelers Depot · Jul 5

Summary

  • Pittsburgh’s 2026 staff totals 21 on-field coaches under new head coach Mike McCarthy, tying the Bengals and Chiefs for the NFL’s smallest group.
  • That is still up from the Steelers’ 19-man staffs in 2023-25, with the team adding an eighth defensive coach and a second special teams coach for the first time in more than a decade.
  • Leaguewide, average staff size rose to 24.5 coaches in 2026 from 23.9 last year, while the 49ers, Raiders and Browns set the high mark at 28.
  • The study found no clear link between staff size and winning: teams with 25 or more coaches posted a .523 record last year versus .483 for teams with 24 or fewer.

Insights

Mike McCarthy is shrinking his staff for Pittsburgh. Is this a veteran's masterstroke or a risky gamble?
As NFL coaching staffs balloon, does data prove that more coaches actually lead to more wins?