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It might be hard to believe, but the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't advanced past the first round of the NFL playoffs in nearly a decade. In fact, this once-proud franchise tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins in league history with six, hasn't even been competitive once it's reached the second season in January. The Steelers haven't finished within one score in a playoff game since 2017.
People love to tout future Hall of Fame head coach Mike Tomlin's impeccable run without a single losing season in Pittsburgh. And for good reason. That sort of consistency is hard to maintain in a game as volatile as NFL football. Tomlin deserves full commendations for continually maximizing his players' efforts. Tomlin is one of one as a leader. But at a certain point, after watching the Steelers' aimless pursuit of Aaron Rodgers this offseason — and apparently, Kirk Cousins as a backup plan — it's fair to wonder whether this now decidedly mediocre organization has any other legitimate aspirations.
READ MORE: Mike Tomlin and the Steelers need a change neither wants to admit.
You know, because there's more to achieve than simply finishing above .500 and getting pasted in the playoffs the moment you face a real contender. As the Steelers wait and wait and wait for Rodgers or Cousins or whoever has a somewhat healthy arm to play quarterback for them, I'm not sure they have any other ambitions.
How the mighty have fallen that they must now twiddle their fingers watching a washed-up quarterback throw practice passes to their new star receiver, without a contract, several weeks after the conclusion of free agency:
Do you know how sad you have to be as an NFL organization in 2025 to wait for a broken-down, 41-year-old egotist like Rodgers? Do you know how profoundly defeated you must be to even consider someone like 36-year-old Kirk Cousins, someone who the Atlanta Falcons literally can't wait to get rid of after a disastrous debut season?
Honestly, I don't think I can contemplate the depths the Steelers are wallowing in right now.
This is perhaps the one modern NFL franchise synonymous with grit, toughness, and all-time postseason success in one. Steelers supporters don't maintain that hokey tradition of waving around a yellow dishrag with pride for nothing. That's supposed to mean something. The Steelers are supposed to be formidable. They're supposed to be power players on the NFL's biggest stage. You are not supposed to be able to account for a league chess board without the strong knight piece they usually represent.
Pro football is better when the Steelers are a great, legitimate Super Bowl contender. But lately, they're a pawn, happy for scraps.
With their pursuit of Rodgers or Cousins, I know what the Steelers want. They're content to stay above water, to spout off platitudes about Steeler tradition when they can, and do nothing else. This version of them is effectively that one family member who aced their way through school with flying colors and now refuses to do anything meaningful with their life because of a lack of ambition. The next time they put on pants during the day might be the first.
A Steelers franchise without a genuine, coherent purpose is the biggest shame of all.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins pursuits are reaching embarrassing low
Continue reading...
People love to tout future Hall of Fame head coach Mike Tomlin's impeccable run without a single losing season in Pittsburgh. And for good reason. That sort of consistency is hard to maintain in a game as volatile as NFL football. Tomlin deserves full commendations for continually maximizing his players' efforts. Tomlin is one of one as a leader. But at a certain point, after watching the Steelers' aimless pursuit of Aaron Rodgers this offseason — and apparently, Kirk Cousins as a backup plan — it's fair to wonder whether this now decidedly mediocre organization has any other legitimate aspirations.
READ MORE: Mike Tomlin and the Steelers need a change neither wants to admit.
You know, because there's more to achieve than simply finishing above .500 and getting pasted in the playoffs the moment you face a real contender. As the Steelers wait and wait and wait for Rodgers or Cousins or whoever has a somewhat healthy arm to play quarterback for them, I'm not sure they have any other ambitions.
How the mighty have fallen that they must now twiddle their fingers watching a washed-up quarterback throw practice passes to their new star receiver, without a contract, several weeks after the conclusion of free agency:
Do you know how sad you have to be as an NFL organization in 2025 to wait for a broken-down, 41-year-old egotist like Rodgers? Do you know how profoundly defeated you must be to even consider someone like 36-year-old Kirk Cousins, someone who the Atlanta Falcons literally can't wait to get rid of after a disastrous debut season?
Honestly, I don't think I can contemplate the depths the Steelers are wallowing in right now.
This is perhaps the one modern NFL franchise synonymous with grit, toughness, and all-time postseason success in one. Steelers supporters don't maintain that hokey tradition of waving around a yellow dishrag with pride for nothing. That's supposed to mean something. The Steelers are supposed to be formidable. They're supposed to be power players on the NFL's biggest stage. You are not supposed to be able to account for a league chess board without the strong knight piece they usually represent.
Pro football is better when the Steelers are a great, legitimate Super Bowl contender. But lately, they're a pawn, happy for scraps.
With their pursuit of Rodgers or Cousins, I know what the Steelers want. They're content to stay above water, to spout off platitudes about Steeler tradition when they can, and do nothing else. This version of them is effectively that one family member who aced their way through school with flying colors and now refuses to do anything meaningful with their life because of a lack of ambition. The next time they put on pants during the day might be the first.
A Steelers franchise without a genuine, coherent purpose is the biggest shame of all.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins pursuits are reaching embarrassing low
Continue reading...
