- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,674
- Reaction score
- 59
Other NFL team previews: 32. Dolphins | 31. Jets | 30. Cardinals | 29. Browns | 28. Titans | 27. Raiders | 26. Falcons | 25. Giants | 24. Saints | 23. Panthers | 22. Buccaneers | 21. Colts
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise with a glorious championship past, but they don't seem to be chasing championships anymore.
The complaints from Steelers fans haven't changed in years, and probably won't be much different this season. The Steelers famously never had a losing season under Mike Tomlin, but they also haven't won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. Tomlin consistently got flawed teams barely into the playoffs, then they looked overmatched in the postseason. This past January, they became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight playoff games by double digits.
Last season, the script was like a bad and predictable sequel in a movie series that won't die. The Steelers made the playoffs, only because Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired on the season, then Pittsburgh was steamrolled by the Houston Texans in a 30-6 home loss in the wild-card round. The Steelers were the least competitive team in the playoffs, and that includes the 8-9 Carolina Panthers.
There will be a plot twist this season. Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons and a 193-114-2 regular season record. The criticism of Tomlin was that he was good enough to make the playoffs but no longer capable of lifting the franchise to being a championship contender.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
The Steelers could have swung big on a young coach rising through the ranks. Instead, they settled for Mike McCarthy, who at 62 years old seems like a knockoff version of Tomlin with all the same criticisms of not being able to raise a team's ceiling to an elite level. McCarthy is from Western Pennsylvania and it seemed like the Steelers got caught up with a fun homecoming story rather than trying to change the course of the team.
Then, to hammer home the point that the Steelers weren't really interested in taking any risks, they settled on bringing back quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers once again waited him out until he signed in late May, even though they said they wouldn't be doing that. Rodgers was good for his age last season, at 42, but that's because almost every other quarterback other than Tom Brady was retired or cooked at that age. Rodgers was a middle-of-the-road quarterback, and while that's a cool story. Expecting more in his age-43 season seems to be a fool's errand.
The rest of the roster looked old last season, especially an expensive and underwhelming defense. There were some upgrades to that defense in free agency, but not a major shakeup. The same goes for the offense.
It's scary to make major changes, especially when there's the illusion of being closer to title contention than you are. The Steelers won 10 games and weren't a bad team. But they were far from great. It's more comfortable for the team to talk itself into a few additions, like receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker, helping boost the team by a few wins and making a long-awaited playoff run. And maybe changing coaching voices to McCarthy provides a spark.
But Steelers fans will have a hard time talking themselves into that. They whined about Tomlin, but McCarthy seems like a lateral change at best. They want a better option at quarterback but the Steelers stuck with the status quo. They are impatient for playoff wins, but this group hasn't been able to deliver that.
What exactly were the Steelers shooting for with their offseason? It's hard to say it was a return to the NFL's elite.
Aaron Rodgers had 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first Steelers season. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Joe Sargent via Getty Images
The Steelers made some smart additions this offseason. Free agent additions like cornerback Jamel Dean, safety Jaquan Brisker, running back Rico Dowdle and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day are all quality veterans. Pittsburgh did lose guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Kenneth Gainwell.The Steelers took advantage of the Colts needing to dump some salary after signing Alec Pierce to a massive deal, and got Michael Pittman Jr. for a late-round pick swap that amounts to next to nothing in the NFL.
The draft was panned, perhaps because in the first round the Steelers called receiver Makai Lemon before they were on the clock and told Lemon they were going to pick him, only for the Eagles to trade ahead of Pittsburgh and take Lemon instead. Whoops. The Steelers picked offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, who was a reasonable pick but obviously not Pittsburgh's preferred choice. The pick does make sense with left tackle Broderick Jones' status uncertain due to a neck injury. The Steelers' draft class got the 22nd best grade among the consensus. But overall it was a productive offseason.
Grade: B
There are three instances in NFL history of a quarterback at age 43 or older attempting at least 100 passes with a passer rating over 70. All three of those seasons were from Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers beat the age cliff last season to an extent — he's now one of five quarterbacks at age 42 or beyond to attempt at least 100 passes and posting a passer rating above 76.6 — but it's not like it was prime Rodgers.
The stat that shows this isn't the same Rodgers is his average depth of target. Rodgers has one of the strongest arms in NFL history and has never been afraid to take a deep shot, but last season his ADoT was a stunningly low 6.37. That was the lowest in the NFL among any quarterback with 250 or more passes. He also tied for the quickest time in the pocket per throw among NFL quarterbacks, via Pro Football Reference. It tells the story of an aging quarterback who wanted to get rid of the ball fast to avoid hits. It's hard to run a great offense with that limitation.
Rodgers had some of the NFL's greatest single seasons with Mike McCarthy coaching him, but their last season together was eight years ago. If Rodgers improves upon last season, at an age in which only one quarterback has had any success, it would be a surprise. But the Steelers happily signed up for this plan.
From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: "It's deja vu all over again for Pittsburgh, which won the AFC North with a surprising 10-7 record (9-8 ATS), only to be blown out at home in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Texans. The Steelers didn't draft a QB in the first round (again), waited on Aaron Rodgers until he was ready (again) and now will be relying on a QB who will turn 43 in December to lead them to the promised land. With left tackle Broderick Jones' status up in the air, the offensive line is a question mark — as is an aging defense.
"The schedule isn't bad over the first eight weeks leading into Pittsburgh's bye, but it's a brutal six games coming out of it (at Cincinnati, at Philadelphia, vs. Denver, vs. Houston, at Jacksonville, vs. Baltimore) in which the Steelers are projected to be underdogs in every game. Last year went about as well as could be expected for Pittsburgh; I don't see this year going the same. I'd be looking at the under 8.5 wins for the Steelers."
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "I often have a soft spot for veteran players who command a boring discount, but I can't quite commit to DK Metcalf this year. He's entering his age-29 season and his yards per target have fallen the last two years. More importantly, the Steelers brought Aaron Rodgers back for his age-43 season — so we have to be muted with our expectations about this team's pace and passing volume. For all of Metcalf's talent, he'll probably miss out on 1,000 yards for the third straight season."
The Steelers have been consistently good on defense for a long time. Before last season, they finished in the top 11 of scoring defense eight of the previous 10 seasons. Last season, Pittsburgh was mediocre on defense across the board. They were 17th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed, 19th in EPA (expected points added per play) allowed and 18th in passer rating allowed. DVOA was kinder to the Steelers defense, ranking it 11th.
Can the Steelers' defense be one of the best in the NFL again? Age is working against it. Pittsburgh's defense is the second oldest in the NFL coming into this season, via Ian Hartitz of FantasyLife. It's also the most expensive defense in the league. That unit has to play much better for the team to reach a higher level, but last season might be the start of a decline.
The pass rush group of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith (who could be traded) and Nick Herbig is still the foundation of the defense, and the secondary improved by signing cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker. Dean is coming off a fantastic season with the Buccaneers, as the No. 4 graded cornerback at Pro Football Focus among those with at least 500 snaps, and got a three-year, $36.75 million deal from the Steelers. There are star players on the defense, but it's risky to expect a big rebound.
Ever since 2019 when the Steelers decided they couldn't put up with Antonio Brown any longer and traded him away, Pittsburgh's receiver room has been thin. Two trades help. Last year they traded for DK Metcalf and this year they stole Michael Pittman Jr. for almost nothing from the Colts. Pittman has leveled off but he is a reliable veteran who has averaged 875.7 yards over his six NFL seasons.
Metcalf needs to be better for the problem to seem like it's solved. Metcalf had just 850 yards and six touchdowns in his first Steelers season, and the most memorable moment of his season was a physical confrontation with a fan in Detroit that led to a two-game suspension.
Metcalf had at least 900 yards in every season with the Seahawks, and the Steelers need him to play at that level to justify the trade and his contract. For that to happen, Aaron Rodgers has to rediscover the deep passing game and take advantage of Metcalf's downfield ability.
Is it possible to talk ourselves into the Steelers being a championship contender? It would require Aaron Rodgers having an improvement, which is historically unlikely at his age, Mike McCarthy giving the team new life after Mike Tomlin was there for a long time, an expensive defense performing up to its salary level and other players, like DK Metcalf, playing closer to their best. That's a lot to ask.
It seems more likely the Steelers' ceiling isn't far off from what it has been over the past few seasons, which is winning the AFC North. If that happens again, maybe Pittsburgh can break through and get its first playoff win since the end of the 2016 season. That's reasonable.
There's a chance this goes bad, though that has been predicted before and the Steelers have pulled out winning seasons. But that was with Mike Tomlin at coach. Mike McCarthy is probably underrated; his winning percentage is a tick below 61%. But there are also criticisms over how much he can still elevate a roster, and Tomlin did a pretty good job holding things together in Pittsburgh for years.
Aaron Rodgers is at a scary age for a quarterback. His career arc has followed former teammate Brett Favre in many ways, and Favre's passer rating fell nearly 40 points in his final season, from 107.2 in 2009 to 69.9 in 2010. That was at age 41, two years younger than Rodgers will be by the end of this season. Nobody in the NFL is guaranteed a soft landing before retirement.
The defense aged quickly last season and that doesn't usually reverse itself either. There are plenty of warning signs for the Steelers. Winning seasons have become the norm, but every franchise experiences a big downturn at some point.
I don't love the vibes with the Steelers this season. Mike McCarthy doesn't seem like an improvement on Mike Tomlin and has the same criticisms against him that Tomlin did. I'm not in the business of expecting big things from quarterbacks about to turn 43 years old.
The defense could be better, but that's far from a guarantee after a big step back. The Steelers will be better than the Browns, that seems safe. But a third-place finish in the AFC North, and their first losing season in a while, seems to be firmly on the table.
Continue reading...
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise with a glorious championship past, but they don't seem to be chasing championships anymore.
The complaints from Steelers fans haven't changed in years, and probably won't be much different this season. The Steelers famously never had a losing season under Mike Tomlin, but they also haven't won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. Tomlin consistently got flawed teams barely into the playoffs, then they looked overmatched in the postseason. This past January, they became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight playoff games by double digits.
Last season, the script was like a bad and predictable sequel in a movie series that won't die. The Steelers made the playoffs, only because Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired on the season, then Pittsburgh was steamrolled by the Houston Texans in a 30-6 home loss in the wild-card round. The Steelers were the least competitive team in the playoffs, and that includes the 8-9 Carolina Panthers.
There will be a plot twist this season. Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons and a 193-114-2 regular season record. The criticism of Tomlin was that he was good enough to make the playoffs but no longer capable of lifting the franchise to being a championship contender.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
The Steelers could have swung big on a young coach rising through the ranks. Instead, they settled for Mike McCarthy, who at 62 years old seems like a knockoff version of Tomlin with all the same criticisms of not being able to raise a team's ceiling to an elite level. McCarthy is from Western Pennsylvania and it seemed like the Steelers got caught up with a fun homecoming story rather than trying to change the course of the team.
Then, to hammer home the point that the Steelers weren't really interested in taking any risks, they settled on bringing back quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers once again waited him out until he signed in late May, even though they said they wouldn't be doing that. Rodgers was good for his age last season, at 42, but that's because almost every other quarterback other than Tom Brady was retired or cooked at that age. Rodgers was a middle-of-the-road quarterback, and while that's a cool story. Expecting more in his age-43 season seems to be a fool's errand.
The rest of the roster looked old last season, especially an expensive and underwhelming defense. There were some upgrades to that defense in free agency, but not a major shakeup. The same goes for the offense.
It's scary to make major changes, especially when there's the illusion of being closer to title contention than you are. The Steelers won 10 games and weren't a bad team. But they were far from great. It's more comfortable for the team to talk itself into a few additions, like receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker, helping boost the team by a few wins and making a long-awaited playoff run. And maybe changing coaching voices to McCarthy provides a spark.
But Steelers fans will have a hard time talking themselves into that. They whined about Tomlin, but McCarthy seems like a lateral change at best. They want a better option at quarterback but the Steelers stuck with the status quo. They are impatient for playoff wins, but this group hasn't been able to deliver that.
What exactly were the Steelers shooting for with their offseason? It's hard to say it was a return to the NFL's elite.
You must be registered for see images
Aaron Rodgers had 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first Steelers season. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Joe Sargent via Getty Images
Offseason grade
The Steelers made some smart additions this offseason. Free agent additions like cornerback Jamel Dean, safety Jaquan Brisker, running back Rico Dowdle and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day are all quality veterans. Pittsburgh did lose guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Kenneth Gainwell.The Steelers took advantage of the Colts needing to dump some salary after signing Alec Pierce to a massive deal, and got Michael Pittman Jr. for a late-round pick swap that amounts to next to nothing in the NFL.
The draft was panned, perhaps because in the first round the Steelers called receiver Makai Lemon before they were on the clock and told Lemon they were going to pick him, only for the Eagles to trade ahead of Pittsburgh and take Lemon instead. Whoops. The Steelers picked offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, who was a reasonable pick but obviously not Pittsburgh's preferred choice. The pick does make sense with left tackle Broderick Jones' status uncertain due to a neck injury. The Steelers' draft class got the 22nd best grade among the consensus. But overall it was a productive offseason.
Grade: B
Quarterback report
There are three instances in NFL history of a quarterback at age 43 or older attempting at least 100 passes with a passer rating over 70. All three of those seasons were from Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers beat the age cliff last season to an extent — he's now one of five quarterbacks at age 42 or beyond to attempt at least 100 passes and posting a passer rating above 76.6 — but it's not like it was prime Rodgers.
The stat that shows this isn't the same Rodgers is his average depth of target. Rodgers has one of the strongest arms in NFL history and has never been afraid to take a deep shot, but last season his ADoT was a stunningly low 6.37. That was the lowest in the NFL among any quarterback with 250 or more passes. He also tied for the quickest time in the pocket per throw among NFL quarterbacks, via Pro Football Reference. It tells the story of an aging quarterback who wanted to get rid of the ball fast to avoid hits. It's hard to run a great offense with that limitation.
Rodgers had some of the NFL's greatest single seasons with Mike McCarthy coaching him, but their last season together was eight years ago. If Rodgers improves upon last season, at an age in which only one quarterback has had any success, it would be a surprise. But the Steelers happily signed up for this plan.
Odds breakdown
From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: "It's deja vu all over again for Pittsburgh, which won the AFC North with a surprising 10-7 record (9-8 ATS), only to be blown out at home in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Texans. The Steelers didn't draft a QB in the first round (again), waited on Aaron Rodgers until he was ready (again) and now will be relying on a QB who will turn 43 in December to lead them to the promised land. With left tackle Broderick Jones' status up in the air, the offensive line is a question mark — as is an aging defense.
"The schedule isn't bad over the first eight weeks leading into Pittsburgh's bye, but it's a brutal six games coming out of it (at Cincinnati, at Philadelphia, vs. Denver, vs. Houston, at Jacksonville, vs. Baltimore) in which the Steelers are projected to be underdogs in every game. Last year went about as well as could be expected for Pittsburgh; I don't see this year going the same. I'd be looking at the under 8.5 wins for the Steelers."
Yahoo's fantasy take
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "I often have a soft spot for veteran players who command a boring discount, but I can't quite commit to DK Metcalf this year. He's entering his age-29 season and his yards per target have fallen the last two years. More importantly, the Steelers brought Aaron Rodgers back for his age-43 season — so we have to be muted with our expectations about this team's pace and passing volume. For all of Metcalf's talent, he'll probably miss out on 1,000 yards for the third straight season."
Stat to remember
The Steelers have been consistently good on defense for a long time. Before last season, they finished in the top 11 of scoring defense eight of the previous 10 seasons. Last season, Pittsburgh was mediocre on defense across the board. They were 17th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed, 19th in EPA (expected points added per play) allowed and 18th in passer rating allowed. DVOA was kinder to the Steelers defense, ranking it 11th.
Can the Steelers' defense be one of the best in the NFL again? Age is working against it. Pittsburgh's defense is the second oldest in the NFL coming into this season, via Ian Hartitz of FantasyLife. It's also the most expensive defense in the league. That unit has to play much better for the team to reach a higher level, but last season might be the start of a decline.
The pass rush group of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith (who could be traded) and Nick Herbig is still the foundation of the defense, and the secondary improved by signing cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker. Dean is coming off a fantastic season with the Buccaneers, as the No. 4 graded cornerback at Pro Football Focus among those with at least 500 snaps, and got a three-year, $36.75 million deal from the Steelers. There are star players on the defense, but it's risky to expect a big rebound.
Burning question: Are the Steelers' receiver issues fixed?
Ever since 2019 when the Steelers decided they couldn't put up with Antonio Brown any longer and traded him away, Pittsburgh's receiver room has been thin. Two trades help. Last year they traded for DK Metcalf and this year they stole Michael Pittman Jr. for almost nothing from the Colts. Pittman has leveled off but he is a reliable veteran who has averaged 875.7 yards over his six NFL seasons.
Metcalf needs to be better for the problem to seem like it's solved. Metcalf had just 850 yards and six touchdowns in his first Steelers season, and the most memorable moment of his season was a physical confrontation with a fan in Detroit that led to a two-game suspension.
Metcalf had at least 900 yards in every season with the Seahawks, and the Steelers need him to play at that level to justify the trade and his contract. For that to happen, Aaron Rodgers has to rediscover the deep passing game and take advantage of Metcalf's downfield ability.
Best-case scenario
Is it possible to talk ourselves into the Steelers being a championship contender? It would require Aaron Rodgers having an improvement, which is historically unlikely at his age, Mike McCarthy giving the team new life after Mike Tomlin was there for a long time, an expensive defense performing up to its salary level and other players, like DK Metcalf, playing closer to their best. That's a lot to ask.
It seems more likely the Steelers' ceiling isn't far off from what it has been over the past few seasons, which is winning the AFC North. If that happens again, maybe Pittsburgh can break through and get its first playoff win since the end of the 2016 season. That's reasonable.
Nightmare scenario
There's a chance this goes bad, though that has been predicted before and the Steelers have pulled out winning seasons. But that was with Mike Tomlin at coach. Mike McCarthy is probably underrated; his winning percentage is a tick below 61%. But there are also criticisms over how much he can still elevate a roster, and Tomlin did a pretty good job holding things together in Pittsburgh for years.
Aaron Rodgers is at a scary age for a quarterback. His career arc has followed former teammate Brett Favre in many ways, and Favre's passer rating fell nearly 40 points in his final season, from 107.2 in 2009 to 69.9 in 2010. That was at age 41, two years younger than Rodgers will be by the end of this season. Nobody in the NFL is guaranteed a soft landing before retirement.
The defense aged quickly last season and that doesn't usually reverse itself either. There are plenty of warning signs for the Steelers. Winning seasons have become the norm, but every franchise experiences a big downturn at some point.
The crystal ball says
I don't love the vibes with the Steelers this season. Mike McCarthy doesn't seem like an improvement on Mike Tomlin and has the same criticisms against him that Tomlin did. I'm not in the business of expecting big things from quarterbacks about to turn 43 years old.
The defense could be better, but that's far from a guarantee after a big step back. The Steelers will be better than the Browns, that seems safe. But a third-place finish in the AFC North, and their first losing season in a while, seems to be firmly on the table.
Continue reading...
