For the past few seasons, it’s felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers have been running in place. They’ve remained in the playoff picture, but they’ve been unable to become a threat in the postseason. This year, they made several big moves trying to change that, including trading for DK Metcalf and signing Aaron Rodgers. However, analyst Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t think the Steelers will be much different this year compared to their other recent seasons.
“The Steelers never have losing seasons,” Jeremiah said Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show. “I don’t think it’s very controversial to say this is gonna be a 10-win team. Maybe the range is nine to 11, somewhere in there, but it feels like they’re gonna be a good team.
“They’re gonna be in the playoffs, but he’s not good enough, nor is the roster in good enough position for them to do a lot of damage once they get to the postseason.”
A season like that might feel like Groundhog Day for Steelers fans. That’s exactly the kind of results they’ve seen over the past two years. The Steelers secure a playoff spot, but they fail to match up against the better talent in the AFC. It’s one of the fanbase’s biggest frustrations at the moment.
That wouldn’t just be similar to the Steelers’ last two seasons, though. They haven’t won more than 10 games since the 2020 season, when they went 12-4. Unfortunately, that season also ended without the Steelers winning a playoff game.
With Pittsburgh not winning a playoff game since the 2016 season, there’s not a lot of optimism that things will change this year. Despite the additions of players like Rodgers and Metcalf, the Steelers’ roster still seems flawed. Their offensive line has question marks and they’re lacking in proven playmakers on offense. It’s even unclear what level Rodgers can still play at.
However, the Steelers aren’t totally hopeless. If he can at least play like he did last year, Rodgers could be the Steelers’ best quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger. They’ve won despite poor play under center in recent years. If Rodgers can be a positive contributor, then the Steelers might have a fighting chance in the postseason.
This season will likely feel like a failure if the Steelers don’t win a playoff game. While it isn’t their ultimate goal, it would be a step in the right direction for them. Having another middling year that ends in postseason failure wouldn’t meet the Steelers’ standard. Jeremiah’s prediction likely wouldn’t be good enough for anyone in the city of Pittsburgh.
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