The Pittsburgh Steelers are now into the offseason, following a year in which they had high hopes for Super Bowl success, but ultimately fell short of even reaching the postseason at 8-8. It was a tumultuous season, both on the field and within the roster, and the months to follow figure to have some drama as well, especially in light of the team’s failure to improve upon the year before.
The team made some bold moves over the course of the past year, and some areas of the roster look quite a bit different than they did a year ago, or even at the start of the regular season. Whether due to injuries or otherwise, a lot has transpired, and we’re left to wonder how much more will change prior to September.
How will Ben Roethlisberger’s rehab progress as he winds toward recovery from an elbow injury that cost him almost the entire season? What about some of the key young players, some of whom have already impressed, others still needing quite a bit of growth? Will there be changes to the coaching staff? The front office? Who will they not retain in free agency, and whom might they bring in?
These are the sorts of questions among many others that we have been exploring on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Football has become a year-round pastime and there is always a question to be asked, though there is rarely a concrete answer, as I’ve learned in my years of doing this.
Question: Do you care about other teams matching the Steelers’ historical accomplishments, like winning six Super Bowls?
With the San Francisco 49ers set to face off on Sunday in Super Bowl LIV, the question among Steelers fans inevitably comes up—do you care if other teams match Pittsburgh’s six Lombardi trophies? They already got company last year with the New England Patriots claiming their sixth. Now the 49ers get their second chance, their first shot coming in 2012 (two years after the Steelers had a shot for seven).
As it stands, the Patriots are the only team who has been to more Super Bowl than the Steelers. They are now 6-5 in the game, the only team to have gone there more than eight times (the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos have also been to eight).
For a little over a decade, the Steelers were able to lay claim to being the only team to have ‘one for the other thumb’, having won their sixth in 2008. Back in the 1970s, they were also the first team to win three, and then to win four the following year, so they have a history of being at the top.
As a fan, does that mean anything to you, and how much? I would imagine that for many it affects their decision about who to root for in an otherwise neutral game, while others could be entirely indifferent. It could also depend upon who it is. The 49ers winning six probably bothers people less than the Patriots doing it.
