The Pittsburgh Steelers are 15 years removed from lifting the Lombardi Trophy, and because of that no players on their team have experienced the joy of winning the Super Bowl. Despite that they have some very good players, such as Cameron Heyward and Patrick Peterson, who are aging and deserve a ring. While it is not impossible for these players to win a ring as a Steeler, it isn’t likely according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon.
Yesterday, Gagnon released a list of nine players he would like to see win their first Super Bowl, and named Peterson as one of those players. Gagnon wrote it is a shame Peterson has had limited playoff exposure but that with him being a Steeler now we shouldn’t expect him to win a Super Bowl.
“Speaking of longtime Arizona Cardinals who have excelled individually but not on a team level, Patrick Peterson has been a part of just one playoff win in his 12 years as an awesome NFL cornerback,” wrote Gagnon. “During that stretch, the eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro has intercepted 34 passes. As a result, he’s almost definitely on a path to Canton. But he’s also almost definitely nearing the end of his career path, and his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, aren’t exactly a heavy Super Bowl favorite. That elusive ring appears to be far from Peterson’s reach.”
Peterson has indeed been an incredible player throughout his career who unfortunately spent his prime on some very bad Arizona Cardinals team. Recently he played on the Minnesota Vikings where he was able to see playoff action but no success once he got to the dance.
With Peterson saying he only wants to play for two more seasons, his stint with Pittsburgh is likely his last chance to win a ring. While the Steelers may not seem like they can keep up with powerhouses like the Kansas City Chiefs or Cincinnati Bengals, you never know.
With head coach Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh is always a threat to get to the playoffs, and in a one-off game playoff format anything can happen. Throw in a team that has an elite defense and an offense that seems to be on the up and up, who is to say Pittsburgh can’t win a Super Bowl in the next two seasons?
A big factor in what will determine if Peterson wins a ring is how good quarterback Kenny Pickett is. The second-year quarterback really started to improve down the stretch last season and showed he has the clutch gene, leading four comebacks. If Pickett can take care of the ball and bail the team out when needed, the Steelers will be in a very good position with the defense they have assembled. While Gagnon thinks it’s a long shot Peterson wins a ring, I wouldn’t be so quick to count out the Black and Gold these next two seasons.
