While it is still the offseason and the team is in its final week of Organized Team Activities before a short break and then the start of mandatory minicamp, there’s a difference sense of urgency and excitement surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers that seemingly hasn’t been there in recent seasons.
Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, signed as a free agent in March, spoke recently about the intensity he has seen in OTAs in recent weeks with his new team, and veteran tight end Zach Gentry, entering his fifth season with the Steelers, echoed those comments Monday during a one-on-one interview with 102.5 WDVE Steelers reporter Mike Prisuta, stating that the team is “pretty hungry” overall for success and is showing that by the way they’re attacking the offseason.
“…Just the feeling I get in the locker room, I would certainly think that this is a team that’s pretty hungry and capable and talented,” Gentry told Prisuta, according to audio via 102.5 WDVE. “So I would think that we’re gonna want to attack July, August, September with a lot of force.”
As a young team that hasn’t accomplished anything, there should be that hunger and desire to be great and hit the ground running in 2023. Pittsburgh tasted some success in the second half of the season last year, going 7-2 down the stretch, just narrowly missing out one a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.
That success led to significant cohesion and made the future rather bright in Pittsburgh. With a bright future, Pittsburgh is seemingly completely bought in from the top down once again, which is great news overall for a franchise that hasn’t won a Super Bowl in 15 years dating back to Feb. 1, 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals.
It helps having an intense, demanding coach like Mike Tomlin at the top. Peterson has highlighted Tomlin’s great morning speeches as key in ratcheting up the intensity in OTAs for the Steelers, who are very clearly putting in the work as every player is present and working ahead of the 2023 season.
After going through growing pains last season in a transition year, the foundation is set for success in 2023 and beyond. Now it’s about that hunger and desire. According to Gentry, the Steelers have it inside the locker room, which should make for a successful summer leading up to the start of the 2023 season.
