Vibes have been pretty high for Pittsburgh Steelers fans for the upcoming season. An eventful offseason has seemingly led to upgrades on both sides of the ball and on the coaching staff, leaving many people bullish on the team’s potential in 2024.
Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports is not one of those people. In a recent article, Schwab ranked the Steelers in the middle of his NFL offseason power rankings, warning that the team may be headed for a down year.
“They have a track record that is hard to argue with,” Schwab wrote. “However, it seems like they could finally be in for a down season. Their quarterback situation could get messy in a hurry if Russell Wilson truly is finished as a viable starter. They’re relying on running the ball and playing defense, but you need positive game scripts for that to work well.
“And even if the Steelers aren’t a bad team, they have a brutal schedule in the NFL’s toughest division. Whoever finishes in last place of the AFC North will likely be the best last-place team in the NFL.”
Schwab went on to say that it’s difficult to bet against Tomlin having a losing season, but it might be “time.”
Quarterback Russell Wilson obviously is the big piece here. While on the surface going from Kenny Pickett/Mason Rudolph to Wilson looks like a considerable upgrade, things can crater fast. Wilson notably had rough 2022 and 2023 seasons, leaving many to wonder if he still has what it takes to be an elite quarterback.
For those pivoting to Justin Fields, Schwab isn’t too confident there either, writing that “Fields won’t save the season” if Wilson falters. Add playing in one of the NFL’s hardest divisions while also having one of the league’s hardest schedules, and you have the recipe for a losing season.
Still, I tend to look on the brighter side of things.
While Wilson may not be the spring chicken he once was, he still was substantially better than either of the team’s options a season ago by nearly every metric. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson graded out last season with a 77.5. That number far exceeds Pickett’s 70.6 and Mason Rudolph’s 65.5. With Wilson’s level of play, it’s conceivable, and even likely, to think the Steelers would have outperformed their 10-7 record from 2023.
The defense seems to have improved as well with veteran upgrades in CB Donte Jackson, LB Patrick Queen and SS DeShon Elliott. Add a new competent offensive scheme under coordinator Arthur Smith and a few impactful rookies and I find it difficult to imagine the Steelers not contending for a playoff spot in 2024.
