The Pittsburgh Steelers know who their starting quarterback is, and they know they aren’t getting Brandon Aiyuk, so they finally have a clear direction entering this season. They still have areas where they need to improve, but for the moment, this is the team they’ll have for 2024. Former NFL safety Kerry Rhodes doesn’t seem to think this group is good enough to give the Steelers a successful season though.
“It’s not gonna end well for the Steelers, but I don’t know if it’s gonna be Russell Wilson’s fault,” Rhodes, now a FOX Sports Radio analyst, said while appearing on the Covino & Rich show. “They’re in a tough division. They’re not gonna make the playoffs, I don’t feel personally. It’s just too top-heavy. Baltimore’s gonna make the playoffs, Cleveland’s gonna make the playoffs, and Cincinnati’s gonna possibly make the playoffs. Four teams is not gonna make it.”
That’s a pretty pessimistic outlook from Rhodes. It isn’t an awful opinion though. The Steelers barely snuck into the playoffs last year, and while the team is better this year, its schedule is much harder. That could be the difference between the Steelers making and missing the playoffs.
Just as well, the Cincinnati Bengals had their season derailed last year due to injuries at quarterback. If Joe Burrow had been healthy, they likely would’ve had a better season. In that scenario, the Steelers could have missed the playoffs. If every AFC North team stays relatively healthy this year, the Steelers could be facing an uphill battle.
The NFL has never seen all four teams in a division make the playoffs. Three teams have made it multiple times, including the AFC North last year but not four. If there was ever a division that would break that trend, it might be the AFC North. Last year, all four teams were in the playoffs at the same time at one point. Maybe they finish the job this year.
However, injuries do happen, and it’s likely that at least one AFC North team suffers from poor injury luck in 2024. The Steelers could benefit from that. Also, Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, and he’s managed to drag worse Steelers teams into the playoffs. It isn’t impossible to think he does that again this year.
Rhodes also says he doesn’t know if the Steelers’ lack of success would be due to Wilson, which is strange. If Wilson has a good season, it feels like the Steelers would be able to compete for a playoff spot. Last year, they made the playoffs with awful quarterback play. It was maybe their biggest flaw. With good play from Wilson this year, they should be better than they were last year.
Time will tell if Rhodes is correct, but history is on the Steelers’ side. If they’re the only AFC North team that doesn’t make the playoffs, that means they’ll finish last in the division. They haven’t done that since the 1988 season. It’s possible, but they’ve proven that they can beat expectations before. This year could be no different, especially if Wilson plays well.
