Coming off a busy offseason that saw a number of additions made to the roster, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking at what could be a very successful season.
On paper, Pittsburgh looks rather strong with a star-studded defense, a terrific running back tandem, a rebuilt offensive line and two quarterbacks who are accomplished in the NFL.
There seems to be a bit of doubt regarding the Steelers though due to that quarterback situation with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Many have picked the Steelers to finish last in the AFC North and miss the playoffs. Some have even taken it a step further, predicting the Steelers will have the first losing season of head coach Mike Tomlin’s career.
For longtime NFL analyst Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio, a former scout for the Phoenix Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before then becoming a defensive assistant with the New York Jets before working his way up to Director of Player Administration, he is “pretty bullish” on the Steelers in 2024.
Appearing on the “Breakfast With Benz” Podcast with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Tim Benz Friday, Kirwan stated just how he feels about the Black and Gold entering the 2024 season.
“I’m pretty bullish on your team to tell you the truth, more than the outside world is. So I think they’re in for rude awakening with the Steelers,” Kirwin said to Benz, according to audio from the show. “They were very aggressive in the offseason. …Omar’s done a nice job. He got rid of a lot of guys, 24 guys that had real playing time, but some of them a thousand plays [or] more than 700 plays. I think there were eight guys that had over 400 plays.
“So, you’ve overdid the roster quite a bit in three areas in my mind. Wide receiver, the quarterback room for sure, and the cornerback/safety position. I’m pretty excited about it. Mike Tomlin was confident that they’re all figuring out how to be Steelers. …So, I like where you are. I like some of the additions.”
There is a lot to like about what the Steelers did this offseason, from the coaching staff on down to the bottom of the roster.
The Steelers kicked things off early in the offseason, landing Smith as the offensive coordinator, then bringing in Zach Azzanni to be the new wider receivers coach, adding established coaches to a young offensive group.
The additions of Wilson and Fields were shrewd business moves by Khan, who completely rebuilt the room in the blink of an eye, releasing Mitch Trubisky, trading Kenny Pickett and letting Mason Rudolph walk in free agency. The Steelers appear upgraded there overall.
Drafting three physical, nasty rookies in the trenches offensively is a huge boost to the style of play Pittsburgh wants to replicate this season under Smith, too. That should be music to the ears of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as Pittsburgh fully leans into the smashmouth style of play.
Defensively, Khan solidified that side of the football, too, with the huge splash signing of Patrick Queen, the selection of Payton Wilson in the third round, and the trade for cornerback Donte Jackson, not to mention the signing of safety DeShon Elliott.
The Steelers even fixed special teams woes with the signing of veteran punter Cameron Johnston.
On paper, Pittsburgh appears to be in good shape. Yes, there are questions about the wide receiver room behind George Pickens and the cornerback room behind Joey Porter Jr. and Jackson, especially with Cameron Sutton suspended for the first eight games of the season.
But even with some of the questions, there is a good deal of belief in the Steelers entering the 2024 season, thanks to upgrades under center and on the coaching staff. Smith, in particular, is a massive upgrade over Matt Canada from a scheme and play-calling perspective.
For a team that was 10-7 last season and was in the playoffs, the immediate future looks pretty bright.
