When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances in the 2024 season, members of the media seem to either be rather bullish that the team can win 11 or more games and win a playoff game, or that the team will just completely stink and finish among the worst teams in football.
There appears to be no middle ground.
During an appearance on First Thing’s First Wednesday evening, FSI’s Nick Wright made it clear where he stands on the Steelers, and it’s not good.
“This is the year the bottom falls out, Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t think they’re going to get off to an amazing start. And they have to because the back end of this schedule, if we can show it quickly, is so absolutely brutal. They could start the season seven and three and still finish below .500 for the first time in the [Mike] Tomlin era,” Wright said, according to video via the show’s Twitter page. “So you don’t even have to look at the right-hand column. Just look Week 11 on Ravens, Browns, Bengals, Browns Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Bengals. Ouch.
“So, I think early on they could, they’re probably .500-ish and then afterwards… so I think five and 12 would be good for them…I think that would be good for the franchise, is what I’m saying.”
Despite all of the offseason moves that the Steelers made under GM Omar Khan — they upgraded the quarterback room with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, shored up the offensive line further with the draft picks of Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick and landed the big fish at inside linebacker in Patrick Queen in free agency among other moves — many still don’t believe it’s good enough.
Considering the Steelers went 10-7 last season while going through three starting quarterbacks and dealing with a significant number of injuries defensively, it sure seems like what the Steelers did in the offseason was rather good from a roster-building perspective.
But that hasn’t stopped analysts like Wright from predicting something that hasn’t happened for the Steelers since the 1988 season: finishing last in their division. It just doesn’t happen, just like losing seasons under Tomlin don’t happen.
People might not want to hear that, but it’s just a fact. I guess eventually these talking heads could be right making the same prediction year after year in hopes of landing one eventually, but there is no denying the Steelers are better and deeper on paper than they have been, even with the concern at wide receiver and slot cornerback.
The schedule is very tough, but Tomlin knows how to navigate things week to week, regardless of what players are or are not available to him.
But maybe truly bottoming out, going 5-12 and having a high draft pick could be good for the Steelers, much like it was in 2004 with the Ben Roethlisberger selection. Wright believes that to be the case.
“What I’m saying is Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, my guy on NCA Football, Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss…so those are the guys Steeler fans,” Wright said of the Steelers bottoming out and getting a talented QB in the draft. “You haven’t, you’ve been too good to be in that mix since Big Ben. And so…that’s the world you need to live in.”
Maybe that is the world the Steelers need to live in to get that big-name quarterback who can change franchise fortunes. But maybe not, too. The Steelers believe in Wilson and Fields and see futures with both.
Let’s see how it plays out with a competent, professional play caller in Arthur Smith in charge now offensively before wanting to tear it all down to the studs.
