Do the Steelers have a divided locker room?
Some Steelers players have voiced their frustrations over their failures in recent weeks. It’s easy to understand the sentiment after dropping three games. In 11 days, they went from contending for the No. 1 seed to being a Wild Card. But are players just speaking out of frustration, or is there something else to worry about?
In general, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wants to treat his players like adults. That means letting them, within reason, speak their peace and sometimes vent in public. Several players, including Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, and DeShon Elliott, took that opportunity. Minkah Fitzpatrick, who did so last year, declined to comment.
The question is, do the Steelers have something to worry about? Some have suggested that there is a desire to point fingers, but is that even true? The general impression is that they seem to think practice goes well, but things fall apart on the field. There is both a lack of communication and a lack of playmaking.
Of course, it’s all come at the worst possible time. The Steelers have dealt with some key injuries lately and during the hardest part of their schedule. It feels as though most of the things that could have gone wrong did go wrong. But they must find a way to stay together and turn things around, or else things might come undone.
Queen and Elliott have been among the most vocal Steelers this year, both during the peaks and valleys. Both signed as free agents this offseason and are former Ravens. Some have suggested their outsider status is significant, but they’re not the only ones talking.
One of the essential functions of a locker room is enforcing accountability. And it’s important to remember that virtually all the comments we’re talking about come immediately after emotional, frustrating losses. There’s a very good chance people are blowing things way out of proportion. But that won’t stop it from being the subject of 100 questions next week.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
