Are the Steelers worse off now than they were a year ago?
This is a point we have seen multiple Steelers reporters make recently, and I wonder what others think. Are the Steelers actually worse off now than they were a year ago? In 2023, they scraped into the playoffs thanks to a good run by their third-string quarterback and promptly exited early.
This past season, the Steelers took their traditional early exit, but not before bottoming out to end the regular season. A lot of that had to do with their very imbalanced schedule, which featured some of their toughest games in December. Those games also coincided with some of the Steelers’ own issues, like injuries and communication breakdowns.
A year ago, the Steelers had three backup quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph. Literally, all of them were backups this season, and Pickett and Trubisky’s teams could potentially face each other in the Super Bowl.
Now, the Steelers technically don’t have a quarterback under contract next season from this past season’s roster. If they really wanted to, they could presumably re-sign either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. But if they chose to do that, where would they be, exactly, in comparison to a year earlier?
Cameron Heyward is a year older, and so is T.J. Watt. Everybody is, of course, but those years add up fast in the 30s for NFL players. There’s no question that the Steelers are facing a lot of riddles that need solving.
But they do have some wiggle room, with money and draft picks to throw at problems. We might see a coaching change or two, but of course the Steelers are sticking with Mike Tomlin. They tore down the wide receiver room, so of course they must rebuild it—but with or without George Pickens?
We don’t know what the Steelers are going to do over the coming months, so we obviously have to make a fair comparison. From where the Steelers’ 2023 season ended to now, when were they in a better position?
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defensed matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. Do they still believe in Russell Wilson, and/or Justin Fields, or do they want another solution? There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
