Not long ago, some were starting to look at the Pittsburgh Steelers as legitimate championship contenders. They were 10-3, and most importantly, had a quarterback who looked like a clear step up from the poor play that had plagued them in the playoffs in years prior.
Unfortunately, that vibe changed rather quickly. The 2024 season ended the same as the years before it and the ramifications of that leave Pittsburgh with a multitude of questions, and not a lot of clarity heading into the offseason
Throughout their history, the Steelers are known as a team that competes for championships. Chris Canty doesn’t think they’ll return to those ways anytime soon, as he explained Wednesday on Unsportsmanlike.
“How does this situation get any better for the Pittsburgh Steelers?” Canty asked. “This team, and I hate to say it, is a lot closer to a rebuild than a championship. That’s why, if you’re bringing Mike Tomlin back, you have to be realistic about what your team is capable of accomplishing in 2025.”
Canty poses it as a question as to whether Mike Tomlin will be back in 2025. It’s clear that he will be. Still, Canty does make a great point. This offseason is one that could see massive change in Pittsburgh. That can either turn the Steelers into championship contenders, or it could send them down the road of a rebuild.
There certainly are reasons to believe Pittsburgh could be on the brink of a rebuild, as Canty suggests. They only have one playmaker on offense, and he’s making a habit of being in the news for all the wrong reasons. T.J. Watt will turn 31 next year. Cam Heyward, who had a terrific bounce-back season, turns 36 in May. These are some of the major building blocks on the roster. They either aren’t young or aren’t as reliable as the Steelers would like.
There are a lot of decisions to make, and Tomlin would be the first to tell you that. Everyone in the organization knows something needs to change. Pittsburgh can’t keep losing in the first round of the playoffs every year. The decisions made this offseason will show whether the franchise really is close to a rebuild, or if the Steelers can retool themselves enough to compete for a championship in the near future.
