The Pittsburgh Steelers fooled some, including Art Rooney II, into believing they were contenders for much of the 2024 season. After all, they held a 10-3 record after 14 weeks. The only problem is that they failed to win another game after that. Riding a four-game losing streak into the postseason, they took a first-round loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
Steelers fans are restless. The team is now at eight straight seasons without a playoff win. It’s the longest drought the team has ever had in the Super Bowl era, and there’s no clear sign that it will break the streak in the near future. The good news is that Steelers president Art Rooney II is right there with you.
“My inbox has been pretty full lately”, Rooney said Monday via 93.7 The Fan, with messages from angry Steelers fans. “I have a sense, and I share their frustration. I was very disappointed the way the season ended, so I understand that. I understand why people are mad, and all I can say is, actions speak louder than words, and we’ve got to be better”.
Of course, Rooney was fed up with the Steelers’ playoff losing streak last year, too. Nothing has changed since then, at least in the form of results. They did turn over their quarterback room, invest heavily in the offensive line, spend in free agency, hire an experienced offensive coordinator, and generally shuffle the deck chairs. However, they still sank with the first sign of an iceberg.
Rooney insisted the Steelers are “still impatient, disappointed the way we finished. It’s hard to get over a five-game losing streak to end the season”. But all the emotions in the world won’t change the prospects for a better tomorrow.
Put simply, the Steelers have to find a way to be in a much better position to compete than they are now. Running it back with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson might not be the most inspiring choice, but options are limited.
As Rooney admitted, actions speak louder than words. But the thing is, the Steelers acted last year, and the results were the same. They have shown a greater willingness to make bolder moves in recent years. The issue is hitting on those bold moves, and they haven’t done that consistently enough.
The fact that the Steelers have a dilemma at quarterback is paramount to their problems, as Art Rooney II knows. Granted, their playoff drought extends years into the healthy Ben Roethlisberger era. But things rarely change overnight unless the thing that changes is a franchise quarterback. Just because the Washington Commanders succeeded this year doesn’t mean the Steelers can realistically be in the same position. There is no Jayden Daniels available on the market, in trade, or the draft.
