In line with keeping Mike Tomlin, ESPN’s Adam Schefter isn’t expecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to make sweeping changes despite another failed season in which the team was sent home Wild Card Weekend. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Monday, Schefter’s read is the Steelers make moves around the margins instead of the core of the franchise.
“They’re pretty easy to predict,” Schefter told the show. “They’re a pretty stable place. I think if you bet on things not changing all that much, you’re probably right.”
Schefter has remained adamant, including during today’s appearance, that the Steelers will keep Tomlin and won’t consider firing or trading him. A safe bet given the team’s track record. He seems to be making an educated guess at what will – or won’t – change beyond that given the patience of owner Art Rooney II and the Steelers’ desire to reload instead of completely rebuilt. That strategy has kept the Steelers from bottoming out even post-Ben Roethlisberger and helped Pittsburgh make the playoffs in two of the three seasons since his retirement.
But it’s also kept the Steelers from finding playoff success. They’ve lost six-straight postseason games, a number that ties the Miami Dolphins for the NFL’s longest active streak. Pittsburgh is a far cry from being considered a contender and with AFC top-tier teams having relatively young franchise quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and Josh Allen in Buffalo, the Steelers don’t have a clear path to break through.
“Obviously they’re going to have to make some changes,” Schefter said. “They have two quarterbacks who are free agents. And we’ll see how that works out.”
Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are slated to hit the open market in March. The Steelers’ path with either is unclear. Wilson was trending toward being a no-brainer, re-sign candidate after Pittsburgh reached its peak of 10-3, first in the AFC North, and viewed as possible contender. But the team went into a five-game tailspin where Wilson turned the ball over more often, was sacked plenty, and struggled past his first read. Now, he’s far from a sure bet to return even if he’s expressed a desire to stay in Pittsburgh.
Perhaps the team would turn to Fields, younger and dynamic, but they turned away from him midseason for a reason under the belief he couldn’t lead them to enough points against the league’s strongest offenses.
Every team has change. Pittsburgh won’t be an exception. They’ll have free agency and the NFL draft, the Steelers picking 21st overall, to upgrade their roster. But the core of the team will likely return in 2025 with the Steelers hoping they can somehow achieve better results.
