The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few NFL organizations with a winning philosophy that’s lasted for decades. A concise summary of that philosophy: pound the run, pressure the quarterback, and win in the trenches. The Steelers churn out star linebackers and defensive linemen, providing a strong foundation for a defense that’s often one of the best units in the league. Because of this, the Steelers believe they can make the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl without an intricate, high-passing volume offense led by an elite quarterback.
Is this “winning formula” from Mike Tomlin and the Steelers out of date?
Cody Benjamin, an NFL writer for CBS Sports, discussed the pros and cons if the Steelers were to acquire Aaron Rodgers, and in the “Cons” section he listed the Steelers old-school philosophy as an issue.
“Didn’t we just do this with Russell Wilson,” wrote Benjamin. “Yes, [Rodgers and Wilson] are different players, but the Steelers are not necessarily a quarterback away; their old-school philosophies are part of the issue. Besides, Rodgers finally looked his age with the Jets. Rather than resorting to another post-Ben Roethlisberger stopgap, Pittsburgh would arguably be better off betting on a low-risk, high-upside youngster.”
Since Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Steelers have tried just about every option at quarterback in an unsuccessful effort to win a playoff game. They drafted a first-rounder in Kenny Pickett, traded for a young guy with potential in Justin Fields, and signed a veteran with a Hall of Fame resume in Russell Wilson. None of those guys proved to be true difference-makers at quarterback, but they were still able to get the Steelers enough wins to make the playoffs a few times.
But as we all know and feel as Steelers fans, success is measured by Lombardi trophies.
Re-signing Russell Wilson or Justin Fields — or acquiring Aaron Rodgers — while maintaining the same general philosophy is not a recipe for positive change. The Steelers’ offense shined in stretches under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but once again, when they needed the offense to deliver the most, they looked completely lost. The reality is that the top quarterbacks can overcome roster weaknesses, because a team can build an identity around that quarterback, and the Steelers don’t have that luxury right now.
Their other positional shortcomings became more obvious as the quarterback play regressed later in the season. The secondary had major communication issues, the defensive line was thin, the offensive line looked too young, and the receiving corps was nowhere near the NFL standard. The Steelers have a lot of weaknesses to address in the NFL draft and free agency, and those issues won’t magically be solved if Aaron Rodgers comes to town. The Jets just proved that by winning just five games with a better roster on paper than the Steelers.
Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith want to build a top-five offensive line and attack teams with an elite run game. Yet they are still probably a few years away from having that offensive line, and they’ve got some major question marks at running back with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both being free agents.
Having a strong identity or philosophy is essential for good teams that stay good for a while, but it’s time for the Steelers to evolve their philosophy. They need to nail the draft, sign a few key players to fill other roster holes and figure out who’s gonna be their next quarterback so they can craft a new winning formula.
