The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the NFL. Most teams in the NFL have failed miserably at attaining the consistent success the Steelers have enjoyed. With that said, Art Rooney II’s franchise is lacking in some areas. Those areas were exposed in the NFLPA’s yearly report cards. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks that’s a sign that Rooney isn’t listening to feedback after yet another report card with poor grades for the organization.
“I got a ton of respect for him [Art Rooney II] as one of the better owners in the NFL,” Florio said on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “But it seems like he has ignored the feedback. He hasn’t acted in response to the feedback.”
It’s hard to argue with that point. Last year, the Steelers got similarly poor reviews from the players. That year, Rooney was ranked the second-worst owner in the NFL. The Steelers improved slightly in their rankings across the board this time around. Aside from Mike Tomlin’s glowing grade, things are still lackluster.
Rooney himself doesn’t seem to take the report cards too seriously. In 2024, he criticized them, calling them a “media opportunity,” and claimed that they fail to be a “serious effort of constructive criticism.” Based on his clear disdain for these surveys and the fact that nothing has improved over the course of a few years now, Rooney clearly is ignoring this feedback.
Florio thinks the reason for that is because owners like Rooney aren’t familiar with this type of questioning.
“They’re so generally accustomed to being in a position where they aren’t questioned, they aren’t criticized, nothing sticks to them,” Florio said of the league’s owners. “There’s no accountability.”
Rooney isn’t showing any sort of accountability here. The Steelers have never been about glitz and glamour. However, some of these things are inexcusable. With a ‘D’ grade, the players do not consider Rooney in high regard. They respect him but understand parts of the organization are clearly lacking and aren’t being fixed. He doesn’t seem to care too much, but it’s not the best look for the organization. It’s hard to bring in free agents when the only aspect of the franchise the players are rating positively is the head coach.
One common criticism of the Steelers is that they’re unwilling to make changes when necessary. Fans complain about the team being stuck in the past and unwilling to adjust. The Steelers don’t have to listen to those fans, but these grades aren’t helping anything. As the Steelers continue to struggle to get over the hump, Rooney’s complacency will only frustrate the fanbase more.
