The Pittsburgh Steelers made their second straight postseason appearance in 2024, but Pro Football Focus doesn’t believe a three-peat is coming. In an article listing the chances of every 2024 playoff team to return next season, the Steelers were given “low” chances of making it to the playoffs in 2025.
“The Steelers took advantage of a relatively easy schedule in the first half of the 2024 season but struggled down the stretch, losing their final five games against tougher competition. Their top priority this offseason should be finding a long-term solution at quarterback, though none of the potential options appear particularly promising for the future,” Zoltán Buday writes.
He also noted that Pittsburgh’s defensive backs struggled last season and that playing in the AFC North only makes things more difficult for the Steelers.
With uncertainty at the game’s most important position at quarterback, it’s fair to question if the Steelers will make the playoffs at this point. Russell Wilson struggled down the stretch, we only saw six games out of Justin Fields, and no other veteran or rookie looks well-suited to take the Steelers on a run, with the exception of potentially Sam Darnold, who’s likely going to command over $30 million per year.
Theiire’s too many holes right now even outside of quarterback to comfortably put the Steelers among the contenders, but they have always found a way to be competitive under Mike Tomlin. There’s still enough pieces like Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick on the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers to really take a step back there, and they can’t afford to after how that unit played down the stretch. The offense might be a struggle, but it’s an area the Steelers know they have to improve and there will be additions made to the group.
Even if the Steelers do make the playoffs next season, the fanbase will remain restless if they can’t win a game. The Steelers haven’t had a playoff win since 2016 and haven’t been all that competitive in the postseason, holding just one lead, back in 2021 against the Chiefs when they went up 7-0. So just getting to the postseason once again won’t be good enough for most fans, and the Steelers have to find a way to overcome their postseason woes.
But without a stable quarterback and question marks across the board, the Steelers feel like an organization that’s in the weeds a bit, and it’s hard to confidently say that they’ll be a playoff team.
