Everyone has their opinion and analysis on the state of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But ex-player and Hall of Famer Mel Blount’s words carry more weight than most. Examining the Steelers’ roster, Blount doesn’t like what he sees. Joining Ben Roethlisberger on the latest edition of his Footbahlin podcast, Blount critiqued the team.
“The needs are so great,” Blount told Roethlisberger and co-host Spencer Te’o. “When I look at the Steelers…I think the Steelers right now could use help at every position. Whether it’s offensive line, secondary, wide receivers, quarterback, obviously. Our defense is good but we’re not where we should be. If you take T.J. [Watt] off of that defense, you don’t have a whole lot.”
It was measured but pointed criticism of an incomplete roster. Blount’s comments about the defense are arguably the most pointed, once part of the vaunted Steel Curtain and a Pittsburgh franchise known for its defense. Blount doesn’t think this current group stacks up.
Despite being a top-10 scoring defense in 2024 and starting the season red-hot, Pittsburgh’s defense faded down the stretch. Opposing offenses ran at will, controlled the ball, and wore the Steelers down. The Wild Card loss was the final blow, Pittsburgh giving up a franchise-worst 299 rushing yards in a postseason game as Baltimore cruised to 14-point victory.
To Blount’s point, the Steelers have been reliant on their stars. When Watt isn’t available, Pittsburgh simply doesn’t win. And when Watt stumbled down the stretch, the rest of the team crashed with him. The Steelers’ pass rush shriveled and finished with just 40 sacks, a far cry from the 50-plus streak they went on a few years ago.
“When I look at the Steelers, there’s a lot of needs that they have,” Blount said. “And I just mentioned a few of them. Whether it’s in the secondary or pass rusher. You know we need a go-to guy. We need a big-time receiver. We need a quarterback. I just think it’s like a race. Once you get behind, it’s hard to catch up…if you’re asking me what I see, I see a lot of needs.”
Building a roster today is harder than in Blount’s era. Free agency creates more movement and makes it harder to keep a group together. But it can be done. The Philadelphia Eagles assembled a stellar top-to-bottom roster and were rewarded with a Super Bowl victory. Right now, Pittsburgh can’t even get over the hump of winning a playoff game.
The longer their drought continues, the further away they sit from Lombardi contention, the more the pressure and criticism mounts. Much of it will feel like outside noise. But when Mel Blount says you have a problem, it’s time to listen.
