Splashy as the trade for WR DK Metcalf is, Mark Schlereth doesn’t see the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl odds changing while still lagging behind in a competitive AFC North. Reacting to the trade Monday morning, Schlereth acknowledged Metcalf is a big improvement at wide receiver but said it doesn’t put Pittsburgh closer to a Lombardi or division crown even if the Steelers make another splash at quarterback.
“The next wide receiver that gets sent to a team or goes to a team as a free agent, that makes them a world championship contender will be the first wide receiver that ever goes to a team that ultimately makes them a championship contender…even if they get Sam Darnold or Aaron Rodgers, they’re still the third-best team in the division,” Schlereth said on FS1’s Breakfast Ball.
Metcalf jumpstarts the Steelers’ stagnant passing game and creates a dynamic duo should the team hang onto George Pickens. But to Schlereth’s point, quarterbacks drive the Super Bowl bus, and Pittsburgh’s situation is as murky as any team’s. Justin Fields, Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers are all seemingly in play. No matter who Pittsburgh lands, they’ll be the third-best quarterback in the division behind Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.
Still, the division has proven to be defined by more than just quarterback. Pittsburgh’s consistently had the third or even fourth-best passer in the North but remained competitive and out of the cellar. Last year, they led the division for most of the season and still finished second despite a four-game regular season losing streak.
Cincinnati’s struggled to find ways to improve their defense, avoid slow starts, and fix their offensive line. For all their talent and potential, they’ve finished last in the division as often as they’ve come in first.
The Steelers have been among the NFL’s best at winning inside their division. They’ve finished .500 or better against the AFC North every year since 2010, one of the league’s longest such streaks. It’s not often pretty, but the Steelers are built to play tough and physical football that gives them staying power. Still, there’s no consolation prizes for finishing runner-up or failing in the postseason, as Pittsburgh has done for eight-straight seasons.
