For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the standard is the standard. That’s what Mike Tomlin likes to say, at least. The standard is competing for championships, though, and the Steelers haven’t done that in quite some time. Last season was especially disappointing, with the Steelers losing in the first round of the playoffs again.
“We haven’t met the standard,” Steelers WR Calvin Austin III said recently on ABC24 Memphis’ YouTube channel. “The standard isn’t just making the playoffs. It’s winning games in the playoffs. To know that we were gonna make the playoffs, that wasn’t a surprise. It would’ve been an extreme disappointment if we weren’t in that position. I would say that we ended our year disappointingly.”
Going into the 2024 season, many people had low expectations for the Steelers. Some analysts even believed they’d finish at the bottom of the AFC North. They quickly proved doubters wrong, being 10-3 at one point. However, things eventually took a turn for the worse. Including their playoff game, the Steelers ended the year on a five-game losing streak.
That should leave players feeling disappointed. Rather than talk about how impressive the Steelers were for most of the year, all of the focus is on their collapse. It feels like the standard has lost some of its luster over the past few years.
It’s fair to give the Steelers a little leeway because of their poor quarterback situation. Most teams hit rock bottom when they lose their franchise quarterback. Not Tomlin’s Steelers. They’ve continued to fight for a playoff spot. However, that’s trapped them in a cycle of mediocrity. Even if they make the playoffs, they aren’t often viewed as a threat. The Steelers have been a punching bag in the postseason.
Maybe that will change in 2025. Austin isn’t the only player who’s talked about how disappointing last season was. Perhaps that will light a fire under the Steelers. If it doesn’t, then maybe they have bigger questions to ask.
While it doesn’t seem like the Steelers will massively improve at quarterback, they looked fine with Justin Fields starting the first six games of the 2024 season. If they bring him back, they aren’t hopeless. With a few other solid moves, the Steelers could live up to the standard once again. It’s probably a stretch to say they’ll compete for the Super Bowl in 2025, but winning a playoff game would be a nice step forward. One and done isn’t good enough anymore.
