The Pittsburgh Steelers said changes would be made this offseason, and they weren’t kidding. Their leading passer, rusher, and receiver from the 2024 season are all gone. After making some moves to improve their offense, the Steelers took a slight step back by trading George Pickens. Because of that, and their uncertain quarterback situation, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson thinks Pittsburgh will finish last in the AFC North.
“The Cowboys won the trade,” Johnson said recently on Nightcap. “The goddamn Steelers ain’t even figure out their quarterback situation yet. I don’t care how many picks you got. Third round, second round, first round. You have no quarterback. So, I see them finishing fourth in the division this year.”
Right now, Mason Rudolph is slated to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Behind him are Skylar Thompson and Will Howard. It’s understandable why that wouldn’t inspire a ton of confidence in Johnson.
However, it’s not like the Steelers are complacent with that quarterback room. They’ve been pursuing Aaron Rodgers for weeks. He could be the best quarterback they’ve had in years. While Rodgers is past his prime, he’s better than the Steelers’ other options under center.
Also, it’s not like the Steelers haven’t won in spite of poor quarterback play before. For the past few years, Pittsburgh has managed to avoid having a losing record, even though its quarterback position has been in flux. The rest of its roster is talented enough to compete against most teams.
Right now, on paper, it might not look like the Steelers can compete against the Cincinnati Bengals or Baltimore Ravens. However, they’ve won their fair share of battles against those teams in recent years. They even beat both of them once last year. Although the Steelers aren’t favorites to win the AFC North, they don’t tend to be pushovers. They led the AFC North for most of the 2024 season.
Since the AFC North was created in 2002, the Steelers have never finished in last place. They haven’t finished with a losing record since 2003. Throughout all the changes in their organization, they haven’t hit rock bottom. It’s hard to see that happening this year.
Will the Steelers be worse than the Cleveland Browns this year? It’s possible, but that feels highly unlikely. The Browns had a dreadful 2024 season, and it looks like they’re rebuilding again. Their quarterback situation might be worse than the Steelers, especially if Pittsburgh signs Rodgers.
Maybe this will be a down year for the Steelers, but even without clarity at quarterback, their roster looks too talented to be that bad. They’ve scratched and clawed for eight or nine wins before.
