At this point, people are likely sick of hearing about how Mike Tomlin’s never had a losing season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, that streak extends beyond Tomlin. The Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 2003, when they went 6-10. A lot has changed since then, but the Steelers have continued to remain competitive. However, Colin Cowherd’s bold prediction for Pittsburgh in 2025 is that it will finally have a losing season.
“Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, after 18 years without a losing record, will have one,” Cowherd said Tuesday on FS1’s, The Herd. “First of all, I think Baltimore, now that they’ve upgraded their secondary, may have the second-best roster to Philadelphia in the sport. I think Joe Burrow may be the best quarterback on any Sunday in the sport. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback?
“He was 5-12 last year, he didn’t do well with a defensive culture in New York. There’s less dysfunction in Pittsburgh, but not necessarily on the offensive side. They lost their leading rusher, their left tackle, their leading receiver. I don’t think they’re gonna be a six-win team, but I think eight is probably the number. Mike Tomlin, finally, losing record.”
People have been predicting that Tomlin will have a losing season for years. Every time, the Steelers have defied their doubters. Even when Ben Roethlisberger was lost for almost an entire season due to injury, Tomlin and the Steelers finished with a non-losing season.
Pittsburgh has done more with less in the past, too. It went to the playoffs in 2023 with three different players starting under center throughout the season. Last season, the Steelers made the postseason with Russell Wilson, whose level of play had clearly fallen off.
This year, the Steelers have Aaron Rodgers atop their quarterback depth chart. While Rodgers is past his prime, he looked like he had gas left in the tank last year. He should be an upgrade over Wilson.
Also, the Steelers made upgrades at other positions like wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive line. Their young offensive line has a chance to take a step forward as well. They lost some key pieces like Najee Harris and Dan Moore Jr., but those players aren’t irreplaceable.
Yes, the AFC North will likely be extremely competitive, but it usually is. The Steelers tend to compete well against their division rivals. Sometimes, teams aren’t as good in reality as they look on paper, too. Take the Cincinnati Bengals last year for example. Despite an incredible season from Burrow, they failed to make the playoffs because their defense was awful.
The Steelers might not look like a juggernaut, but it isn’t wise to bet against Tomlin. Maybe this will be the year where the Steelers finally have a losing record. However, history says that the odds aren’t in Cowherd’s favor.
