Not only have the Pittsburgh Steelers been mediocre for a handful of seasons now, but their style of play has been rather dull. They failed to score 20 points in nine of their 17 games and only eclipsed the 30-point mark in three games. And that was considered a marginal increase from the Matt Canada years of almost never reaching 30 points. While the general philosophies are to remain the same in 2025, some of the key players operating the system are much different and should spice things up. Whether or not the team is good remains to be seen, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be entertaining.
USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz put together a ranking of the most entertaining teams of the 2025 season and has the Steelers at No. 12.
“There’s something unquestionably delectable in seeing how master chemist Mike Tomlin will handle his most volatile concoction yet, with the four-time NFL MVP [Aaron Rodgers] making for a strange fit at quarterback alongside fellow marquee offseason addition DK Metcalf in Arthur Smith’s typically rigid offense,” he wrote. “Something eventually has to give, and swarms of people will be waiting to see what it will be.”
Aaron Rodgers and Arthur Smith seem to be off to a good start in their relationship, but will it stand the test of time? Russell Wilson and Smith didn’t reportedly jell very well in the meeting room. Regardless, Rodgers will give the Steelers another dimension to their passing attack that has been missing for seven or eight years. Passing to the middle of the field brings risk, but it’s something the team needs to stay balanced.
Rodgers was among the most frequent passers last season while the Steelers were among the most frequent runners. That is either a perfect marriage to balance each other out, or a complete disaster waiting to happen.
While the QB position is the main ingredient of this “most volatile concoction”, the Steelers have actually done some work to root out other volatile elements of their locker room in recent years. George Pickens is the latest example of addition by subtraction with a great deal of last year’s drama now off the roster. That said, the team traded for and paid big money to DK Metcalf, who is known as an emotional player in his own right.
If the Steelers don’t find a viable WR2 solution opposite Metcalf, he might have to deal with more attention than he’s used to. Could that lead to some tension on the sideline during games?
For the first time in team history none of the team’s leaders in passing, rushing or receiving from the previous season are on the roster. If nothing else, that shakeup from the normally stable Steelers franchise should make for an entertaining season.
