Besides the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team to win six Super Bowls. For a while, the Steelers were the only team with six Super Bowl victories. They were also the first team win three, and then four, Super Bowls. They’re one of the league’s most accomplished franchises, but lately, they’ve been mired in mediocrity. They make the playoffs, but they aren’t really a threat to win a championship. For that reason, Colin Cowherd compared them to the Dallas Cowboys.
“They move off a guy who’s a little past his prime, good player, Minkah Fitzpatrick, getting expensive,” Cowherd said recently on his podcast. “Then, they bring in another defensive back who’s more expensive, past his prime. So, I don’t see a plan. I feel like they’re just making moves to make moves. [Omar Khan] got an extension, he’s fine.
“I do feel like there’s a lot of people in the Pittsburgh building, they remind me a little bit, a better roster, but they feel a little bit like the Dallas Cowboys, where I think they need new eyes in the building. If you lead the NFL, for four straight years, in defensive spending, that means [Mike] Tomlin’s not getting enough pushback in that building.”
Like the Steelers, the Cowboys are one of the NFL’s most valuable franchises. They arguably have the biggest brand. While they’ve won five Super Bowls, the past few decades have seen them be less competitive. Since 2000, they’ve only won four playoff games. They also haven’t been to the conference championship round since 1995, which was the last time they won a championship.
Therefore, the Cowboys, and more specifically owner Jerry Jones, have received a lot of criticism. They have one of the NFL’s biggest fan bases, but they’ve fallen short of their standard over the last few decades.
That might sound familiar to Steelers fans. Similarly, Pittsburgh has a diehard following, but fans are getting sick of the Steelers’ playoff failures. They’re used to seeing their favorite team compete for a Super Bowl. Instead, they’ve gotten first-round postseason exits.
That’s led to some people criticizing Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney II, and the rest of the Steelers’ leadership. They receive a lot of the blame for Pittsburgh’s lack of success, which is fair.
However, unlike the Cowboys, the Steelers are being aggressive in trying to reverse their fortunes. This offseason they traded for DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith. Pittsburgh also signed Aaron Rodgers to be its starting quarterback. They’re showing that they also aren’t satisfied with their recent results. It might not work, but at least the Steelers are doing something.
