The Pittsburgh Steelers have historically had a specific way of going about business in the offseason. That hasn’t been the case this offseason under GM Omar Khan, though.
Big trades, splash free agency signings and aggressive moves overall have created a great deal of change this offseason for the Black and Gold. On paper, Pittsburgh appears to have improved. It might not be enough for the playoffs, but the Steelers certainly won’t be boring this season.
Therein lies the problem for former NFL linebacker and fullback Jason Cabinda. Appearing on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football Monday, Cabinda raised some concerns with all the moves the Steelers made, questioning the fit of some new faces within the Steelers’ culture.
“I got a lot of love for Mike T[omlin] and what he’s built over there in Pittsburgh, the culture. But that’s kind of why I worry about some of these fits of these players, offensively and defensively,” Cabinda said of the Steelers offseason changes, according to video via NFL Network. “I mean, you look at the culture of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kind of what it’s been over the last few years. You signed two guys like Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to one-year deals, neither of them come back. You have Mason Rudolph on that up and down ‘Is he the starter? Is he not?’ Now we bring in Aaron Rodgers. Is he a true locker room fit for the Steelers?
“That’s kind of still to be seen. And then we got T.J. Watt, who still is not signed his contract yet and has threatened maybe to not show up.”
The culture the Steelers have built under Tomlin’s guidance over 18-plus years has been revered across the league. Guys rave about playing for Tomlin, speak highly about the culture in Pittsburgh as being welcoming but demanding, and how the franchise remains a destination around the league.
That still holds true, even with the lack of playoff success during the past decade in the Steel City and the struggles the franchise has gone through in recent years while trying to find an answer at quarterback.
Even when players leave, they still say great things about the organization. But the questions about pieces like Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey, DK Metcalf and other new faces fitting in this season are fair.
There’s a certain standard and a way of going about business. Can the likes of Rodgers and Ramsey adhere to that, especially after being difficult at times in previous stops? That remains to be seen, though Rodgers is doing and saying all the right things this offseason.
But the way the Steelers have built the team this offseason, going big on trades and signings in an effort to compete in 2025, isn’t a conducive way to truly compete in today’s NFL, Cabinda believes.
“So I think when you look at this team in the NFL, it’s never a good idea to have a bunch of pieces where the stars just have to align for it to work,” Cabinda added regarding the Steelers. “That’s just not how the NFL works. The NFL, you gotta build a team and right now it just looks too much like all the stars have to align. You got Jalen Ramsey coming in, not sure if he’s a culture fit.
“It looks like he’s gonna be more of a full-time safety than he is at corner. We’re asking for a guy to have a career year in the back end of his career at a different position. I just don’t see some of these things happening.”
Building a sort of dream team doesn’t work. The Steelers have a lot of big names on the roster, but unlike the previous dream team of the Philadelphia Eagles — which was an epic failure — this group in Pittsburgh seems to fit together much better on paper, at least right now.
Of course, it could all crash and burn and the Steelers could face a great deal of criticism for how they’ve attacked the offseason when it’s all said and done. They do deserve credit, though, for how they’ve tried everything in their power to compete.
If it works and all the stars align, the Steelers win a playoff game and are true contenders…outstanding work. If it fails miserably and some of the concerning figures from a culture fit make noise and are headaches…what a disaster.
It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out this season. No matter what, the Steelers won’t be boring.
