The Pittsburgh Steelers have been hard at work this offseason trying to improve their roster. Last season, they once again failed to win a playoff game, getting crushed by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild-Card round. That felt like more of the same for the Steelers, and they aren’t happy with that. They’ve made several splash moves in order to get over that hump. This year, the Steelers are all in on trying to contend for a Super Bowl. However, Patrick Rooney Jr., who is not affiliated with the Steelers but is a first cousin of Art Rooney II, disagrees with that strategy.
“For whatever reason, there’s been this narrative around the Steelers like, ‘We’re gonna go all in this year,’ Rooney said Wednesday on the PBKC Picks podcast. “What does that mean? Do you think even if you had Aaron Rodgers from 10 years ago that you’re gonna be able to compete with Joe Burrow and you’re gonna be able to compete with Lamar Jackson?
“The whole key to the NFL is winning your division. That at least gives you a modicum of chance to get to the Super Bowl. What in God’s name does it make you think that you’re gonna be able to compete with Baltimore and Cincinnati? Cincinnati’s defense is terrible, but their offense is light years ahead of us. And Baltimore is just a better team, and I think they finally realized it by kicking the crap out of us in the playoff game last year. They are gonna steamroll us this year.”
Rooney clearly has strong opinions about the team, and he isn’t afraid to express them.
It’s debatable if the Steelers are so much worse than the Ravens and Bengals. Like Rooney says, the Bengals’ defense is awful, and it could get worse if they lose Trey Hendrickson. While they might be able to score points, they might not be able to stop a nosebleed. Even if the Steelers’ offense is average, they could find success against that unit. That happened last year in their first meeting with the Bengals.
On paper, the Ravens look like a much better team than the Steelers, but those games tend to be close, no matter the gap between them. Jackson and the Ravens have lost multiple times in recent years to Pittsburgh. Yes, the Ravens dominated the Steelers in their last two matchups, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that will continue.
Many have argued that the Steelers should forego competing in order to tank and rebuild. That just isn’t the Steelers’ style, though. The standard is the standard, and that means being competitive. There’s no guarantee that tanking would solve their problems, either.
The point is that the Steelers have done what they could this offseason in order to compete for a Super Bowl. They have several veterans who could exit their primes soon, such as Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. This could be those players’ last shot at a championship.
Are the Steelers realistic Super Bowl contenders this year? No, but they could make more noise in the playoffs. Rooney might not agree with the Steelers’ strategy, but it aligns with what their organization has been about for decades. Who knows, maybe things will break right, and they’ll win the AFC North. They sat in first place for much of last season. This year, they could hold onto the division crown.
