The Pittsburgh Steelers have played 92 NFL seasons, their 93rd starting in just a few months. There have been highs, lows, and everything in between. In a new series we’ll use to pass the time of the offseason, I’m ranking all of them. From the worst season in franchise history to the best, which means picking which of the six Super Bowl winners came out on top. Not an easy task.
We’ll break this series down into parts (roughly) 10 at a time, working from worst to best, with one small caveat. I won’t be including the team’s two merger years, 1943 and 1944, when Pittsburgh combined with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals due to a player shortage resulting from WWII. Since these were merger years where Pittsburgh wasn’t entirely its own entity, they fall into a separate category. We will rank the other 90.
Part One – Worst Of The Worst
Part Two – Not The Worst, Far From Best
Part Three – Total Stagnation
Part Four – Learn To Love .500
Part Five – Signs Of Life
Ranking Every Steelers Season (No. 40-31)
40. 2018 season (9-6-1 record)
Beginning the list with a memorable one. The last of the ‘Killer B’s’ era that had already begun falling apart, Antonio Brown played his final downs with Pittsburgh. The Steelers offense finished a strong sixth while its defense was the pain point, ranking 16th in scoring.
The year began on an awkward note, blowing a 21-7 Week One lead against the Cleveland Browns to end in a tie. Six turnovers was a huge reason for the letdown. After a slow 1-2-1 start, Pittsburgh rattled off six-straight wins to push to 7-2-1 midseason.
The Steelers proceeded to lose the next three including an upset loss to the then 3-10 Raiders, a recurring theme during this century. Pittsburgh won two of its final three games but fell short of the Wild Card round, losing to the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in Week 16. It was a game that featured questionable penalties against CB Joe Haden.
Ben Roethlisberger led the NFL in passing yards, completions, attempts and also interceptions. He threw 675 times for over 5,100 yards and 16 picks. WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown benefitted, each posting 1,200-yard seasons. Brown led the NFL with 15 touchdowns while Smith-Schuster caught a 97-yard score. RB James Conner led the team in rushing but finished just shy of 1,000.
Kicker Chris Boswell had a down year, battled injury and was nearly cut mid-season. With 51 sacks, the defense got pressure, but the secondary was a mess. Pittsburgh picked off only eight passes and the defense allowed 24-plus points in seven games, tied for second-most since 1990. Plenty of Steelers made the Pro Bowl from Brown and Smith-Schuster to LT Alejandro Villanueva to a young T.J. Watt, but it wasn’t enough to vault the team into the postseason.
Notable: Pittsburgh registered 54 total touchdowns in 2018, the most by the franchise in a single season.
39. 1980 season (9-7 record)
A third-place finish in the ‘ol AFC Central, spoiling a 2-0 start to the season. Pittsburgh even moved to 4-1 after Week Five, but lost three consecutive contests to even the record at 4-4. The streaky Steelers continued, winning the next three before splitting the final four to finish 9-7. Beating the Chicago Bears 38-3 in Week Four was the highlight of the year while a 6-0 loss to the Houston Oilers was bitter. Ditto with the regular season finale, falling to the San Diego Chargers 26-17.
QB Terry Bradshaw finished the year with 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. RB Franco Harris’ streak of six-straight seasons of 1,000-yards was snapped, finishing with just 789 yards in 13 games. WR Theo Bell, not Lynn Swann or John Stallworth (who missed most of the year with injury), led the team in receiving with 748 yards on a wicked 25.8 yards per catch. He had just 29 receptions. Jim Smith led the team with nine touchdowns.
Though the figure is unofficial, the Steelers’ defense is credited for a lowly 18 sacks. The secondary was still ball-hawking, Donnie Shell picking off seven, Mike Wagner six and Mel Blount four.
Notable: QB Terry Bradshaw punted five times this season with a long of 44 yards, making him one of 10 quarterbacks to punt at least five times in a season since 1975. Kordell Stewart is on that list, but he did so in 2004 with the Baltimore Ravens. Here are some clips.
38. 1962 season (9-5 record)
The best record on this list to date. It didn’t result in a postseason bid, the structure was less forgiving back then, and Pittsburgh didn’t get off to a hot start. The Steelers began 3-4 before finding their groove, suffering through a terrible 45-7 opening loss to the Detroit Lions and being swept by the Cleveland Browns throughout the season. Neither game was close, 41-14 and 35-14 finals.
Everything else was gravy. A 39-31 shootout win over the Minnesota Vikings and sweeps of the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. In the finale against Washington, the Steelers’ defense forced five turnovers.
The offense finished sixth of 14 teams with RB John Henry Johnson becoming the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher. In his final NFL season, Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne didn’t post great numbers (9 TDs, 17 INTs) but could still make plays, most often finding WR Buddy Dial. Dial finished with nearly 1,000-yards receiving and six scores.
Defensively, Pittsburgh was stout. Ernie Stautner and Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb bolstered the defensive line, combining to record 15 sacks. In the secondary, Clendon Thomas picked off seven passes.
Despite the sparkly record, the Steelers still finished the year with a clearly negative minus-51 point differential. Pittsburgh finished three games back of the New York Giants in the NFL East division, who went on to lose to the Packers in the NFL Championship Game four years before the first Super Bowl.
Notable: 1962 marked the first time Pittsburgh had won nine games in a single season. To put that in perspective, it would be as if the Steelers didn’t have a nine-win season from the 2025 through 2051 seasons.
37. 1963 season (7-4-3 record)
Jumping from 1962 to 1963. As weird a record as Pittsburgh will ever have with three ties, the most the franchise has ever had in a single season. Since 1960, the Steelers are one of five teams to play to three draws (the latest being the 1970 San Diego Chargers). The first tie came in the season opener, 21-21 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pittsburgh rattled off 31-0 and 23-10 wins over the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
The offense hummed all year, scoring 20-plus points in 10 of 14 games.
Wins were hard to come by down the stretch. Back-to-back ties against the Chicago Bears and Eagles (meaning the seasons series was 0-0-2, how quirky) before picking up a win over the Dallas Cowboys. The season ended in a tough loss to the New York Giants.
QB Ed Brown threw 21 touchdowns to 20 interceptions while John Henry Johnson and Dick Hoak were the team’s top rushers. WR Buddy Dial continued his impressive streak, ending with 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns while leading the league in yards per reception (21.6) for the second time in his career.
Clendon Thomas continued gobbling up passes, picking off eight while making the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro. Thomas and Hall of Famer Jack Butler are the only Steelers to record 7-plus picks in consecutive seasons. Pittsburgh finished the year with a plus-26 point differential but finished fourth in a competitive East Division.
Notable: DL Ernie Stautner served as a player-coach. At age 38 in his final NFL season, he appeared in 14 games and recorded three sacks while working as the Steelers’ defensive line coach.
36. 2023 season (10-7 record, Wild Card loss)
The most recent season to date and the first 10-win campaign on the list. Pittsburgh sat at 7-4 and looked poised to cruise into the playoffs until a three-game losing streak on short weeks suddenly collapsed the Steelers to 7-7. Starting three quarterbacks that year, Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, the team found traction with Rudolph. He led an offensive outburst in a primetime win over the Cincinnati Bengals and quickly connected with George Pickens.
Pittsburgh got several layers of help needed to make the playoffs. A blizzard delayed the Wild Card game by a day, and once the game kicked off, Buffalo dispatched Pittsburgh to end its season.
Despite the 10-7 record, the Steelers finished the year with a minus-20 point differential and third in the AFC North. A rare Week One home game was a massive disappointment, the San Francisco 49ers blowing the Steelers out 30-7. Weeks later, the Houston Texans carved them up 30-6. Two uncompetitive losses the Steelers hadn’t often experienced.
The season’s most memorable moment came with the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. No fanbase has hated a coach like him to the point it became something of a cultural movement, “Fire Canada” signs showing up everywhere from College Gameday to nation’s capital. It was the first mid-season coaching change Pittsburgh had made since World War II. The offense got better after his dismissal but it remained far from even good. Pittsburgh finished the year fifth league-wide with 89 punts.
Steelers’ quarterbacks finished with just 13 combined touchdowns. Despite the struggles, WR George Pickens finished with over 1,100 yards and led the NFL in yards per catch. Defensively, EDGE T.J. Watt notched 19 sacks and finished second in DPOY behind the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett. The d-line was a sore spot after Cam Heyward tore his groin in the season opener. He returned midseason but played far less than 100 percent.
Notable: For the first time since 2003, Pittsburgh lost three games by 17-plus points.
35. 2024 season (10-7 record, Wild Card loss)
The most, most recent season to date, last year’s adventure was filled with highs and lows. A brand-new quarterback room, Russell Wilson was poised to start the year before recurring calf injuries (after pushing a sled during the camp conditioning test) knocked him out the first six weeks. Justin Fields took over and showed improvement from his time in Chicago, leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record. A stout defense also led the way, allowing only 26 points over the first three games.
Mike Tomlin made the controversial decision to pivot to Wilson mid-year. Initially, it worked. Wilson and the offense hit its peak during his first few starts, beating up on both New York teams before flourishing in a 44-38 shootout win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson fired four touchdowns.
Sitting at 10-3 and joining the conversation of Super Bowl contenders, Pittsburgh finished on a historic collapse. Including the Wild Card game, it was a streak of five-straight losses. Five games under 18 points, something the franchise hadn’t done since Chuck Noll’s first season in 1969. No side of the ball played well. The offense couldn’t score. The defense looked tired. Chris Boswell aside, special teams wasn’t nearly as strong.
T.J. Watt finished with just 11.5 sacks. Minkah Fitzpatrick had just one interception. Boswell was essentially the team’s MVP, leading the NFL in field goals and scoring to become the first first-team All-Pro in Steelers’ kicker history.
Pittsburgh’s year came to a merciful end at the hands of the rival Baltimore Ravens. RB Derrick Henry and company ran all over the Steelers to the tune of 299 yards. Henry and the Ravens’ ground game set playoff records against Pittsburgh. The final was 28-14 but the game wasn’t even that close.
Notable: Pittsburgh became the first 10-win team to end a season on a four-game regular season losing streak since the 1986 New York Jets.
34. 1982 season (6-3 record, Wild Card Loss)
Only nine games? Welcome to the strikes of the 1980s. The longest work stoppage in NFL history, the regular season finished at just nine games. It makes this squad an unusual one to rank.
Pittsburgh began 2-0 before the strike shut down the NFL from mid-September until late-November. The team returned with a 24-0 win over the Houston Oilers to move to 3-0 before being shut out by the Seattle Seahawks 16-0 the following week. The Steelers bounced back with a convincing 21-point win over the Kansas City Chiefs before the offensive struggles popped back up the next two games. Shut out by the Buffalo Bills one week, held to nine points against the Cleveland Browns the next.
The offense got out of the rut with identical 37-point showings the final two games of the season, beating up on the New England Patriots and Browns to complete the latter’s sweep.
In the Wild Card, Pittsburgh hosted the San Diego Chargers. The Steelers seem poised to win, taking a 28-17 fourth quarter lead. But TE Kellen Winslow Sr. found the end zone twice and the Chargers came out on top, 31-28.
The Steelers finished the year with a top-10 offense and top-five defense. In his final season as the team’s full-starter, Terry Bradshaw led the NFL with 17 touchdowns. This was the first season sacks were officially tracked by the NFL, with NT Gary Dunn and DE Tom Beasley tying for the league-lead with six each. Defensive backs Donnie Shell and Dwayne Woodruff tied the lead with five picks. It’s worth wondering how much they all would’ve had if a complete 16-game season been played.
Notable: Backup QB Cliff Stoudt threw zero touchdowns and five interceptions. Since 1980, he’s one of 18 QBs to throw zero touchdowns and at least five picks in a single season. The worst offense is the Eagles’ Bobby Hoying, who threw zero touchdowns and nine interceptions in 1998.
33. 1993 season (9-7 record, Wild Card loss)
A slightly above-average year all around. Pittsburgh had the No. 13 offense, No. 8 defense and finished two games above .500 to squeak into the playoffs. The Steelers began the year 0-2, including a 27-0 blowout loss to the St. Louis Rams. But Pittsburgh won big in its next four games with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals (34-7) and Atlanta Falcons (45-17) the most notable.
Pittsburgh traded mini winning and losing streaks the rest of the season, beating the Cleveland Browns 16-9 in the regular season finale. Beyond the high-scoring blowout wins, the biggest victory Pittsburgh scored on the season came in a 23-0 shutout of Jim Kelly’s Buffalo Bills later in the year. Buffalo finished the year 12-4.
The Steelers hit the road to take on Joe Montana’s Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card game. The Steelers blew a 17-7 halftime lead and the game went into overtime. Chiefs’ kicker Nick Lowery hit from 32 yards out to give Kansas City the win and send Pittsburgh packing. QB Neil O’Donnell’s three touchdowns weren’t enough.
On the season, running backs Leroy Thompson and Barry Foster topped the 700-yard mark. Tight end Eric Green broke out to function as the Steelers’ leading receiver and made the Pro Bowl.
In his first year with Pittsburgh, Kevin Greene made an immediate impact with 12.5 sacks. But Greg Lloyd was named All-Pro despite having only five, filling up the stat sheet elsewhere with four interceptions. Rod Woodson was named DPOY thanks to his eight picks, pair of sacks and all-around stellar play. Kicker Gary Anderson made the Pro Bowl. Still, the Steelers couldn’t turn this into playoff success.
Notable: In a one-year trial run, the NFL played its 16-game season over 18 weeks, giving each team two byes. Pittsburgh’s came in Weeks Five and Nine, winning both games after the bye. The league opted to scrap the idea and return to the 17-week, one-bye format in 1994.
32. 1958 season (7-4-1 record)
An above-average offense and defense, the Steelers got the season started off on the wrong foot. A 45-12 loss to the Cleveland Browns especially hurt. Bottoming out to 1-4, Pittsburgh recovered and didn’t lose in November or December. The Steelers won five straight, tied the Washington Redskins and beat the Chicago Cardinals in the finale (forcing seven turnovers in the win).
QB Bobby Layne went 7-2-1 as starter with backup and future Earl Morrall losing both of his starts. RB Tom Tracy finished as the Steelers’ leading rusher while WR Jimmy Orr led the NFL with 27.6 yards per reception. It’s the second-highest mark of any NFL season leader.
Defensively, Jack Butler intercepted nine passes and made another All-Pro squad, giving him 19 interceptions across the ’57 and ’58 campaigns. It’s a mark no Steeler may ever surpass. Kicker Tom Miner made exactly half his fields goals, 14-of-28, and led the league in makes and attempts. Pittsburgh finished third in the NFL East behind the 9-3 New York Giants and 9-3 Cleveland Browns.
Notable: From 1933-1971, Pittsburgh had just a pair of single-season, five-game winning streaks. First in 1947 and again in 1958. During the 70s dynasty run alone, it occurred six times.
31. 2007 season (10-6 record, Wild Card loss)
Ending this edition on Mike Tomlin’s first season, the surprise hire to replace Bill Cowher. It was good season and progress after an 8-8 Super Bowl hangover in 2006, and Pittsburgh won the AFC North. Tomlin’s tenure started hot, winning the first three games all by double-digits and moving to 7-2 by the mid-way point. The Steelers limped to the finish line, dropping three of the final four games. RB Willie Parker broke his leg against the St. Louis Rams in Week 16, the lone victory the Steelers notched over the final four games.
In the Wild Card round, Pittsburgh hosted and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-29. QB David Garrard broke some hearts that day (or at least, mine) and K Josh Scobee hit the game-winning field goal with less than a minute remaining.
On the year, QB Ben Roethlisberger bounced back and made the Pro Bowl with 32 touchdowns. Despite the injury, Parker finished with 1,300 yards but ’07 was his last impact year. Pittsburgh didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver but Santonio Holmes led the NFL in yards per catch. Defensively, OLB James Harrison broke out for 8.5 sacks and had a legendary single-game performance. In a 38-7 Monday night beatdown of the Baltimore Ravens, a game that honored the 75th Anniversary Team, Harrison recorded 10 tackles (three for a loss), 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles (including one against Ed Reed on a punt return), and an interception. It was an all-timer.
SS Troy Polamalu played in just 11 games and failed to intercept a pass.
As a team, Pittsburgh finished with the No. 9 offense and No. 2 defense. But in the end, there was no postseason victory to hang their hat on.
Notable: In Tomlin’s first year, Pittsburgh didn’t make a single 50-yard field goal. In 2024, Tomlin’s most recent year, the Steelers made 13.
Ranking Steelers’ Seasons (Recap)
90. 1941
89. 1965
88. 1934
87. 1939
86. 1969
85. 1940
84. 1945
83. 1968
82. 1938
81. 1988
80. 1933
79. 1955
78. 1935
77. 1967
76. 1964
75. 2003
74. 1951
73. 1937
72. 1948
71. 1936
70. 1970
69. 1986
68. 1991
67. 1966
66. 1999
65. 1954
64. 1956
63. 1960
62. 1950
61. 2022
60. 1998
59. 1971
58. 1952
57. 2013
56. 1957
55. 2012
54. 1953
53. 2019
52. 1985
51. 1987
50. 1961
49. 1959
48. 2006
47. 1981
46. 2000
45. 1946
44. 1949
43. 1990
42. 2009
41. 2021
40. 2018
39. 1980
38. 1962
37. 1963
36. 2023
35. 2024
34. 1982
33. 1993
32. 1958
31. 2007
