The goal for every team in the NFL each season should be to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at season's end. The Pittsburgh Steelers organization has celebrated six Super Bowl Titles since the 1970s which ties the New England Patriots for the most of all time. Fans of the Steelers, however, had to wait 26 years between Super Bowl victories from 1980 to 2006. With no clear vision at quarterback, an underperforming offensive line and many other issues to solve, a Super Bowl in 2022 seems quite out of reach. The next six months could possibly shape, not only next season, but the future of the organization. A near perfect off-season will be critical to contend in the AFC come September.
It starts with the offensive line. This unit has received a ton of criticism, deservingly so, but Najee Harris did rush for 1,200 yards in 2021. It was his less than four yards per carry that is concerning. Consistent success in today's NFL demands an elite quarterback, but in terms of getting to the big game a year from now, it might not be necessary to find the guy of the future in order to have an unexpected run for one season. If the Steelers can go about bringing back Mike Munchak to lead the offensive line and have a solid draft to bolster the unit, it would be step one to improving the team's chances. The Steelers also have free agency dollars to spend and making an uncharacteristic splash to improve the unit could make an incredibly noticeable difference.
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The secondary on defense comes next. While the defensive line needs to be a point of emphasis, Tyson Alualu will be back and we can all cross our fingers that Stephon Tuitt returns to the team. A defensive front of Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Alualu and Tuitt is a solid group. The secondary on the other hand, needs some work. Joe Haden will most likely test the waters in free agency while Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Sutton are the only two I trust to be consistent. Signing Terrell Edmunds would be beneficial after he had quietly, a solid year. The rest of the secondary will need to be pieced together with Tre Norwood as well as draftees and potential free agents. Re-signing Ahkello Witherspoon is a critical piece to this puzzle after his play down the stretch in 2021.
While a franchise quarterback isn't imperative to a Super Bowl run, Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins are not reliable enough to lead an offense that far. The best way for the Steelers to be competitive enough is to have a strong rushing attack behind an improved offensive line as mentioned above, but that doesn't mean a move at the quarterback position isn't necessary the next few months. I don't trust Rudolph or Haskins down four with two minutes left in the 4th quarter. That's the decision the front office and Mike Tomlin need to make. A legitimate shot at a Super Bowl comes from an outsider coming in to run the offense. The defense will keep the teams in games, but blowouts are not really realistic. Steelers games in 2022 will be close and a quarterback who makes minimal mistakes and can produce, what we hope to be an improved offense, to victories.
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This off-season needs to be an uncharacteristic one if the Steelers want a shot at being a threat in the AFC next year. Not only do they need to be busy, but the front office needs to hit a home run from now until September in order to give Steelers fans hope at a record-breaking seventh Super Bowl Championship.
What are your top priorities for the Steelers this off-season? Let us know in the comments below!
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