Steelers Get Wild Best-Case Scenarios Detailed By An Exuberant Rich Eisen

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason improvements have generated optimism in nearly everyone who discusses the team. They overhauled their quarterback room, hired a new offensive coordinator, let some unhappy players leave, signed a much-needed inside linebacker, and improved their offensive line. 

Now, the team is moving into Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and preparing to start training camp. While we all know that what we see in OTAs doesn't necessarily translate to what we will see when the players put on pads, it is hard not to be excited. 

It even has Rich Eisen from NFL Network speaking about what he sees as the Steelers' best-case scenarios. On a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, the longtime sportscaster gave his thoughts on what Steelers fans should hope for. 

"The best-case scenario for the Pittsburgh Steelers - Russell Wilson returns to Pro Bowl form, [Justin] Fields gets out there with a dominant package, T.J. Watt wins Defensive Player of the Year, and the Coach of the Year finalist is Mike Tomlin. Which means everybody in Pittsburgh is like, 'Yeah we have a good coach here!' We're not going to be burning up phone lines 24/7 trying to get him fired. They eliminate the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, and they're the ones who personally end the possible three-peat, and they win a Super Bowl," gushed Eisen.

From your lips to God's ears, Eisen. 

Of course, Eisen's scenario is every football fan's best-case scenario. It is what we all want for the team we love—just insert applicable names. However, Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin did make upgrades after last season. Those upgrades make Eisen's scenarios more likely than anyone expected after the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs at the end of the 2023 season. 

They brought in two veteran quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson took the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning one, and has been selected to nine Pro Bowls throughout his career. While it is easy to say that he is a bit long in the tooth at 35, we saw Tom Brady play at a high level until he retired at 45, and Aaron Rodgers is poised to lead the New York Jets to a comeback year when he is now 40. 

Besides, the Steelers made the playoffs in 2023 with a ragtag group of quarterbacks who lacked consistency. The team has improved their offensive line by drafting center Zach Frazier and tackle Troy Fautanu, so it isn't hard to believe this new group will be more successful.  

While some areas still need to be addressed, such as wide receiver, Khan has shown that he is a long way from done. They recently brought Cam Sutton back to shore up the secondary on defense. Pittsburgh needs all those new pieces to form a cohesive unit and bring Eisen's best-case scenario to life. 

Steelers' Cameron Heyward Will Help With Best-Case Scenarios

The one deal that Khan has not yet done is that of defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward. Heyward, at 35 years old, has been with the Steelers his whole career and is in the final year of his contract. He has been very open about not being done yet, despite suffering a significant injury in 2023. Heyward has said that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. 

Football is a business however, and the organization has to balance the overall good of the team (as well as the salary cap), to create their best chance at a Lombardi Trophy. One thing that works in Heyward's favor is that his replacement isn't in place. While second-year player Keeanu Benton is impressing everyone with his work ethic, it doesn't sound like he is ready to fill Heyward's cleats quite yet. 

What do you think about Eisen's best-case scenarios? Click to comment below!

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