If Pittsburgh Steelers fans are brutally honest, there was always some trepidation about the 2024 NFL season run-in. No matter how well the team was going to perform in the early months of the regular season, those final games were going to be tough. Unfortunately, those worries and concerns played out in front of our eyes.
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Steelers' George Pickens after being ruled down against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
Another NFL season has gone by without the Steelers winning a Super Bowl – or even playing any meaningful participation in the postseason. Pittsburgh is still a good team, but it is questionable whether any of the sites featured on www.onlinesportsbetting.net would offer fans good odds for it to go all the way next season.
The fact is that the Steelers finished a creditable second in the division last year before going one and done in the playoffs. There are factors and reasons for that but the numbers don’t suggest that we will be celebrating another Super Bowl win soon. Is that incorrect? Do the Steelers have any chance of winning a championship next season?
The Standard is the Standard
Those are the words that all Steelers players and coaches see every game day as they leave the locker room and get ready to do battle on the field. With six championships already in the record books, there is an expectation that the Steelers will win the Super Bowl every year. History has told us that that is the case.
With such a high standard, it is only natural that the Steelers will fail to reach its lofty goals some years. But if that standard is not just going to become an eye-catching message on a wall, but remain an overriding ethos of the entire organization, there needs to be some kind of change to push the team forward again.
Is Aaron Rodgers the Answer?
With the Jets deciding not to bring back Aaron Rodgers in 2025, speculation has been rife about where the legendary former Super Bowl winner will end up. Rodgers may, of course, call time on a glittering career and retire to the land of media and sprawling rural estates. He has already done it all.
If Rodgers is to play on, however, there are a few teams in need of a quarterback that would be in the running to give him a spot on the roster. The Steelers are the favorites to land Rodgers at the current time, but that may not be the answer to the team’s woes. Even if neither Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is your number one choice starter, it is questionable whether Rodgers should be.
Kinder Schedule
It is unlikely that any Steelers fan will have forgotten how the last few weeks of the 2024 season played out. After racing to a 10-3 record, Pittsburgh lost all four of its remaining games, “throwing away” the divisional title - if you want to be dramatic. Although, it should be noted that the level of opponent for those games was extremely high.
Confidence of a Steelers Super Bowl win in 2025 would be boosted if the schedule turned out to be a little kinder. We can do nothing about our divisional opponents, of course, but the prospect of facing AFC East teams is not too bad, with the NFC North teams a tougher proposition. Scheduling of the games will be all-important and hopefully fate will be kinder on the Steelers this season.
Postseason Blues
The Steelers may live by a tough standard, but it was noticeable that there was some concern for the team’s postseason ability once the regular season was over last year. Part of that was down to the way that the team folded in its last four games – but there was something else that should be worrying to everyone.
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The Steelers last won a Super Bowl in 2008 and made a further appearance in the championship game just two years later. We have been a regular in the postseason since then, but Pittsburgh has not played more than one playoff game in a season since 2016. It is becoming a psychological block as much as anything about progressing past the Wild Card game. That mindset has to change somehow.
Is the Steelers' Super Bowl Window Still Open?
Although the Steelers offense could probably do with some bolstering, it is commonly believed that we have one of the strongest defenses in the league. That has been a cornerstone of all successful teams and we have been blessed with the players to compete in every game.
However, all championship windows close eventually. The Steelers defense is not getting any younger and it hasn’t be balanced with an offense that complements its championship credentials for a while now. We are probably not quite there yet but it won’t be too long before the Steelers will be in need of a complete overhaul of the roster.
Time for a Change?
Mike Tomlin is the longest serving head coach in the NFL. In just his second year in charge, he brought us a Super Bowl. Everything looked good for another dynasty in Pittsburgh. We have already pointed out the lack of postseason success in the years since and there will be some fans who will be thinking that there will be no real change without a change at the top.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a snowy game in Cleveland.
Some pundits have criticized Tomlin for not being a “playoff coach.” But, for what it’s worth, we don’t think firing Tomlin would provide the quick fix that the Steelers need. It is probably better to give him another chance, either with Wilson or another new QB. If we don’t see improvement this year, including a much longer run in the playoffs, then an overhaul might be the only way that the Steelers win another Super Bowl.
