Steelers' Art Rooney II Gets Surprising Support From Former NFLPA President Who Applauded His Efforts

The Pittsburgh Steelers are again under fire for their low NFLPA Report Card grades. Most of the frustration has been directed toward the owner and team president, Art Rooney II. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin received an A grade, Rooney got a D, up from his F in 2024. Overall, the Steelers were again ranked 28th, the same as in 2024. However, the bottom five teams collectively moved up and improved from an overall D- to a C. 

The biggest knock Rooney took was his willingness to invest in the facilities, his contributions to a positive team culture, and his commitment to building a competitive team. Essentially, the players are calling Rooney cheap. This isn't exactly news to fans who've been complaining for years. That low score shouldn't surprise anyone. The media even pointed out the differences between the Steelers' facility, which they share with the University of Pittsburgh, and what other teams have.  

Longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show told his podcast co-host Chris Mack on Kaboly and Mack that he thinks this whole thing gets blown out of proportion. He said it reflects poorly on Rooney when he isn't that cheap. The situation limits him. In fact, former NFLPA President JC Tretter, who served from 2020-2024, told him that Rooney is better than most owners. 

"I read what JC Tretter said," explained Kaboly about Rooney's low grade. "JC Tretter said if there was one guy that's been very receptive to this poll, it's been Art Rooney. He's been trying to do upgrades and listen to the players and try to help out. He might be going at a snail's pace, but he did make sure he pointed that out. But depending on what you listen to, we don't hear that."

Kaboly said these low grades come back to one thing and one thing alone: the size of their facility. The Steelers' facility is located in the city's South Side and is wedged between the train tracks and the river. There is no room for them to expand as long as they remain partnered with Pitt. The Steelers' best option is to move their facility to another location, perhaps somewhere like Cranberry Township, as the Pittsburgh Penguins did. Kaboly firmly believes that the ownership scores will soar if they have more space. 

He added that if you look at the teams whose owners ranked lower on the list, they are all ones whose facilities have gotten a bit older. They were once considered state of the art, maybe 20 years ago, but now they are dated. He cited the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots as teams who all ranked near the bottom for ownership grades and all have serious complaints about their dated facilities. The Steelers' only solution is to leave Pitt behind and build themselves a new facility in a location with more space. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Received An Interesting Comment 

While Tomlin often gets high marks on the annual report card, it is no secret that the players hold him in high esteem. He did have one surprising comment this year. The players said he is "moderately receptive to locker room feedback on the team's needs, ranking him 15 out of 32 head coaches in the league." 

This is especially interesting coming off a season where there was reported division in the locker room regarding the quarterback situation and the offense's direction. There were reports that the Steelers' expensive defense was having some issues with communication. 

If the Steelers want to get back to winning postseason games, then Tomlin needs to work to unify this team and make them feel heard. 

Are you surprised about the positive comments regarding Rooney? Tell us what you think below!

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