Steelers Warned About Overcorrecting With NFLPA Grades: "Don't Want Your Players Too Happy"

Pittsburgh Steelers fans' frustrations have been mounting because of their inability to get past the first round of the playoffs in recent years. The 2024 season had such a strong start that even fans who felt little hope initially were talking about a postseason run. Then the team hit a late-season slide and lost their final five games, including the Wild Card contest against the Baltimore Ravens. This led to fans calling for blood; they wanted Owner and Team President Art Rooney II to go scorched earth and fire everyone. Many fans feel that Rooney doesn't have the magic touch of his grandfather and want him to step down and pass the team along to his son, Daniel Rooney. 

It shouldn't surprise anyone that it didn't happen. Rooney even told the media that he has no intentions of stepping down. When this year's NFLPA Team Report Cards were recently issued, the fact that the team was ranked 28th out of 32 teams only served to fuel the fire. The grades of the bottom five teams went up on average from a D- to a C, so the team improved, even though their ranking was the same as in 2024.   

The Steelers' lowest two grades were for their locker room and ownership; both got a D. Analyst Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently spoke with The PM Team w/Poni and Mueller about the report cards. He said they represent an opportunity for players to give constructive criticism and get better treatment from all the teams in the league. While the Steelers' ranking isn't good, he said the opposite end isn't much better. 

"Some would say you don't want your players too happy," said Florio. "Because if they're too happy, they might be a little soft and a little complacent. Like is it a good thing the Dolphins are number one? I don't know when you look at how the Dolphins can't get past the first round of the playoffs or get to the playoffs. They've got that narrative that comes from within their building. They had a player say last year we were soft in our loss to Green Bay on Thanksgiving night. But you don't want to be at the bottom of the pack; you don't want to be listed in the same sentence with the owners of the most dysfunctional teams because one of the reasons those teams are so dysfunctional is because of their owners."

The hard part is that owners can't be fired and don't like anything that holds them accountable. They are used to getting what they want and getting away with what they want. The key is what they decide to do with this feedback. They can address it like the Kansas City Chiefs did last season when they got bad grades. Their owner took it to heart and made changes. 

The Miami Dolphins were the top team in 2024 and stayed there this season. Their owner was the highest-graded owner, and they ranked No. 1 in seven of the 11 categories. They were praised for their positive player experience. The Dolphins have been called "soft" more than once, including by current Steelers safety DeShon Elliott, who played for the Dolphins in 2023. He said many players were mentally soft as f***. He said he was thrilled to be a part of the Steelers, where most players are mentally tough.    

Steelers' Art Rooney II Just Too Cheap

One of the biggest criticisms about Rooney is that he is cheap. There is a growing sense that his frugality contributes to why the team seems unable to step into the modern era. 

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger even addressed it on his podcast, saying there is a lot of room for improvement. He said they should look at hiring additional trainers, conditioning staff, and improving the locker room and facilities. The Steelers did make some improvements last year after they had an even worse grade, but clearly, the players think there needs to be more.

Where would you like to see the Steelers rank on the list? Tell us what you think below!

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