Steelers' Unsung Heroes Get Praised After Yet Another Terrible Grade For Art Rooney II In NFLPA Report Card

Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Art Rooney II is once again under fire for how bad his team's facilities are. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was ranked seventh in the league, and team travel was ranked 15th. Everything else was ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, including the worst strength and conditioning coaches, 30th-ranked dietitian, and Rooney himself being graded 28th, just like the team overall. The Steelers did not improve in overall rankings from 2024's report card to 2025, as the owner previously blamed the NFLPA instead of himself for the poor grades. 

Mike Florio made an appearance on 93.7 The Fan to talk about these poor grades for the Steelers. While doing so, he had endless praise for a group of people that have done so well, despite Rooney's questionable ownership. 

"There are ways that you need to make yourself attractive to free agents," explained Florio. "There are ways that you need to make yourself attractive to your locker room, and those little things can add up. Hey, it's a testament to the Steelers' ability to identify and develop talent, and others that can make up for the fact that ownership isn't viewed favorably by players."

Despite all the issues with the team and the countless reasons why Pittsburgh is not very player-friendly, the scouting department has still been excellent at finding great players in the draft, in free agency, and as trade targets. Despite everything, Pittsburgh is still seen as a destination that many players would love to go to. DeShon Elliott explained exactly why he wanted to be a Steeler when he was first signed.

The Steelers were very aggressive in the 2024 offseason, even after the report cards came out then. Not only did they sign Elliott, but they signed Patrick Queen to shore up the linebacker core. They managed to get Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears because the young quarterback said he preferred Pittsburgh, among other major moves. They almost traded for Brandon Aiyuk, since the receiver reportedly refused to play for the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots over the Steelers.

Pittsburgh is expected to be aggressive again in 2025, and General Manager Omar Khan echoed that desire. They are connected to every single quarterback that is available, and they could end up being in the market for a new cornerback to continue to shore up the defense. They are also expected to pursue all kinds of receiver options. Despite everything, the Steelers will be expected to acquire even more talent all across the board.

Other Reasons Why The Steelers Keep Acquiring Talent

The scouting department deserves most of the credit, but there are a few other factors. Despite Tomlin's struggles with Xs and Os, he is still seen as a coach that players want to play for. His ability to relate to them is seemingly unmatched, which makes them happier to practice and perform on the field. 

The Steelers' biggest critique is a strength in free agency. Because they've been mediocre as of late, they are usually seen as a better fit than tanking teams like both New York squads. That's why they are linked to every quarterback; who would willingly be the signal-caller of a team like the New York Giants when they could go to Pittsburgh and play meaningful games in Week 18?

Even with all that, many players need to be convinced more. There's no way that Elliott sees the previous seven years of playoff failure and considers the Steelers to be the definition of championship football. The scouting department may be one of, if not the best in their category in the NFL, and they are a big reason why the Steelers can manage to stay above .500 every single year.

What do you think about Florio praising the people behind the scenes for making Pittsburgh a desirable place, despite Rooney doing the exact opposite? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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