Steelers' Art Rooney II And Mike Tomlin Absolutely Need To Start Listening To Former Players

The Pittsburgh Steelers have started to get scrutinized more and more by the fan base in recent years. They have been a directionless team for years now and their ceiling is getting annihilated in the first round. Owner Art Rooney II has taken the brunt of these criticisms for his cheap tendencies, as noted by the NFLPA report card each year. Lately, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan have also started taking more heat. However, these issues are starting to come less from the fans and more from the players themselves. 

The latest of these issues came from disgruntled receiver George Pickens, who attacked the organization for being cheap. Even if he left the team on bad terms, his claims are clearly valid, as shown by the aforementioned report cards, as well as many of his former teammates and other ex-Steelers. One of these days, Rooney needs to listen to his players, or else his team will end up just like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the same offseason, former first-round pick Najee Harris trashed the Steelers the very first time he spoke with the media. He is known for not holding back to the media, and he let the world know how he truly felt about his former team, including calling out the lack of amenities. Everything keeps cycling back to Rooney refusing to do what needs to be done to help his players thrive.

It didn't stop there, however. Numerous reports came out about how Harris was absolutely miserable in Pittsburgh, and he even took a shot at the coaching staff. Tomlin and his staff allegedly had no plans, no identity, and no knowledge. Harris was seen as a perfect fit for the Steelers' offense, but it turned out to be the worst possible team he could have been drafted to. 

Justin Fields also took issue with how things are done in Pittsburgh. He took a direct shot at Steeler Nation after leaving the team while resenting Tomlin for allegedly misleading him. This is not a one-off either, as numerous other players have accused the long-time head coach of lying to them. When this keeps happening year after year, it's a trend, and it speaks to who Tomlin really is.

Alleged misleading led to Kenny Pickett's quick departure from Pittsburgh as well. Even if he did not play well in Pittsburgh, it makes sense that he would not take kindly to being lied to by his head coach. He played bad and ran himself out of town, but he also wanted to know what would really happen in the 2024 offseason. Both statements can be true, and they likely are in this case. 

Going back years, Melvin Ingram even ran himself out of town because of how Tomlin allegedly misled him as well. While the trend of players calling out the Steelers is ramping up over the last two years, it didn't just start recently. This has been something that has been going on for years, and it is just now coming to light. The players are frustrated with the culture in Pittsburgh.

Steelers Legends Feel The Same

The trend of players questioning the Steelers' brass is not just from recent players. Numerous Super Bowl champions have had their issues with how the team operates. Ryan Clark has called out every major piece of the Steelers on ESPN. Ben Roethlisberger has voiced his concerns with the brass on his podcast as well. 

Hines Ward and James Harrison have openly called out Tomlin for the way he handles business inside the locker room. Meanwhile, Charlie Batch said that it's obvious to anyone who meets Rooney once that he is insanely cheap. These issues are not just recent. This is an organizational, cultural problem that has festered for over a decade, but the team has hidden behind these issues and using their prestige as a shield for criticism.

Every year, there are numerous reports about how players want to play for a prestigious team like the Steelers and an elite head coach like Tomlin. That's why the Chicago Bears traded Fields to Pittsburgh: that's where he wanted to go. Once they get in the building and realize what truly goes on behind the scenes, they seem to regret those decisions. Be careful what you wish for, because the Steelers are not the model organization that they pretend to be; they are a collective that thrives on saving money, making no changes, and lying. 

What do you think about the numerous players that have publicly called out the Steelers over the years? What will it take to truly end this trend? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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