The Pittsburgh Steelers are widely known throughout the NFL world for having zero losing seasons since 2003. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been partially responsible for 18 of those, as he has never had a losing season in his head coaching career. That is something to be proud of, but lately the achievement has been diminished as Pittsburgh has had essentially no playoff success over the last decade. Every season there are a handful of members of the media who suggest the non-losing streak will come to a close, and those people might finally be right in 2025.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin looks on during a snowy game in Cleveland during the 2024 NFL season.
Aside from a handful of seasons, the race in the AFC North typically comes down to the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. The Cleveland Browns are mostly an afterthought, while the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best offenses in the league, but can't seem to find a way to win games as of late. Former Baltimore defender, Chris Canty, was on Unsportsmanlike on Thursday, and he shared a fairly condemning statement on the current state of the Steelers.
"The Steelers are making every wrong turn down this road," Canty said. "It's official, they are closer to the Browns than they are to the Baltimore Ravens. And that might be being disrespectful to the Cleveland Browns."
It's important to note that there might be some obvious bias coming from Canty as he played for the Ravens and never quite seemed to like the Steelers. In 2024, Pittsburgh finished second in the AFC North after blowing a late-season lead in the division. Baltimore won the title, and both teams met in the first round of the playoffs. The Browns were the second-worst team in the league, and the Bengals missed the playoffs after being unable to overcome their slow start to the year.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson scores the first touchdown of his young career against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
Canty believes the Steelers are closer to the Browns than the Ravens, which is essentially saying that the Steelers are closer to the floor of the NFL than to being a Super Bowl contender. It is hard to disagree, especially after seeing how the defense fell apart at the end of the 2024 season, coupled with the fact that the organization is preparing to start 41-year old Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh has a star-studded defense, but the group isn't getting any younger. There are some promising young players on the roster as well, which is why a lot of fans want the organization to forego the "win-now" attitude, and focus on building a roster than can compete for a Lombardi Trophy in a couple of seasons.
The Steelers have been in NFL purgatory for the better part of a decade, and the fan base is tired of it. It is beyond clear to everyone outside of the organization that what the franchise is doing is not working, but that hasn't clicked for the people making the decisions in South Side.
Steelers And Browns Have Plenty Of Similarities
Pittsburgh and Cleveland have different histories, but the current state of the two teams couldn't be more similar. Both franchises have horrendous quarterback situations as either team is prepare to start a quarterback over the age of 40. Pittsburgh just signed Rodgers after facing the possibility of starting Mason Rudolph, while Cleveland has Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in a quarterback battle while two rookies sit behind them.
Matt Starkey / Cleveland Browns
Browns' Kenny Pickett works out in Cleveland during the 2025 offseason.
Outside of the quarterback position, both rosters could benefit from adding another wide receiver, and both defenses have one of the best pass-rushers in the league who is just trying to win. The fan base in Pittsburgh pokes fun at Cleveland constantly, and it is typically warranted, however the two sides are not all that different at all going into 2025.
What do you think about Canty's comments? Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below!
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