The Pittsburgh Steelers have been receiving a lot of criticism and angry messages from Steeler Nation in recent years. Head Coach Mike Tomlin's most famous line, "The standard is the standard," has been used as a mockery by the fans more than it's been seen as a truly motivational piece. With how often the team has been annihilated in the postseason, despite not having a losing season, that has been seen as "The Standard" as of late. Fans are tired of this and want to see change, even if it means moving on from Tomlin and getting a different leader.

Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin prior to a playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
However, the Steelers might finally be coming to terms with the gripes of their fans. During his weekly Q&A chat, insider Brian Batko was asked about all the trades from the offseason. He admitted that they were somewhat confusing, but he spoke about how the team likely understood that what they are is not good enough at all.
"Another way to look at it, particularly if you want to have black-and-gold glasses on, is that the powers that be looked at this roster, looked at the never-ending cycle of first-round playoff blowouts, and effectively decided this: These guys, the core we've so meticulously built, ain't good enough," Bakto said. "We need more, better and different. Doesn't mean it'll work, but choices have been made and there have been some brash ones."
There have been rumors that the Steelers' brass was content with this "standard" of being over .500 without a postseason win. However, actions speak louder than words, and the actions say that Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan have had enough of this futility.

Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan speaking on the sidelines inside Acrisure Stadium.
They may have finally realized that they took quite a few missteps along the way, and they are trying to rectify it and prove that they can be more than a playoff doormat for the elite teams of the conference.
Steelers' Moves To Try And Break "The Standard"
Larry Ogunjobi was a quality signing at the time as he provided stability and veteran leadership. However, keeping him around was not going to raise the ceiling at all as he was getting older. They let him go so they could draft Derrick Harmon, a high-risk high-reward prospect that could become the anchor on the defensive line for the next decade that the team will soon need.
George Pickens was also a high-risk high-reward player, but as the 2024 season went on, the risk was starting to not outweigh the reward. Because of that, they shipped him off for a future pick. Instead of waiting to make sure he was gone, Khan was proactive and traded for DK Metcalf beforehand. Metcalf is arguably just a better, more mature version of Pickens, and he is still in his physical prime at this point.

Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' DK Metcalf during the team's 2025 minicamp.
This latest trade saw the core get broken up a bit more as well. While Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith are seen as upgrades that also fill holes, the deal cost them Minkah Fitzpatrick, a former cornerstone of this amazing defense. He was still solid in a centerfielder role, but he didn't have that big-play edge to his game that he once had, which meant the team was very willing to move on from him if it meant improving elsewhere.
After the season ended, Tomlin was confident in his statement that changes will be happening for the 2025 season. Based off of what has happened throughout the offseason, it seems like he was not lying about that at all. He wants to win as badly as the fans do, and he's done pretending everything is ok as his reputation continues to be questioned. He wants to prove that he truly can adapt to the modern times and still be a high-end coach in the league.
Will the Steelers now finally get over the hump in 2025? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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