The Pittsburgh Steelers are full of doubters despite their early 2-1 start to the 2025 season. Both sides of the ball have looked very questionable at times throughout the campaign, as there have been fears of them having another season just like the previous eight. Pittsburgh does have their time off soon, as Week 5 is their bye week. That will be the time to get healthy and prepare for the long haul of the season. If they can’t get right then, fans will continue to get angrier and angrier.
Seattle Seahawks
Steelers' Mike Tomlin meets Seahawks' Mike McDonald after losing to Seattle in 2025.
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was made aware of the lack of respect his team has around the league. He responded with an old cliche that’s just a cruder way to say, “shut out the noise.”
Asked by some local media about the Steelers maybe being overlooked this season, DK Metcalf drops an “opinions are like assholes, everybody got em — you don’t have to listen to them.” pic.twitter.com/TqLSNMUoxm
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) September 26, 2025
At the end of the day, the Steelers shouldn’t be worried about being overlooked in a season. They still have plenty of talent on the roster, and they are able to take advantage of any team that tries to look past them and prepare for someone better. The New England Patriots gave up five sacks to this defense, as they were not prepared to deal with this electric pass rush.
Of course, Metcalf is seen as a premier receiver in the league. If teams don’t scheme ways to stop him, he can and will take the top off the defense all game long. Calvin Austin III may not be a big headliner of a name, but he has amazing speed and quality hands. He can make a difference in a game if the opposing defensive coordinator just lets him go with no plan to stop him. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was brought in to use his football IQ to win, and he can pick apart a defense playing the most basic sets.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers lines up under center while playing the New York Jets in 2025.
The Steelers may not be the best team when it comes to scheming and game-planning, but at the end of the day, a not-so-great plan is still so much better than no plan at all. Even if the reporter is right and other teams are overlooking Pittsburgh, it’s not like the team actively knows that until it’s time for gameday. They will still be coming up with their own plans and schemes to try and win each game. If their opponent doesn’t take them seriously, the Black and Gold will force other teams to take them seriously by making an example of whichever team didn’t.
Steelers Know All About These Accusations
In previous years, Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been accused of overlooking other teams as well. His Steelers were notoriously bad against weaker competition, as they would usually play down to their competition’s level before trying to make a second-half comeback, which they would usually win. However, many fans will still talk about “Tomlin Games” when they go against an opponent that they should supposedly throttle on paper, like their 2024 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stands on the sideline in a snow storm against the Cleveland Browns in the 2024 NFL season.
If there’s one thing that Tomlin excels at, it’s turning anything into motivation. Now that the rumor is out there about his team being overlooked, he could use that to help his players play harder and with more physicality. If he can convince his team that they’re fighting for respect, they may unlock some unseen potential. Either way, the Steelers do need to prove themselves as a legitimate team while they have the chance to take control of the AFC North, so they don’t choke another season away.
What do you think about the Steelers possibly being overlooked? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation
