The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. With that reputation comes a significant responsibility to sustain success. Unfortunately, ever since the 2017 season kicked off, Art Rooney II has seen his team falter in more ways than one, especially when the postseason rolls around. Additionally, he has consistently been ranked at the bottom of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Annual Report Cards that have been released. In 2026, it was supposed to be confidential after the owners filed a grievance, but it ended up being leaked anyway.
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Steelers Team President Art Rooney II roams the sidelines as the team warms up and gets ready to compete in a 2022 preseason matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers consistently spend to the salary cap, so it's not like fans have a right to be upset about roster investments; however, the stadium and facilities as a whole could use an upgrade. For that to happen, it would be ideal for the organization to have a little bit higher of a revenue share moving forward. With that said, the NFLPA is not going to let the owners get away with that once the next version of an updated Collective Bargaining Agreement is negotiated.
In a recent interview with new NFLPA Director JC Tretter, Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer gave some significant updates on where the players stand currently on a number of topics that are at the forefront of the NFL's goals. With the full deal not expiring until 2031, there is no rush to move on topics that only favor the league and its owners.
"They want 18 games. They want 16 international games. They want to lower our revenue share. They want to have us pay for more of the costs of operating the business — socializing costs, privatizing profits," Tretter said to Breer. "They’ve said all these things publicly at this point. And that’s a long list of really shit*y things for players."
At some point, the league is going to get its wish of 18-game seasons and an international matchup pretty much every week. However, Tretter isn't letting the owners, who are mostly billionaires, get away with anything shady.
"Play more, travel more, get less money, take or cover the costs of billionaires’ businesses and then not have upside to make as much money as you can, like, that is a list where everything goes in the wrong direction," Tretter mentioned to Breer.
This is a good stance to take from the newest director as he has a job of repairing the union after some scandalous activity was allegedly going on. Tretter is putting the players first, as he should, but owners like Rooney are not going to be pleased if they have to give up more revenue sharing, even if it makes all the sense in the world for that to happen.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers Owner and President Art Rooney II stands on the field with a smile on his face as the team gets prepared to play a professional football game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Before engaging in any serious discussions with the league and its owners, Tretter is making it a point to get to know the players better and figure out what it is that they ultimately want when some conversations do start to happen. That is bad news for executives around the league, as it could take some serious time for everyone to get on the same page.
"I know this immediately goes to 18 games, right? I’ve been clear to the guys, this can’t all be based around what the league wants," Tretter told Breer. "Like, we as players need to figure out what we want, period. And I don’t think we’ve done a good job of truly knowing exactly what our guys want. My job is to go and figure that out and make sure I know, we know and player leadership knows exactly where our membership stands, both as an entire group but also as individuals."
Fans and owners alike would love an extra regular-season contest. Commissioner Roger Goodell sure would as well, but, it has to make sense for the individuals actually going out on the field every week. The 2027 campaign seemed like the year when 18 games might be in play; however, now, the odds of that happening are starting to shift.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends an NFL International Series game between the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Steelers Players Could Be Center Stage
While individuals like Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt are nearing the ends of their careers potentially, the chances they could weigh in with giving their opinions on this matter are very high. The salary cap continues to rise, which players like these have benefited from, but experienced veterans still need to speak up and stand up for the thousands of professional football players out there.
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