The media narratives that emerged in the course of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ three-game shedding streak in December 2023 had been brutal, and deservingly so. Everyone, together with former gamers, had been discussing the demise of the “Steelers Means” and the Steelers haven’t been capable of shake that query to this present day. Each passing 12 months with a late-season collapse and a one-and-done playoff look solely amplifies the noise. The circus act of ready for Aaron Rodgers and the drama of buying and selling George Pickens haven’t helped.
Former Baltimore Raven Chris Canty had some ideas on the downfall of the Steelers by way of ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike this morning.
“The final decade and a half they’ve precisely yet one more playoff win than the New York Jets, so this entire tradition across the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s been methodically deteriorating earlier than our eyes,” Canty stated. “Mike Tomlin has been placing lipstick on a pig when it comes to making them appear extra credible than they really are. Mike Tomlin has been the last word deodorant for the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise.”
The Steelers have just a few extra playoff wins than the Jets over that span, however the truth that it’s even shut isn’t an incredible signal for Pittsburgh.
There are only a few widespread threads on the roster of the final decade of failures, so Tomlin deserves a wholesome portion of the blame on the very least. However he’s additionally stored the group collectively and aggressive. Not solely has he by no means suffered a shedding season, however he has coached only one meaningless sport in his profession, that coming in 2012 when the Steelers had nothing to play for within the remaining week of the season. In that method, the Steelers’ tradition nonetheless stays to a level.
Former GM Kevin Colbert deserves as a lot blame as anyone for his or her shortcomings during the last decade. Solely 18 of his drafted gamers over his remaining 10 courses signed multiple contract with the group. A portion of these 18 had been simply depth gamers and several other others didn’t final very lengthy as soon as they signed their second contract. Solely two of the 9 first-round picks panned out for the Steelers and Bud Dupree was one among them.
With Kenny Pickett and George Pickens off the roster, the 2022 draft class doesn’t look promising both. Canty thinks Artwork Rooney II ought to shoulder plenty of the blame.
“Let’s be clear about one other factor. Artwork Rooney II, Dan Rooney he isn’t,” Canty stated. “The proof is within the file. You aren’t what we grew up on. You might be now not that. And the proof is ready days earlier than minicamp for a quarterback which will or might not wanna be part of your program.”
The Rodgers saga has the potential to finish with egg on the face of the collective Steelers brass. The buck has to cease with Rooney. Colbert ought to have been transitioned out years earlier, and he by no means ought to have signed off on a three-month look forward to one of the crucial polarizing figures within the NFL this offseason.
The Steelers’ tradition isn’t utterly misplaced when you’ve got guys like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt within the constructing. However there isn’t any doubt it’s taken an enormous hit during the last decade.
