Not many individuals know tips on how to correctly consider the Steelers heading into the 2025 season. It is smart, as Aaron Rodgers, who’s a little bit of a wild card himself at this level in his profession, can be massively influential as to how the group finally ends up faring this 12 months. Professional Soccer Speak’s Mike Florio posted his post-minicamp energy rankings on Monday, and he has the Steelers coming in smack-dab within the center at sixteenth. His evaluation illustrates simply how difficult he finds it to judge the Steelers.
“They’re going to skew someway,” Florio wrote.
It’s actually not essentially the most detailed evaluation from Florio. However in a video posted to the NFL on NBC’s YouTube channel on Monday, he gave some additional rationalization.
“I put the Steelers lifeless within the center,” Florio mentioned. “I assure you they’re not gonna end the season lifeless within the center. This Aaron Rodgers factor is both going to work very well, and so they’ll be a top-seven group. Or, it’s going to be a crapshow, and so they’re gonna be within the bottom-fourth of the league. They’re not gonna be within the center when it’s all mentioned and performed… I don’t know which approach it’s going to interrupt. Do you? Does anybody?”
Across the center of the pack is the place most appear to anticipate Pittsburgh to complete. It is smart, given the quite a few modifications this offseason, however the roster doesn’t appear considerably higher or worse than final 12 months.
As is the case seemingly each summer season currently, many additionally share the low expectations Florio has for Pittsburgh. He thinks they may end within the bottom-fourth of the league, just like energy rankings from Fox Sports activities earlier this offseason that had the Steelers all the best way down in thirtieth.
All issues thought-about, a season like that wouldn’t be the worst factor on the earth. Make no mistake, it wouldn’t be good both. The Steelers have by no means had a shedding season underneath Mike Tomlin, and issues may get poisonous shortly if that had been to occur. Nevertheless, that might additionally end in Pittsburgh choosing a lot larger within the draft than they’ve in a few years. In spite of everything, the group marks the 2026 Draft as an opportunity to search out their subsequent franchise quarterback. The much less they win, the less belongings they could should half with with a view to discover that quarterback.
But there are causes for optimism as properly. Pittsburgh obtained off to a 10-3 begin final 12 months and managed their future within the division midway by the season. If they’ll get out to an identical begin this 12 months and handle to maintain from fully falling aside, they might be an precise contender within the AFC. With Rodgers, they’d have extra confidence going into the playoffs than they’ve had with any quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger.
Whereas Florio has the Steelers in the midst of the pack for now, he doesn’t anticipate them to complete there. Whether or not Pittsburgh does very well or actually poorly, both of these choices is perhaps higher than one other 12 months in soccer purgatory.
