Ryan Clark thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers can break an eight-year playoff win drought. Doing something past that, nevertheless, is asking an excessive amount of. After one of many busiest offseasons in franchise historical past that’s reshaped the roster in stars, starters, and depth, Clark thinks the Steelers have moved the needle. However solely a little bit.
“I’m lots assured that Aaron Rodgers is gonna play nicely,” Clark mentioned on ESPN’s Get Up Friday morning. “I believe Aaron Rodgers and Coach [Mike] Tomlin are gonna have an amazing relationship of two of the best professionals to ever do their job. However that doesn’t imply they’re gonna go beat Buffalo, or they’re gonna go beat the Baltimore Ravens, or they’re gonna go beat the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
“And that’s the dialog we’ve been having. They’ll be adequate. I consider it is a playoff contender. I consider that is the workforce that may get them a spot within the playoffs. And I additionally consider the ceiling is successful a Wild Card recreation.”
In the course of the playoff win drought, Pittsburgh’s had no downside being within the combine. Since 2017, the Steelers have made the postseason 5 instances, together with the previous two seasons. However the franchise has been unable to recover from the hump, dropping within the Wild Card 4 instances whereas getting bounced within the 2017 Divisional Spherical following the workforce’s first-round bye. The protection has struggled in these moments whereas elite quarterback play has bested them.
For Clark, that calculation hasn’t modified. Pittsburgh isn’t among the many top-tier groups with a franchise quarterback. Till the Steelers can get somebody on the extent of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, or Patrick Mahomes, they’ll at all times be the underdog heading into any playoff assembly. Doubly so underneath the idea Pittsburgh will play these video games on the highway.
Clark’s thought isn’t educational, both. In the course of the drought, Pittsburgh’s misplaced to Mahomes, Allen, and, final season, Jackson. Mixed, these quarterbacks have thrown for 783 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception and are 3-0 towards the Steelers within the playoffs.
Profitable a Wild Card recreation is way from the Steelers’ final objective but it surely’s a step. It might be tangible progress. A framework to construct round within the hopes of discovering that franchise changer within the 2026 draft the place Pittsburgh will doubtless must make one other aggressive transfer to land one.
