Record: 10-7-0 (2nd in AFC North)
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin (18th Season)
Preseason Expectations:
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered 2024 with a brand-new quarterback room. After quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky left for greener pastures, and former first-round pick Kenny Pickett was traded to the Eagles, the Steelers revamped their quarterback room by signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields. Despite Mike Tomlin having never finished a season with a record below .500, fans and pundits were expecting the Steelers to be nothing more than a .500 team.
Entering the season, fans wanted to see a change in the offensive game plan. After suffering through years of Matt Canada as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Steelers made a change, hiring former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. The hire was immediately lambasted, as Smith had just finished a tenure in Atlanta where the Falcons underperformed, with the main culprit being the failure to use star tight-end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson to their fullest potential.
Whether it be dark magic or great defensive coaching, Pittsburgh exceeded expectations in 2024.
The Steelers Shock the World:
The Steelers got off to a hot start in 2024, starting off the year undefeated after beating the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, and the Los Angeles Chargers in their first three contests of the season. In each of these three games, the Steelers’ defense played to their greatest potential, holding Atlanta, Denver, and the Chargers under 20 points, while recording five turnovers.
Despite losses to the Colts and the Cowboys, the Steelers rebounded quickly, defeating the Raiders, Jets, and Giants by a combined 95-46 score. Similar to the first three games of the season, the Steelers defense played tremendous football, allowing less than 20 points in all three matchups while recording 7 turnovers. While the wins were coming in, questions were raised about the Steelers’ decisions in the quarterback room.
Quarterback Controversy?
While the Steelers were rolling after the bye week, the momentum quickly shifted after having a brutal four game slate against Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Sitting with a 10-3 record before this stretch, the Steelers dropped their final four games to fall to 10-7. While the defense failed to stop the high-powered offenses of all four of their opponents, many blamed the poor quarterback play, and Mike Tomlin’s refusal to make a change at quarterback.
Despite 698 passing yards, Wilson only threw four touchdown passes. In the same stretch, Wilson turned the ball over as many times. As the Steelers’ playoff hopes dwindled, many questioned why Pittsburgh didn’t turn to Justin Fields to finish the season.
The Justin Fields Question
Justin Fields looked to have revitalized his career early in the season for Pittsburgh. As the quarterback who let the Steelers to a 3-0 start, Fields recorded 518 passing yards, 3 total touchdowns, and committed just two turnovers. The former first round pick had one of the best games of his career against Indianapolis in Week 4, with 367 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
While injuries had originally forced Fields out, he was healthy at this point in the season. Still, the Steelers stuck with Russell Wilson and lost their last four games of the regular season. Despite the slide, Pittsburgh held on to a playoff spot. According to ESPN, “The Steelers became the third team in NFL history to enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak” (Baby, Pryor).
Playoffs:
Pittsburgh had no momentum when they faced off against the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round. Baltimore took full advantage of this cold streak, holding the Steelers to 14 points in a 28-14 beatdown. Pittsburgh’s typically stout run defense fell apart, allowing a season high of 299 rushing yards to Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. At the same time, Pittsburgh’s run game failed to produce, gaining just 29 yards on 11 attempts (2.64 yards per attempt).
Despite low expectations, the Steelers simultaneously surpassed and underwhelmed. While a playoff spot was a surprise for a team many expected to fail, others felt this was just another typical season in Pittsburgh. So, what needs to change in order for the Steelers to end this narrative against them?
The 2025 Offseason
The biggest question for the Steelers in 2025 will be the quarterback. Russell Wilson was on a one-year deal, and while he was serviceable, is he the answer long term? Probably not. With Justin Fields’ injury history, is he the long-term solution to Pittsburgh’s needs? There aren’t many quarterback prospects in this draft, let alone ones that are worth spending a first-round draft pick on.
Should the Steelers go for a seemingly pressing need in wide receiver, wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden are the best options on the board. While Burden had a down year in 2024, the Missouri wide receiver has shown that he can run routes effectively with a certain quickness to his game. Burden is smooth on his feet and doesn’t waste any movements to create separation or extend plays.
Meanwhile, Egbuka has been a dominant receiver for the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes, recording 1,000 yards receiving in 2 of the last three seasons. Egbuka reminds me of former first round pick Jameson Williams and his tape at Alabama. Egbuka creates separation over the middle of the field and typically finds the hole for a reception. He’s a rapid wide receiver and should succeed in the NFL.
Other than the obvious needs of quarterback and wide receiver, Pittsburgh can benefit from a playmaker on either side of the ball. The play from the offensive tackles needs to improve in 2025, but the return of Troy Fautanu and another season of development for Broderick Jones should go a long way for that.
2025, like every other team mired in mediocrity, is a crucial year to set the franchise’s direction. Should the Steelers fail to make the necessary improvements, the Mike Tomlin era could come to an end—or at the very least, his streak of consecutive .500 seasons will. Free agency is right around the corner, and the NFL draft begins on April 24th, Will the Steelers go to the Super Bowl?
