The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 schedule has been released. While it isn’t as brutal as last year’s, it still looks difficult. The Steelers face several of the NFL’s best teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Ravens (twice). If they want to finally win a playoff game this year, they’ll face some tough tests, especially if they don’t upgrade at quarterback. Analyst Jason McIntyre doesn’t believe the Steelers have any chance of making the playoffs, even if Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, was playing for them.
“This Steelers schedule is not good,” McIntyre said Thursday on FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “I’m not going out on a limb here, they ain’t making the playoffs. I don’t care if [Aaron] Rodgers shows up, I don’t care if Tom Brady suits up. They’re not making the playoffs.”
While Brady retired after the 2022 season, McIntyre is likely using his name to emphasize his point that he doesn’t care who’s going to be under center for the Steelers. For what it’s worth, if the Steelers were able to add Brady in his prime to their current team, they’d probably jump for joy.
The Steelers’ roster isn’t perfect, but if they add even a decent quarterback, they could be a postseason contender. Their defense is stellar, and they shored up some of their holes this offseason. While they traded George Pickens, they still have DK Metcalf. Their young offensive line should be poised to take a step forward this year, too.
At the moment, Mason Rudolph is the Steelers’ starting quarterback. If that remains, it’s fair to doubt their odds of making the playoffs. However, it seems likely that Rodgers will eventually sign with Pittsburgh.
Although Rodgers isn’t the same player he once was, he looked better toward the end of the 2024 season. If the Steelers get that version of him, then they could be better than they were in 2024. They’ve made the playoffs with bad quarterback play before. Why should there be more doubt surrounding them if they upgrade under center?
Maybe the Steelers will miss the playoffs this year. That’s entirely possible, especially with the way their 2024 season ended. However, giving them no chance might be a mistake. Tomlin’s Steelers have proved doubters wrong before.
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