The Pittsburgh Steelers have come up short in the playoffs for the past eight years. Despite usually being in the postseason picture, the Steelers have failed to make any real noise. Trying to get that monkey off their back, they signed Aaron Rodgers, hoping he can elevate their team. However, former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long doesn’t believe that this year will end in success for Pittsburgh.
“Two years from now is the year, not this year, in my belief,” Long said recently on his Green Light with Chris Long podcast. “This year could be interesting, fun.
“Listen, it’s tough sledding in that division, and I don’t think they got good enough around [Rodgers] where they’re serious players in the AFC. But if they become serious players in the AFC, a lot of fun. The floor with this team is .500 every year.”
Even with Rodgers, the Steelers probably aren’t going to win the Super Bowl this year. The competition in the AFC might be too much for them to overcome. That starts with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
The list also includes the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers’ biggest rival. Long is correct that the AFC North looks like a gauntlet again this year. As long as they have Lamar Jackson, the Ravens should be dangerous. Likewise, Joe Burrow could carry the Cincinnati Bengals to a great season, despite their poor defense.
The Steelers have a talented roster, but it’s not perfect. At 41 years old, there’s no telling how Rodgers will look this year. Also, keeping him upright will be extremely important, but Pittsburgh’s offensive line is still very young and unproven in spots. The Steelers also lack another major playmaker on offense to go along with DK Metcalf. While that could change, at the moment, it’s one of their greatest flaws.
The Steelers haven’t suffered a losing season since 2003. That could change this year, but with Mike Tomlin as their head coach, the Steelers are almost always in the playoff picture. Unless things go terribly wrong, that doesn’t seem likely to change this year.
This season, the Steelers will likely go as far as Rodgers can take them. Quarterback play has held them back since Ben Roethlisberger retired. If Rodgers can recapture some of his former glory, maybe they’ll win a playoff game. That isn’t their ultimate goal, but that could make for a successful season. At the very least, that would probably be more fun than how things have been going for them during the last few years.
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