The Steelers have Super Bowl expectations every year, and this year is no different, says NFL commentator Peter Schrager. Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show yesterday, he made it very clear what he believes the team is thinking. Regardless of what those on the outside think, the minds of those in the organization operate differently.
“To me, this is the best situation that Pittsburgh’s been in in years. These guys are gonna galvanize and they will rally around Aaron Rodgers”, Schrager said. The Steelers “didn’t go and pay DK Metcalf $30 million to not have Super Bowl expectations. They didn’t go and sign Aaron Rodgers at 41 years old and wait, sit on their hands all summer to do this to not have Super Bowl expectations”.
At the start of the new league year, Pittsburgh acquired WR DK Metcalf via trade, costing them a second-round pick. Upon acquisition, they signed him to a five-year, $150 million contract. Though they made overtures to other quarterbacks, they waited on Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP. The Steelers may not think he is still the same guy who beat them in the Super Bowl, but they don’t need that to win.
“This is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they think that these moves make them better than last year”, Schrager said. Of course, the Steelers didn’t come anywhere close to a Super Bowl last year, marking another first-round exit. That has been their ceiling for a while now, their last playoff win coming back in 2016.
Schrager pointed out that his colleagues would roll their eyes when he talks about the Steelers having Super Bowl expectations for themselves this year. Most believe that they will, at best, make it to a Wild Card game again, and likely lose. “That’s not what they believe” though, he said.
“I will say this: they believe internally they’re in a lot better place right now than they were a year ago”.
Last year, Pittsburgh had Russell Wilson at quarterback, Najee Harris at running back, and Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle. They still have a No. 2 WR problem, though, so that hasn’t changed until proven otherwise. But do Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Kaleb Johnson, and Broderick Jones make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender?
Well, that’s a tough ask playing in the same conference as the Chiefs and the Bills. That’s a tough ask playing in the same division as the Ravens, and even the Bengals. If Cincinnati can get its defense right, it certainly has a championship offense. Some believe the Steelers have Super Bowl-caliber defense, but perhaps not one that can carry the offense.
This is definitely a year of ifs, even more so than usual. If the Steelers can get the best of Aaron Rodgers, if the offensive line jells, if the defense communicates, if this, if that; if they get all these things in place, then maybe they can compete for a Super Bowl. But let’s start with just getting past the Wild Card Round and winning a postseason game, shall we?
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