The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the NFL’s most illustrious franchises for a reason, as they’ve won six Super Bowls. Although the Super Bowl isn’t something they’ve been close to for nearly a decade, that doesn’t mean they’re not trying, according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
“When I check with people in Pittsburgh, they all say the same thing,” Fowler said Friday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “We are trying to build a Super Bowl-winning roster. Whether they have a quarterback or not to do that is the question. But around the quarterback, they have a lot of pieces.”
The Steelers are in an interesting situation. Defensively, things are secure. They have their stars locked into place on that side of the ball, and they’re ready to win now. Offensively, things are a little different. In DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers, they have two players with a history of success. Aside from them, much of that unit is young and unproven. Nearly the entire offensive line is, as well as their receiving corps with Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. They’re even young in the backfield, with rookie Kaleb Johnson set to take on a large workload this year.
With a massive amount of 2026 draft capital, the Steelers are trying to win now while also retooling for the future. But how ready are the Steelers to compete for a Super Bowl this season?
Defensively, it’s really hard to be unhappy. Pittsburgh beefed up its front seven, especially through the draft. Derrick Harmon should be a massive help for the interior defensive line, a group that was gashed week in and week out toward the end of last season. Yahya Black will help stop the run as well. Jack Sawyer provides more youth on the edge, able to learn behind some talented veterans in front of him.
In the secondary, there’s the potential for success, but it’s a group that hasn’t played together much. DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter Jr. have experience together. However, Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey and Juan Thornhill are all new additions, and all should have a prominent role this year. They’ll need time to jell, but it should be one of the better secondaries in the NFL.
Most of the questions are on the offensive side of the ball. The line has to protect Rodgers, and even then, Pittsburgh is still relying on a 41-year-old quarterback to succeed. That, plus youth at the skill positions, makes this unit hard to project.
At the end of the day, even if they don’t succeed this year, many fans still got their wish. After a string of first-round playoff exits, Pittsburgh clearly changed course this offseason with several massive moves. It may or may not work out, but at least the Steelers took a different approach in search of a Super Bowl.
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