Going into the 2024 season, many analysts had low expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some even thought they’d finish at the bottom of the AFC North. Instead, they made the playoffs, although the season was ultimately disappointing because of their five-game losing streak. Heading into the 2025 season, there might be low expectations around the Steelers again, but don’t tell them that. They made a move to improve right now by trading for DK Metcalf. Cam Heyward believes the Steelers think they’re close to winning a Super Bowl.
“I think we’re in a state of urgency,” Heyward said Friday on The Rich Eisen Show. “We have a lot of guys, like myself, that are in the latter stages of their career. We all wanna win. It’s not just enough to win a playoff game, which we haven’t won in a couple years. And there’s a bad taste in our mouth because of that.”
Urgent does feel like the right word to describe how the Steelers have acted over the past few years. After Ben Roethlisberger retired, they tried to hit a mini reset, drafting Kenny Pickett. However, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t going to work out. That didn’t cause them to try to reset again, though.
Instead, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl champion. They believed his veteran wisdom and experience could help to instantly make them competitive again. That ultimately wasn’t the case, but that isn’t stopping them from going to that well again.
Aaron Rodgers is visiting the Steelers’ training facility today and meeting with their coaching staff, as @gerrydulac reported. No deal at this time is close, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2025
The Steelers are reportedly pursuing Aaron Rodgers, with it seeming more and more likely that he’s going to end up in Pittsburgh. That would be a move to help the Steelers win now. Even though they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, it seems like they’re intent on going after a Super Bowl.
During that same appearance, Heyward explained more about why he feels like the Steelers are making moves with a sense of urgency.
“Urgency to do it before we have multiple guys that hang it up. You have a guy like T.J. Watt, you don’t just get a T.J. Watt, and you sit on that T.J. Watt. You make sure you maximize those opportunities to win at a high level.
“And with Minkah Fitzpatrick, All-Pro guys that are soon to be Hall of Famers that we have so much respect for, we gotta win now. It’s not enough to look towards the future and say, ‘Oh, two or three years out we could be very good.’ Two or three years out we could be a totally, completely different team. So, we gotta make the most of this right now.”
It’s true that many parts of the Steelers’ core are getting closer to the end of their careers. Heyward is the biggest example. He’s going into his 15th year in the league. Somehow, he was still an elite player last year, but it’s unclear how much longer he can keep that up. His championship window is closing.
The same could likely be said for Watt and Fitzpatrick, although not to the same degree. Watt will turn 31 this year, so while he likely has multiple years left in the NFL, that number is growing smaller. Fitzpatrick is in a similar situation, turning 29 this year.
This group might not have many years left together. That’s probably why Tomlin and the Steelers refuse to hit the reset button, even if that could be better in the long run. Players like Heyward can’t risk waiting until next year.
The Steelers have reflected that sense of urgency in their actions. Metcalf helps them win right now. Rodgers is the best quarterback option available, even if he isn’t the same player he once was. Pittsburgh can probably only wring a few more Super Bowl pushes out of this group.
While they’ve been disappointing in the playoffs, they clearly want to change that. Heyward probably doesn’t want to retire with that postseason losing streak hanging over his head.
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