The Pittsburgh Steelers overhauled their roster this offseason, but the team added a lot of older veterans. CBs Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey are both over 30, QB Aaron Rodgers is 41 and the Steelers already had a veteran core with the likes of Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt also over 30. So it’s no surprise that the Steelers are one of the oldest teams in football, specifically the second-oldest. The Steelers’ average of 27.28 is only younger than the Washington Commanders with an average age of 28.09, per a study by Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.
Just because the Steelers are older, doesn’t mean they’re going to be bad. They brought in a lot of players with championship experience this offseason. They need that experience and leadership to chase their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl. And it’s not like everyone the Steelers brought in is a step away from the senior center. Ramsey is still capable of playing at a high level, Rodgers looked better in the second half last season, and the team also acquired 27-year-old DK Metcalf, who is expected to be their top wideout.
There’s no real correlation between age and success. Three of the five oldest teams this year are expected to make the playoffs in the Commanders, Steelers and Lions, and last year’s 31st-oldest team, the Minnesota Vikings, went 14-3 and made the playoffs. Of course, it’s also not a detriment to be younger. The Green Bay Packers (average age of 25.23) and the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (25.49) have the two youngest rosters in the league, and both teams have a bright future and are expected to be good this year.
Last year, the Eagles had an average age of 25.6 when they won the Super Bowl. In 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs had an average age of 25.5. For Super Bowl winners, the Steelers’ best comp this year is the one that you may expect – the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who ranked 26th with an average of 26.3. That’s younger than what the Steelers have now, but both had older quarterbacks, with Tom Brady leading Tampa and Rodgers leading the Steelers, mixed in with older playmakers around the field and a few young guys capable of stepping up and making plays.
The Steelers don’t need to be young to be good. The collective experience of the roster should be a benefit for a team that has continually failed to get over the hump and has lost in its first playoff game in every appearance since 2016. Adding players who have a ring on their finger, no matter how old, should help this team find its footing when it’s win or go home in January.
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