The Steelers have some soul-searching to do this offseason after not winning a playoff game for the seventh straight year. Owner Art Rooney II voiced his frustrations about his team, which feels stuck in mediocrity, on Monday.
“We’ve had enough of this. It’s time to get some wins,” Rooney II told reporters. “It’s time to take these next steps. There’s some urgency there, for sure.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin increased his non-losing seasons streak to 17 this year. That is no longer good enough for fans or the organization. Pittsburgh prided itself on contending for Super Bowls for years, but that hasn’t been the case in a while.
Rooney II doesn’t think the Steelers are as far off as many believe they are, however, after a strong 2023 NFL Draft class.
“I think it’s fair to say that I do feel that we’re closer [to contending] at this stage of the game than we were at this point last year,” Rooney II added. “I think we have a core group of players and we can compete with this group.”
The biggest question that remains is who Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback will be in 2024. Kenny Pickett, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, has thrown just 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 games the last two years. But Rooney II still seems to have faith in him.
“We still feel comfortable with Kenny,” Rooney II said. “But we can’t discount what Mason [Rudolph] did and can’t discount the fact that having competition at quarterback will be good for everybody.”
Rudolph threw for 945 yards, five touchdowns and one interception over the last month of the season. However, he is set to become a free agent this offseason. Either way, both players have a lot to prove next year.
Whoever the QB1 is, the Steelers are going to need another magical offseason by general manager Omar Khan if they want to avoid missing the playoffs or being one-and-done in the postseason for the eighth straight year in 2024.