The Steelers, who have missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season, will need to conduct some introspection this offseason. On Monday, team owner Art Rooney II expressed his frustrations with his team’s perceived stagnation.
“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.”
This year, head coach Mike Tomlin extended his record of 17 consecutive winning seasons. That is no longer acceptable to the organization or the supporters. For many years, Pittsburgh took great satisfaction in its ability to compete for Super Bowls, but that hasn’t happened in a while.
Despite a good class of players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Rooney II believes the Steelers are not as far off as many imagine.
“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.”
Who will start at quarterback for Pittsburgh in 2024 is still the greatest unknown. In 25 games over the past two years, Kenny Pickett—the team’s first-round choice in 2022—has thrown just 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Rooney II, meanwhile, still appears to believe 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.”
During the last month of the season, Rudolph completed 945 yards of passing with five touchdowns and one interception. But this summer, he will be eligible to become a free agency. In any case, both athletes have a lot to prove the following season.
In order to avoid missing the playoffs or going winless in the postseason for the eighth consecutive year in 2024, general manager Omar Khan’s Steelers will need to have another outstanding offseason, regardless of who the QB1 is.