An optimist's guide to the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers

Head coach Mike Tomlin always has the Steelers contending for a spot in the playoffs, but the team seems to be stuck in mediocrity, having not won a postseason game since the 2016 season.

Here's why Pittsburgh will finally win a playoff game and maybe even be a dark horse Super Bowl contender in 2024.

Improved quarterback room

Last season, quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky combined for just 13 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The room needed to be revamped and that's exactly what the Steelers did, signing Russell Wilson in free agency and trading a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick to the Bears for Justin Fields.

Wilson alone had double the amount of passing touchdowns (26) and fewer interceptions (8) in 2023. He believes Pittsburgh has the chance to catch a lot of teams by surprise.

"It's an exciting team," Wilson said. "We're excited for the opportunity to really do something special."

Neither Wilson nor Fields could be the Steelers' next franchise quarterback, but both should be an upgrade over what the team had last year at the very least.

Rebuilt offensive line

Pittsburgh has continued to rebuild its offensive line over the past couple of years and it seems the team has finally put the finishing touches on it this offseason.

The Steelers used their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft on offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier. Both players have the capability of being Week 1 starters.

Frazier may be the more likely of the two to do so since the team never added a center after releasing 2023 starter Mason Cole in February. Veteran Nate Herbig has been taking reps as the first-team center during OTAs, but Frazier has been coming along "quickly," according to veteran guard Isaac Seumalo.

Nonetheless, both players should see the field sooner rather than later in 2024.

More stars on defense

Pittsburgh's defense was already star-studded heading into the offseason, but that wasn't enough for general manager Omar Khan.

The "Khan Artist" worked his magic again, signing former Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen and an underrated safety in DeShon Elliott. This will allow Minkah Fitzpatrick to play in the middle of the defense, where he earned All-Pro honors in 2020 and 2022.

The Steelers also traded for veteran cornerback Donte Jackson to play opposite rising star Joey Porter Jr. Many have questioned if Jackson can still hold his own on the outside, but he revealed Pittsburgh is not among them with the belief he can shadow top talent just like Porter Jr.

"When I first got traded here, they basically said, 'Get ready to go match. Get ready to go follow guys. Get ready to go do what we know you do well,'" Jackson stated. "They just knew I'd be a perfect corner for the system and this division."

Not to mention, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward will finally be healthy following an injury-riddled 2023 campaign.