Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Brother of Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II has a tone-deaf take on Mike Tomlin and the current state of the franchise

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 6:31 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most stable franchises in the NFL.

But recently, stable has meant finishing just above .500 in the regular season and getting bounced in round one of the playoffs.

Yet, if you listen to the brother of Steelers owner Art Rooney, you'll think that's just fine...

Jim Rooney Defends Mike Tomlin

“I think it’s an organization issue, not just Mike,” Rooney told Ross Tucker. “I think all of us are responsible for the outcomes, but I think we take responsibility. I don’t want to get into excuse making, but the reality is we outperform the NFL mean at a greater rate than just about any team for the last 25 years...

“..I think if this was a boxing match and you were judging the competition, not just looking at the winning percentage, you would say that we have performed in a harder circumstance than most and outperformed them. Having said that, I understand no one wants to lose playoff games. The goal is to win the Super Bowl, and you have to get to there. You have to get to playoff games, which we do well, and you have to win playoff games, which we haven’t.”

It's true. The majority of the NFL would die for 10-7, playoff appearances and yearly relevance. But the last time I checked, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not the majority of the NFL.

They are tied for the most Super Bowls in league history and are one of the most notable franchsies in of all of sport. So when did it become ok to settle for one-and-done playoff appearances, average QB play and skating just above .500.

Those are all questions that the Rooney's need to answer.

So while Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and the players bear a lot of criticism, it starts from the top down in any business, and right now, the top looks like it may have lost its way in Pittsburgh.