Crazy Prediction Has Steelers Worse But Same In 2025

With the draft and free agency in the rearview mirror and OTAs commencing around the league, we're suddenly only 100 days from the start of the NFL season.

While teams install their offenses and build chemistry, it's time for the predictions to start rolling in. ESPN produced a Top 100 list this week, with the Pittsburgh Steelers featured for all the wrong reasons.

Under its "11 Jobs With Question Marks" section, the Steelers' saga with Aaron Rodgers was obviously got attention.

"Don't actually watch this job," ESPN writes. "Whatever the result, it will be too painful to even observe. Mason Rudolph against Skylar Thompson and Will Howard with the hope that Aaron Rodgers shows up?"

Rodgers or not, the network is predicting a fall-off by Pittsburgh this season. That, of course, is a scary proposition because it's not too fall of a far from last year's 10-7 Wild Card berth to missing the playoffs.

They call the swaps at receiver (George Pickens for DK Metcalf)  and running back (Najee Harris for Kaleb Johnson) washes and worry about the departure of left tackle Dan Moore. And then there is the Rodgers conundrum.

"Even if Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers, I'm not convinced the offense is better than last season," ESPN writes. "And for the (decently big!) chance Rodgers does not join the Steelers, this team is clearly worse than in 2024. Still, as always with a Mike Tomlin-coached team, that decrease in team strength may not lead to an actual decrease in win total."

So the Steelers will be worse ... but with the same record? With these types of confounding predictions, it's going to be a long 100 days.