Inconsistent Steelers show no signs of escaping mediocrity

How Steelers' lack of risk-taking has left them stuck in mediocrity

Much has been made of the Steelers' 21 consecutive non-losing seasons, which is tied with the 1965-85 Dallas Cowboys for the longest streak in NFL history. While that streak indicates an impressive run of stability, it also reveals a concerning commitment to the status quo. 

The Steelers rarely take big swings in free agency, as linebacker Patrick Queen is the only player in franchise history to receive a free-agent contract surpassing $30M. Save for a 2019 trade for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have also largely avoided moving valuable picks for star talent, and their recent draft history has been fairly unremarkable. 

The Steelers have proven satisfied with trusting their core of players, and while that was a solid strategy during the days of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown, all it’s gotten them in the last seven seasons is four wild-card losses. 

To their credit, the Steelers shook things up this season, signing future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and trading for Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf. Yet rather than commit full-stop to an aerial attack, they promptly flipped wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys, and he is currently on pace for a career-best season. 

The Steelers look stuck between their usual ground-and-pound offense and the offense Rodgers has run throughout his illustrious career, and the result is a unit that ranks in the bottom 10 in both passing and rushing yards per game.

The Steelers defense has been a similar story. With head coach Mike Tomlin calling the shots and star linebacker T.J. Watt still in his prime, they will always be somewhat competent, but years of uninspired free-agency hauls and mediocre draft picks have finally caught up to them. 

They have landed some solid contributors, like cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and linebacker Alex Highsmith, in the draft. But rather than look for impact players in free agency and trades, the Steelers have frequently targeted over-the-hill stars like cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. Unsurprisingly, the strategy of building a secondary around 30-year-olds has proved unsuccessful, as they currently rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.

Even with their flaws, there is still enough talent on the Steelers roster and enough experience on their coaching staff to stay in the playoff hunt all season long. At the same time, Sunday proved once again they cannot be trusted against elite competition, and pending a shift in roster-building philosophy, their streak of eight consecutive seasons without a playoff win isn’t likely to end anytime soon.