A summation of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason before it happens:
• Mike Tomlin retained as coach, given contract extension. (Already halfway home on that.)
• Somebody connected to the organization or city hired as offensive coordinator. Byron Leftwich seems the heavy favorite. #BuddySystem
• Mitch Trubisky cut. Mason Rudolph leaves via free agency. Generic veteran signed as backup quarterback. Josh Dobbs seems the heavy favorite. Pressure on Kenny Pickett negated. It’s the football equivalent of burning the boats.
• Cameron Heyward retained whether he’s washed up or not, takes minimal pay cut by way of both sides saving face.
• Ideas bandied about that have zero chance of happening: “Get Justin Fields from Chicago!” “Sign Kirk Cousins!”
All this leads to the Steelers going 9-8 or 10-7 next season. They will narrowly miss or make the playoffs. If they qualify for the postseason, they will be eliminated in the wild-card round. Eight years, no playoff wins.
In the interim, we will discuss and viciously debate all the above. The talk will be repetitive, endless and mind-numbing.
It will lead to the conclusions reached. We know what’s going to happen. But we keep throwing gasoline on a fire that never ignites.
It will be all that matters. Sidney Crosby’s incredible play at 36 will be overshadowed by Leftwich vs. Luke Getsy, or whatever else is imagined for the offensive coordinator contretemps. If Paul Skenes starts the season with the Pirates and throws BBs, it takes a back seat to quarterback talk. (He won’t.)
This is what too many of you want.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are content being what they are: Every game is meaningful, but they never get to games that are truly meaningful.
Anyway, we know what’s going to happen. Any discussion is moot.
We are in the participation trophy era of the Steelers, as exemplified by Tomlin proclaiming retired center Maurkice Pouncey “a world champion because that guy is.”
Pouncey was a great player and excellent leader. But he never won a Super Bowl. You either do or don’t. Rings aren’t handed out subjectively. Pouncey played 10 seasons and didn’t win one. He wasn’t a bystander.
