For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, there’s been no bigger issue in recent seasons than their poor playoff record. Over the last eight years, Mike Tomlin and his crew are just 2-6. Additionally, they haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. But the recent signing of Aaron Rodgers has some believing they may finally be able to escape those playoff demons.
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The Steelers inked Rodgers to a one-year, $13.65 million contract this past week. He’ll be a great replacement for Russell Wilson, who led the team to the playoffs last season before bowing out in the first round. The club also signed star cornerback Darius Slay to a one-year, $10 million deal after the Philadelphia Eagles released him.
It’s these types of smart signings that have fans expecting Tomlin and company to get off the schneid and finally make a deeper postseason run. That includes ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who believes it’s entirely doable — not just because of Rodgers, but because of their defense.
“I think winning a playoff game is doable. I think defensively, they’ve got some ballers on that side of the football. This guy that they drafted out of Oregon, Derrick Harmon, on the defensive line, him and Cam Heyward have to be a problem,” Riddick said on First Take.
The comments must have given the Steelers faithful some sense of hope. However, Riddick quickly brought them back down to earth with his realistic expectations.
“But I think their ceiling is capped. They’re not going to contend for a Super Bowl,” he added.
It’s hard to imagine the Steelers making a run at a Lombardi in 2025-26. Even though they’ve drafted well, bolstered their defense, and signed Rodgers, it still might not be enough. Other AFC teams have also drafted well, made key free agent signings, and have a track record of recent success to lean on.
Given how stacked the AFC looks right now, Riddick doesn’t view the Steelers and Rodgers as serious contenders.
“The AFC is loaded. Loaded! There are some teams right now, I mean, it’s going to be absolutely brutal once you get to the final four in the AFC… The Super Bowl representative for the AFC is coming out of the West, and it may be Kansas City, it may not. Just keep an eye on them Chargers,” Riddick professed.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the favorite to once again make it out of the AFC. But the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens cannot be forgotten about. Additionally, like Riddick says, the Chargers are looking to build off their success from last season. The Broncos are also looking to do the same.
Beyond them, though, the Raiders retooled and are looking to make an impact. The Bengals, meanwhile, locked up their offensive weapons and are going to be tough to beat. And the Jaguars just drafted Travis Hunter and could also surprise us this coming season. All in all, it’s a bloodbath waiting for the Steelers and Rodgers in the AFC.
Despite all of this, Stephen A. Smith still believes that Rodgers and Tomlin will be a good pairing because they share similar playoff motivations.
“Rodgers beat Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the Super Bowl back in 2010. Since then, his playoff record is 7-9. Mike Tomlin is 3-9. So, they got some things in common. They’re both equally motivated, we’ll see what happens,” Stephen A. said.
It is quite funny how full circle things have come. When Rodgers beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl in 2010, none of us probably ever imagined we’d be seeing him donning the black and yellow one day in the far future. But so much has changed since then.
At the end of the day, Riddick isn’t wrong; the Steelers’ ceiling is certainly capped. When you consider the external factors, the competition is just too high in the AFC right now, and Pittsburgh seems like they’re just trying to keep up.
But at the same time, the Steelers have always been well-coached and tend to perform above expectations. As much as some other fanbases want to write them off, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them competing for playoff positioning late in the season. The question is, can they finally get over the hump and win a game once they’re there?
Probably not. But with Rodgers’ veteran leadership and Tomlin’s guidance, maybe the two will surprise everyone and go on a Cinderella run. That seems to be the Steelers’ motto at this point: defy expectations.
