Most Pittsburgh Steelers fans would tell you the standard has dropped in recent years. A franchise used to winning Super Bowls hasn’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade. Losers of their last six, the Steelers aren’t going to command any respect in the postseason until they start proving they belong there. Former NFL cornerback Jason McCourty thinks that tide might start to change this year.
“I do like the Pittsburgh Steelers,” McCourty said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “I like them to win a playoff game this year, I look at them as a team, I do think they take those steps, but I don’t have them as a Super Bowl contender.”
The issues that plagued the Steelers at the end of the 2024 season are some of the same ones that have hurt them in the playoffs in years past. Two of the biggest ones last year were inconsistent quarterback play and a defense that faded after a strong start.
The additions the Steelers made this offseason seem like a direct effort to fix both those things. Offensively, they added Aaron Rodgers, who had a terrific end to the 2024 season. More importantly, his football IQ and arm talent immediately add more to this offense. Defensively, Pittsburgh beefed up its front seven with three draft selections in the first five rounds. The Steelers also brought in a ton of new faces in the secondary.
That secondary is part of the reason McCourty is confident in Pittsburgh.
“[Darius Slay] and [Jalen] Ramsey out there, I think are gonna be special.” McCourty said. “And then Joey Porter Jr. For those guys, you have a Joey Porter Jr. on the outside, who can go and follow around the other team’s No. 1 wide receiver. Which makes Slay and Ramsey’s job a lot easier. I think from a confidence standpoint, and what they’re bringing on the defensive side of the ball, they have nothing but dawgs out there.”
The franchise is long removed from its last playoff win. Thus, a winner’s mentality is something the organization sought to bring in this offseason. It’s evident in additions like Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey. Both are veterans who have plenty of experience in the postseason and have won it all before. Slay and Kenneth Gainwell each came over from last season’s champion, the Philadelphia Eagles. And even as far down as the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft, the Steelers chose national championship winners in Jack Sawyer and Will Howard.
The Steelers desperately need to win a playoff game. Fans want Super Bowls, but until they prove they can win in the playoffs, that’s hardly even a discussion. The organization brought in as many players with winning experience as it could. Especially on the defensive side of the ball. Time will tell if that’s enough to get the Steelers over the hump.
