A lot has changed during the 2020 offseason, but here’s why the Steelers are at an advantage when it comes to training camp this year.
The Steelers had a lot of chips that didn’t fall their way last year. Ben Roethlisberger landed on IR after just two weeks of football, and quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges fell apart late in the sesaon. Despite a defense that finished top six in every major statistical category, Pittsburgh disappointed with an 8-8 record last season.
Fortunately, their luck may be about to change. Though it will certainly take some time to get Roethlisberger back up to his 2018 form, the Steelers have some things going for them that other teams do not his year.
For starters, Pittsburgh has one of the most consistent and experienced head coaches in the league. While Mike Tomlin may have his flaws like anyone else, he is one of the most consistent head coaches in the National Football League. Since joining the team in 2007, Tomlin has gone 133-74-1 as the Steelers head coach, according to Pro Football Reference. What’s even more impressive is that he has yet to have a losing season in his 13 years as head coach.
Another advantage the Steelers have in training camp this year is their veteran leadership. While sometimes rely on young captains to carry their team under unusual circumstances this year, Pittsburgh has a team full of veteran leaders who have faced their share of adversity. Players like Roethlisberger, Alejandro Villanueva, Maurkice Pouncey, Cameron Heyward, and Joe Haden gives the Steelers unmatched veteran leadership on both sides of the ball.
While so many other NFL teams experiencing turnover with players and coaches this year, the Steelers are not. Apart from losing starters Ramon Foster and Javon Hargrave this offseason, Pittsburgh did not have any key losses. On the flip side, Roethlisberger and Stephon Tuitt are both returning from injuries that ended their seasons last year. In addition, Pittsburgh’s acquisition of veteran players like Eric Ebron, Stefen Wisniewski, and Chris Wormley should only help their cause.
There are reports that the salary cap could take a drastic dip all the way down to $175 million next season. If that becomes the case, the Steelers will already be well over the cap with just 43 players under contract for next year. 2020 could very well be Pittsburgh’s final year to really make a Super Bowl run for quite some time.
Though the future doesn’t look promising for Pittsburgh, we can at least take some level of comfort in the 2020 season knowing that we have a consistent head coach and veteran leadership that should give the Steelers advantage. Let’s hope they take advantage of all opportunities this year.