It was a very quick end for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the postseason. The disappointment again shines the light on continued years of dashed hopes for the franchise.
It was another disappointing season for Pittsburgh after being able to create a 12-4 record in the regular season. The standard is the standard as Mike Tomlin says and that standard was not met. The Steelers were able to win one of the toughest divisions in football but they did nothing in the postseason. The standard for the black and yellow has been a postseason success and Super Bowl contention but those days are dwindling. Franchise quarterbacks do not grow on trees and their aging one could be hanging up the cleats for good. Even if he returns this will not be as good of a team as last season and Ben Roethlisberger will continue to age.
The immediate future of this franchise does not seem amazing when it comes to potential championship caliber. They will still have pieces next season but many players will leave the team due to cap implications. It will need a haul of hits for this team to rebound and even have a shot at the trophy next season. It does have a feeling of the year before Super Bowl 40 where the team highly performed and ultimately failed in the playoffs. The following year they would struggle at times but fight their way to a championship.
Those are very high hopes for a team that is sitting at a crossroads. They are having cap issues with many players leaving. It is a retooling year that could easily lead to a rebuilding one after the following season if other pieces retire or leave the team.