The Steelers last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy following the 2008 season. When will we see another Super Bowl victory?
While my son and I were watching Super Bowl LVI, we were talking about whether or not the Steelers would another Super Bowl while we were both young enough to enjoy it. Of course, that was a ‘tongue and cheek’ conversation, but it did make me think about this: Are we closer to or further away from another Super Bowl victory?
The answer to that question is a complex one and I think it really depends on your perspective. If you look at it from the ‘glass half full’ perspective, you would say the Steelers are closer to winning another Super Bowl than we are further away from winning another one.
The reverse would be true if you look at it from the ‘glass half empty’ perspective. Regardless of what perspective you choose to employ, I think the answer is that we are equally closer to and further away from winning another Super Bowl.
Will the Steelers become Super Bowl contenders in the short term or in the long term?
Based solely on the way the 2021 season ended, I would say that we are further away from winning another Super Bowl than we are closer to winning another one. Yes, we made the playoffs and that was great; however, we got summarily dispatched in the first round. The game was close for about a quarter and a half but that was really it.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers were terrible. While there were some bright spots, it was pretty evident, at least to me, that we have a lot of work to do, particularly in the trenches, if we want to be competitive in 2022.
With our future Hall of Fame QB hanging up the cleats, there exists a ton of uncertainty surrounding who will be the signal-caller for 2022. Even if we end up drafting a QB in the first round, will he be ready to play day one? Would the Steelers even want him to play day one or would we want him to sit and learn?
On the defensive side of the ball, I think there is more optimism than on the offensive side of the ball. With T.J. Watt earning the Defensive Player of the Year honors, I feel pretty good about the state of the defense heading into 2022.
As phenomenal as Watt is, he is one player and cannot play all eleven positions on defense. What that means is that the Steelers must get him some legitimate pass rush help either via free agency or the draft or both. A ‘Batman’ is nothing without a legitimate ‘Robin’. I think Alex Highsmith can be ‘Robin’, but he and Watt can play every snap.
Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick are fantastic, but, again, they need legitimate, complementary players to help them. If the Steelers can either sign quality free agents or draft quality players on the defensive side of the ball, I think we will have a Super Bowl-caliber defense.
No matter how free agency or the draft shakes out, I think Mike Tomlin will have to strike a balance between incorporating the new players into either side of the ball and getting the veterans ‘amped up’ to play ‘above the line’ football.
If Tomlin can do that, I think we will have a chance to be in the Super Bowl discussion for years to come.