After another season ended in disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin, and Art Rooney II are putting their heads together to prevent another early exit from the playoffs. But finding answers to the team's toughest questions won't be easy.
It starts at the quarterback position. Russell Wilson squandered one opportunity after the next late in the season as the Steelers posted an 0-5 record to close out the year while averaging 14 points per game. Meanwhile, Tomlin didn't have enough confidence in Justin Fields to turn to his backup quarterback after things went south.
Finding a QB worthy of leading the franchise could be a multi-year process (as it already has been), but Rooney II is open to the idea of retaining Wilson or Fields for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh's problems stretch beyond the quarterback position, as they have glaring holes at wide receiver and defensive tackle while lacking quality depth and competent options at cornerback and running back.
Now the front office has to make a choice: is this team going all in for a chance to win now or going all out for a future rebuild?
Steelers must choose the direction of the franchise immediately
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results. Though we can trick ourselves into believing that the Steelers make significant changes over the years, it's been much of the same. Russell Wilson proved to be the same quarterback Denver paid to make go away and the Steelers' free agent spending (I'm looking at you, Patrick Queen) didn't pay dividends.
The last thing this franchise can afford to do is stand pat and 'run it back' with essentially the same team next year. They need to decide if they are going to make blockbuster moves to potentially open a Super Bowl window or stockpile draft capital to eventually find a franchise quarterback and build the roster from the ground up.
I can tell you which option this team won't be doing (it's the latter). It's not in the DNA of Mike Tomlin or Art Rooney II to make a play for the future. It's all about being good in the present. If this is the option they are choosing, the Steelers need to make a serious push to bolster their roster during the 2025 offseason.
The best players on the team, by all accounts, are T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward. Watt will turn 31 years old early in the 2025 season while Heyward turns 36 years old shortly after the NFL Draft this year. Because of this, the time to act is now.
Instead of sitting on their hands and hoping one of Fields or Wilson will re-sign with the team this offseason, the Steelers should get aggressive and trade for a quarterback. The latest reports suggest Matthew Stafford's time with the LA Rams could be coming to an end. Meanwhile, wide receiver Cooper Kupp is officially on the trade block.
If the Steelers aren't believers in these aging Rams players, they need to pursue a blockbuster deal elsewhere. This team is already fighting against a conservative game plan from Mike Tomlin and they've got a lot to overcome if they want to be legitimate contenders again.
By unloading draft capital for proven veteran players at important positions, the Steelers could open up a two-year window to compete for a Super Bowl before Heyward retires and Watt is past his prime. Once that happens, a rebuild will be inevitable—and Tomlin may not be willing to stick around for that.
The Steelers' goal should always be getting back to the Super Bowl. Now it's time for Pittsburgh's brass to decide if they want to sell out for a chance to crack a championship window open now or start preparing for the future. Running it back can't be an option in 2025.