Belief In Steelers' Art Rooney II's "Acceptance Of The Status Quo" Is Ill-Advised In 2025

After the Pittsburgh Steelers lost the last five games of the 2024 season, including the Wild Card game against the Baltimore Ravens, many fans were outraged. They anxiously awaited the owner to address the fans, hoping to hear that Steelers Team President Art Rooney II was equally upset and prayed he would bring massive changes to get the team back to playoff success.  

The change they seemed to want the most was the firing of Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Much to their chagrin, Rooney said the franchise still has faith in Tomlin and affirmed that they would not be parting ways with the Super Bowl-winning coach anytime soon. 

Bob Labriola, the editor from Steelers.com, recently joined Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE. Show host Randy Baumann said that what upset him the most from Rooney's media session was his comment about how he doesn't believe the Steelers are far from where they need to be to win in the postseason. Baumann said that it sounded to him like they believed they had all the parts, but just failed to execute with them. 

"I'm gonna disagree with your characterization a little bit," said Labriola. "I remember at one point, Art talking about the games that had just been played at the conference championship level, and he said something about when you look at those teams, and the Steelers lost five in a row, it's clear that we're not close. I'm paraphrasing. I don't want to characterize what he said as acceptance of the status quo because I don't think that that's the case. You don't want to show your hand too much, like with the quarterbacks."

From most fans' points of view, the Steelers are missing quite a few pieces. They failed to secure a solid number two wide receiver after trading Diontae Johnson. This allowed George Pickens to be taken out of action by many of the defenses they played. The Black and Gold also had an offensive line that had sustained multiple season-ending injuries. 

Rooney did acknowledge that one of the most significant decisions they have to make is at quarterback. In 2024, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields joined the team, and they both got a chance to start. Rooney acknowledged that both players have strengths and weaknesses, and they are weighing all of their options.  

While speaking with the media, Rooney said that the three games in 10 days were proof they weren't quite where they needed to be. During that compressed schedule, the Steelers played teams who won in the postseason, including the two teams that are headed to the Super Bowl: Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. 

Steelers Fans Shouldn't Expect Wholesale Changes

Most fans familiar with how the team operates guessed they would not move on from Tomlin. The Steelers have always displayed incredible loyalty to their head coaches, as evidenced by the fact that they have only had three in over 50 years. In addition, they extended his contract in 2024, so he should be there through 2027. 

Those same fans could guess they wouldn't fire new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. Not only is he still under contract, but Rooney said he would like to see what Smith can do in year two. That same concept of continuity was extended to the quarterbacks, and Rooney said he hoped they could bring either Wilson or Fields back. 

Fans are more likely to see changes occur at the positional level. Some insiders believe these coaches could be used as the “scapegoats” to prove that the franchise did bring about necessary changes after such a terrible end to the season. 

Do you think Rooney realizes they aren't close to a Super Bowl? Tell us what you think below.  

#SteelerNation