Steelers' Art Rooney II Gets Put On Blast For Another Potential Failure Of A Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again left searching for answers as they lost to the Chicago Bears by a final score of 31-28 in Week 12. The defense seemed to have turned a corner, but they reverted back to their old ways and made the same mistakes that caused panic back in Week 7. They seem to be in this infinite loop of mediocrity, where they show glimpses of what they can be, but they never have enough consistency to be seen as a true threat -- even though the AFC is wide open in 2025. 

Insider Mark Kaboly has always been a realist when talking about the Steelers. In his latest article on X, he put the current Steelers team in perspective. He went off on the organization as a whole, as everything starts with Owner Art Rooney II. 

"This is not a defense thing, an offense thing, or a coaching thing," Kaboly said. "This is an organizational thing, from top to bottom. Now, could this be an overreaction to yet another head-scratching performance by the Steelers? Typically, I would say yes. But not this time. Not this team. I’ve seen way too much Steelers football over my lifespan to say that they are what they are – average … with the opportunity to play really well from time to time, which makes you think ‘what if’ with this team."

Players and assistant coaches have changed, but the core values of the team have been the exact same, and they are clearly outdated. Most fans are sick and tired of this, and they demand change. Mediocre seasons are not good enough to Steeler Nation. 

The Steelers are currently 6-5, and they have fallen out of first place of the AFC North to the Baltimore Ravens, who once had a record of 1-5. They are technically tied, but the Ravens currently have the tiebreaker. They are also on a five-game winning streak, while Pittsburgh has lost four of their last six after starting 4-1. It's panic time for many fans in the Steel City now.

The Steelers have a very tough schedule up ahead, which includes playing the Ravens twice. All they need is three total wins to hit that 9-8 mark, but that has become a symbol of mockery and mediocrity among fans. To some, a losing season would be welcomed, as it would likely signal some level of change among an organization that prefers to keep things the way they are for better and for worse. 

Head Coach Mike Tomlin has taken a lot of heat for his refusal to adapt. It seemed like he finally did adapt his defensive style in recent weeks, but there were several controversial defensive calls in Week 12. That was highlighted by a mind-blowing decision late in the second half to drop the secondary 10 yards off the line of scrimmage on a 3rd and 5, which led to the Bears getting into field goal range. 

Against the Bears, the offense also mimicked its style of past years: refusal to use the middle of the field. The fact that that has been a consistent issue among the coaching changes shows that Tomlin continues to feel that this area of the field has a high rate of causing turnovers. However, how much is that limiting his offense? That is especially concerning with the fact that the Bears were down almost all of their starting linebackers linebackers, even though Mason Rudolph was quarterback that game.

Steelers' Future Looks Very Bleak

The Steelers have been in need of a franchise quarterback for years. Some fans don't trust Tomlin and his men to develop this quarterback, but there's also the issue of other teams' draft capital compared to theirs. Pittsburgh's endless quest to be competitive took away the chance for them to sell off key pieces for top picks, and now there are three teams that could draft a quarterback who have two first-rounders, including one in the top 10.

What do you think about Kaboly going off on Rooney and the Steelers' organization? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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