Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Completely Rejects Pittsburgh's Negative NFL Report Card Grades

The Pittsburgh Steelers' dreadful NFLPA report cards have certainly left a bad taste in the Steel City. They were ranked dead last and received several extremely low grades in multiple categories. The player surveys have been a lightning rod for headlines since the NFLPA released them. NFL owners, specifically those who test poorly on these, have protested this practice and even won a grievance against the NFLPA over their report cards. The across-the-board terrible ratings from players about the Steelers however, sends a loud message to the rest of the league as free agency begins, and not a good one.

The Steelers are widely considered one of the most prestigious franchises in all of the NFL, and not the type of team that you would typically see at the bottom of these player surveys. However, this has been brewing behind the scenes for quite a while. Last year's NFLPA report cards had the Steelers at a surprisingly low 28th, just two spots behind the Cleveland Browns. Being 28th last season and last this season signals a trend that something is wrong in Pittsburgh.

Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger has a very different opinion on this and spoke about it on his Footbahlin podcast this week.

"I loved playing for the Rooneys and playing for the Steelers," Roethlisberger explained. "Did we have the biggest facilities, no. But, I never felt like less than. Maybe I only knew one way too; I only knew Pittsburgh."

The Steelers' facilities have been in focus lately, with the Rooneys planning to make multiple major upgrades to Acrisure Stadium in the coming years. The Steelers may be behind the times on this, especially if their facilities were considered smaller when Roethlisberger was with the team. If no major changes have been made since then, it makes sense that the Steelers would receive poor marks on that. In the world of the modern NFL, the Steelers have to keep up with the rest of the league in order to be in the mix for some of the best free agents.

Another interesting thing about the Steelers' poor grades the last two seasons is how close-knit the locker room has been. Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was known as one of the most well-liked coaches in the NFL. The poor NFLPA report cards from players, not only this season, but the previous two, make you wonder if the players and Tomlin not only rallied around each other, but also perhaps around the lack of resources that the Steelers were experiencing. One thing is certain, none of this carried over into the Steelers' locker room morale, as the team rallied around each other to win the AFC North title in 2025.

Steelers' NFLPA Report Cards May Influence Free Agents To Sign Elsewhere

The Steelers and new head coach Mike McCarthy are looking to win, and win now. While the organization achieved a division title last season, it became apparent quickly that there's still a significant gap between Pittsburgh and the best teams in the NFL, as evident by their 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of last season's playoffs. The Steelers will make additions through this year's NFL Draft as well, but free agency will be a major part of the team's retooling. Players who haven't played for Pittsburgh previously could view the NFLPA survey as a major part of their free agent process, and if they do, that may be the difference between the Black and Gold getting a player and the player signing elsewhere.

The Steelers will have to overcome this in free agency, while also changing the narrative this season regarding the organization. While the team remains one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, how the players feel is of utmost significance.

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