The Pittsburgh Steelers just made a tough decision.
Moving on from such a talented player like George Pickens could hurt them in the short term, but it might be for the best in the long run.
There were multiple reports and evidence of his immaturity, and given their previous experience with similar characters, they chose to pull the plug on him instead of extending him.
Needless to say, that will take a big toll on their already suspect offense, even with D.K. Metcalf‘s arrival.
With that in mind, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic argued that the Steelers should finally stop trying to just make the playoffs for the sake of making the playoffs, and focus on what’s to come:
“If the Steelers are honest with themselves, the goal of the 2025 season shouldn’t be to put together a faux contender. Too often, they have looked for short-term solutions only to fight and claw their way to a nine- or 10-win season that ends in the first round of the playoffs. The only way to get out of football purgatory is to think broader,” DeFabo wrote.
The Steelers have never had a losing season under Mike Tomlin, and that’s a remarkable feature.
Nevertheless, they haven’t won a playoff game in almost a decade now, either.
Even if they get Aaron Rodgers, it’s hard to believe they’re going to be a legitimate contender or might even end their playoff win drought.
Mike Tomlin is a great coach, and the Steelers will always be a tough team to beat, especially on defense, but this team just isn’t talented enough to go the distance this time around.
They’re not used to losing seasons, but this team was supposed to compete at the highest level year in and year out, and just barely making the playoffs shouldn’t be good enough for such a storied franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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