Art Rooney II doesn’t get it.
He may have at one time but he no longer does. The Team President of the Pittsburgh Steelers spoke to a select group of reporters today and it’s more than evident that little will change for 2025. I find it incredibly sad that ARII can’t stand in front of reporters and a camera or two at least once a year and do this. That’s the least of my concerns however. ARII made several things very clear today and these are the highlights.
- The Team will sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields but not both. He didn’t entirely close the door on both of them returning but it seems an absolute long-shot at best. This suggests that there will not be a quarterback competition in 2025. He wants to see one guy be the main man but also said they’ll look to add in the draft this year or next.
- He does not believe that the small staff is a problem. It’s one of the smaller staffs in the NFL. Art is notoriously cheap and this is a problem. Other teams have hired people to do a lot of the research and work that Steelers’ coaches are tasked with doing. As much as we discuss the players getting worn down as the season goes, maybe the staff is too. Those little things that other staff members could be doing – yet won’t impact play on the field per se – are being done by the actual coaches and it’s just not necessary.
- He says the defense has to get stronger especially against the run. This is an understatement but it’s also naive. This unit needs change in everything from coaching and scheme to who is doing what and when. This is far more than just adding some players. T.J. Watt, the star player of his team, even said things had reached an “insanity” level because they keep doing the same things over and over with the same result.
- He stated that Mike Tomlin is frustrated but he’s won a lot of games and he knows Tomlin is still a good coach and leader. No one doubts this. Coach T will always be a good coach and good leader, but fans aren’t satisfied with regular season wins and NO ONE cares about the ‘non-losing seasons’ streak. They need to see postseason success. It’s really that simple. And this change that we heard Tomlin speak of?? If he isn’t willing to do that then the whole thing becomes an effort in futility.
- He claims his email inbox is pretty full lately and he understands the frustration. As well it should be! I’m glad that Art Rooney II isn’t Jerry Jones but seeing a pulse from him once in awhile would be nice. Does he really understand the frustration? Does he really understand what matters to fans? Does he truly realize this isn’t the 70’s? It’s not the 80’s either. The game has changed significantly and while patience is nice, there’s also a time for change and I guarantee those emails are suggesting it.
There are times when I wonder if ARII actually watches teams other than his own. Does he see what is happening in the NFL today? I get it, the Pittsburgh Steelers are and will be forever known as a patient franchise. They were once patient for 40 years and then – finally – they won a postseason game. Is this what we are headed for again?
The franchise has become stagnant. It is stale like the french fries that fall between your car’s seats. The only difference is that eventually you address that stagnation and clean up the car. Art Rooney II is good with the car as it is. It runs well and gets him around but he’s not taking it anywhere far. That would require some changes and it would require paying attention to just what in the Hell is going on around him.
