Middle of the road seems to be the theme for the Pittsburgh Steelers. No matter what the Steelers do, they never seem to be able to find a way into that upper echelon of teams while staying relevant and competitive year after year.
ESPN put together their future power rankings for all 32 NFL teams for the next three seasons and once again, the Steelers are completely unremarkable in them landing at No. 15.
Here is why there is reason for concern according to ESPN:
The Pittsburgh offense’s ability to create explosive plays in the pass game is an ongoing issue, and finishing 26th in the NFL in plays of 20-plus yards in 2023 did nothing to lessen the worry. After hiring Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, making additions along the offensive line (Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier) and overhauling the QB room (by adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields), my concerns are not as great as they were last summer, but for this franchise to achieve elite status again, it must be able to match the best offenses in the league blow for blow.
Even with an aging defense, this team still hinges on the offense. The Steelers’ defensive stars have a small window at their peak to be elite and if the team cannot find a way to bring the offense into the modern day, they will always be a step behind.
