Paul Zeise: It is time for the Steelers to fully commit to a rebuild

Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Dec 2, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — It has been admirable how the Pittsburgh Steelers have been able to milk two or three years out of this roster, but all they have done really is kick the can of an actual rebuild down the road.

That isn’t a compliment, either.

I get the obsession with no losing seasons. I get the obsession with the pipe dream of sneaking into the playoffs giving them a chance. I get the pride of being the team that consistently is in the hunt.

I get all of that, but it is time to let go and be willing to tear this thing down in the areas where it needs torn down and fully commit to building an actual championship roster.

This thing where they are continually trying to win nine or 10 games with spare parts, scrap-heap guys and over-the-hill stars is cute, but it has become unsustainable. They have finally run out of finding enough Band-Aid options to trick it up enough to make it worth all the trouble they have gone to to put together these rosters.

It starts with a flushing of the coaching staff. I love Mike Tomlin, but it is time. He will get a job somewhere else and be able to take most of his staff, as well, so they will land on their feet, I am sure.

There was nothing about Sunday’s performance against the Bills that screams “well-coached team,” and it just feels like this staff and philosophy are stale. The idea they can win with defense and a running game is ancient and doesn’t work well when you can’t run the ball or stop the other team.

At the very least, Arthur Smith needs to be replaced by someone young, innovative and aggressive, as this current philosophy feels like playing not to lose.

And generally that leads to losses.

One issue is there is no plan at quarterback, no franchise quarterback in place and no plan to acquire a franchise quarterback, either. That’s how you end up trying to pump life into a 42-year-old Hall of Famer whose best days are clearly behind him.

The Steelers are again headed for a draft pick in the 20s, which means they won’t be in position to grab one of the best quarterbacks on the board. But they have a boatload of picks and should use them to try to trade up into position to take one.

The philosophy of building an offense around tight ends and running backs needs to change, as well. The tight ends are all good players, but none of them are game changers. The running backs are both just sort of average players who would be a nice complement to a team that has a featured back.

It is disappointing the offensive line isn’t further along because they have invested a lot in terms of draft picks there. The offensive line has made progress, but it is still a painfully average group, and that is not what they were built to be.

The defense has too many misfit parts, and I think that hurts its cohesion. I also think we have grossly overrated some of the players on the defense based on their careers, and the two highest-paid stars have either lost a step or in the midst of their worst seasons — you be the judge.

I know the Steelers could still win the AFC North because the Ravens and Bengals can’t get out of their own way and the Browns stink. The division is bad, and that is amazing when you consider many thought it would be the best and most competitive division in the NFL.

I am sure the Steelers will play much better against the Ravens next weekend because it is a rivalry game. And if they win, they probably will make the playoffs, but what does that matter at this point?

If the Steelers lose to the Ravens, they probably have a loss to the Lions still ahead of them, and at that point, the only drama left is if they can preserve their “non-losing seasons” streak.

Of course, nobody with a brain cares about that, as it is a superficial, meaningless streak, and I would argue Steelers fans would trade the last decade with the Eagles in a heartbeat despite them having two 7-9 seasons and one at 4-11-1.

This is a Steelers team that is just very average at every level that needs the fresh view and philosophy that comes with a new coach and needs to stop fooling itself into believing it is close to being a contender.

The Patriots stunk for a few years after Tom Brady, ended up with a high draft pick and now have their franchise quarterback in place for the next eight to 10 years. It isn’t the worst thing in the world to have a losing season — provided you use the draft choices to build a team.

I am not a believer in tanking, but I am also not a believer in artificial, quick fixes and duct tape in order to get to nine or 10 wins just to get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round.

I honestly think the worst place to be in sports is stuck in mediocrity or just barely above that because all it means is a team is spinning its wheels and getting nowhere.

The Steelers have been on this track to nowhere for way too long and need to fully hit the reset button and commit to getting back on the road to championship seasons. The process will likely be painful, but it is necessary — unless that is no longer the goal of the franchise.

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