Not many individuals know the right way to correctly consider the Steelers heading into the 2025 season. It is sensible, as Aaron Rodgers, who’s a little bit of a wild card himself at this level in his profession, can be massively influential as to how the staff finally ends up faring this yr. Professional Soccer Speak’s Mike Florio posted his post-minicamp energy rankings on Monday, and he has the Steelers coming in smack-dab within the center at sixteenth. His evaluation illustrates simply how difficult he finds it to guage the Steelers.
“They’re going to skew in some way,” Florio wrote.
It’s actually not essentially the most detailed evaluation from Florio. However in a video posted to the NFL on NBC’s YouTube channel on Monday, he gave some additional rationalization.
“I put the Steelers useless within the center,” Florio mentioned. “I assure you they’re not gonna end the season useless within the center. This Aaron Rodgers factor is both going to work rather well, they usually’ll be a top-seven staff. Or, it’s going to be a crapshow, they usually’re gonna be within the bottom-fourth of the league. They’re not gonna be within the center when it’s all mentioned and performed… I don’t know which approach it’s going to interrupt. Do you? Does anybody?”
Across the center of the pack is the place most appear to count on Pittsburgh to complete. It is sensible, given the quite a few adjustments this offseason, however the roster doesn’t appear considerably higher or worse than final yr.
As is the case seemingly each summer time these days, many additionally share the low expectations Florio has for Pittsburgh. He thinks they might end within the bottom-fourth of the league, much like energy rankings from Fox Sports activities earlier this offseason that had the Steelers all the best way down in thirtieth.
All issues thought of, a season like that wouldn’t be the worst factor on the planet. Make no mistake, it wouldn’t be good both. The Steelers have by no means had a dropping season underneath Mike Tomlin, and issues may get poisonous shortly if that have been to occur. Nevertheless, that may additionally end in Pittsburgh selecting a lot increased within the draft than they’ve in a few years. In spite of everything, the staff marks the 2026 Draft as an opportunity to search out their subsequent franchise quarterback. The much less they win, the less property they could must half with to be able to discover that quarterback.
But there are causes for optimism as effectively. Pittsburgh acquired off to a 10-3 begin final yr and managed their future within the division midway by means of the season. If they will get out to the same begin this yr and handle to maintain from utterly falling aside, they might be an precise contender within the AFC. With Rodgers, they’d have extra confidence going into the playoffs than they’ve had with any quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger.
Whereas Florio has the Steelers in the course of the pack for now, he doesn’t count on them to complete there. Whether or not Pittsburgh does rather well or actually poorly, both of these choices is perhaps higher than one other yr in soccer purgatory.
