William Leeds

Everyone keeps talking about if 'Aaron Rodgers makes the Steelers a Super Bowl contender' this year. To me, that's the wrong question to ask, because Rodgers himself is not enough to turn the Steelers into a title contender this year. Sure, if the Steelers are going to go on a magical run in the playoffs this year, they probably need Rodgers to be their QB1 this year in order to make that possible, but make no mistake, if the Steelers end up winning the Super Bowl this year, the #1 reason they win it almost certainly wouldn't be Aaron Rodgers; it would be because the defense goes from pretty good under Tomlin/Austin to elite under new DC Patrick Graham. In my opinion, there are 2 ways teams can hope to compete for a title in the modern NFL. The first way is to have a high-end starting QB that elevates the entire team around them and gives them a shot in every game they play paired with a good enough supporting cast. That's obviously the preferred path because its the most sustainable on a year-to-year basis, but there were a grand total of zero QB options at the Steelers' disposal this year that would have fit into this category. The other way to reasonably compete IMO is to pair a good offense & good starting QB with an elite defense capable of shutting down or at least limiting the elite QBs they need to beat on the path to the Lombardi. And yes, pursuing that 2nd path has led to title success in the modern NFL very recently, as both of the last 2 Super Bowl champions in the 2024 Eagles and 2025 Seahawks fall into this category IMO. If the Steelers can pair the smart, game-managing style of QB that Aaron Rodgers is still very effective at playing even at age 42 with the improved receiving weaponry & play-calling surrounding him this year with a strong run game behind Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, I believe they can *absolutely* have a good, top 10 NFL offense this year, even if they aren't in the 'elite' category, and that's okay as long as this defense takes the leap from solid to elite I believe they may be capable of making this year. The Steelers still have one of the most talented & deep pass rushes in football both on the edge and on the interior, added a much needed run stuffer in Sebastian Joseph-Day in free agency, have an awesome veteran secondary that can definitely hold the fort long enough for the pass rush to get home consistently, an awesome Big Nickel in Jalen Ramsey to be the straw that stirs the drink, and have a pair of uber-athletic LBs that could massively benefit from being away from Mike Tomlin's outdated defensive scheme that consistently put LBs in positions to fail. I want to make clear that I'm not saying it's a *certainty* that PIT's defense takes that leap from solid to elite this year (it's REALLY hard to be elite in anything at the NFL level), and if they fail to make that jump, the chances of PIT being a 'legit title contender' this year pretty much end there. With that said, I think there's definitely a chance the defense *could* take that leap given the talent that is present on the roster paired with the exciting possibilities that come with adding a DC in Patrick Graham who has a reputation of tailoring his scheme to the talent he has paired with the reality that this is without question the most talent he's ever had to work with in his time as an NFL defensive playcaller. Obviously multiple pieces need to fall into place here in Pittsburgh this year to make it a reality, but I truly believe there is a path here where the Steelers could become one of the most dangerous teams in football, putting them in the mix of 6-8 teams that by year's end, has a legitimate chance to go on a run when it matters most in the NFL postseason.

@CBoxSports Lmao fire Tito. This bullpen sucks, but he’s a huge reason for the results

Steelers Nation, How are we feeling about this new offense? A lot of big names and a lot of expectations heading into the season.👀 #NFL #Steelers

🚨UPDATE🚨 Aaron Rodgers was at the Steelers facility before 7AM this morning ahead of the team’s first OTA practice at 11AM. 👀 #NFL #Steelers

@JaredSCAPEGOAT4 You could always stop guzzling the kool-aid. They will not win a playoff game this year. Guaranteed. The roster isn't that much better. Sorry pal