Unpopular Opinion: Steelers fans aren’t truly ready to live through a losing season
When the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the dreaded long offseason, there are plenty of ideas to debate. As part of the triumphant trio on the Steelers Preview podcast, I’ve been known to often give a “Dave answer“ to various things as I often like to argue both sides of an issue. With this in mind, a new weekly segment has been born… Unpopular opinion.
There are plenty of arguments both for and against the Pittsburgh Steelers that might not go along with the majority of fans. Oftentimes I believe in these arguments, while other times I simply like to pose a counter argument for ones that are taking it too much to the extreme. For this reason, I’m going to offer some points about the Pittsburgh Steelers that go against the general fan narrative, or at least how I have heard things.
Next up is looking at the notion of having a losing season, whether it is intentional or not.
Steelers fans aren’t truly ready to live through a losing season
I was originally going to go with the title of “the Steelers tanking in 2025 is a terrible idea“ but Jeff Hartman pointed out to me that that is probably not an unpopular opinion. While some people are suggesting this dealer should take to get a quarterback next year, I don’t think that’s nearly the majority. But that issue came up because of the comments of Ryan Clark this week who, unfortunately, has appeared to completely forget his time as a player and say how it’s better for the Steelers to lose. I understand he was coming from someone in the media at this time, but once an NFL player, you should always have the mentality of an NFL player. And players don’t step on the field thinking it’s better to lose.
enough about that topic as the real topic this week is about Steelers fans having to live through a losing season. I don’t think they’re ready to do it. They may think they are ready, but when it actually comes I don’t think they will be that way in the moment.
it’s been a long time since the Steelers have dealt with the losing season. Even in 2013 when they started 0–4, the Steelers clogged their way back and were almost into the postseason. Since Mike Tomlin has taken over his head coach, they’ve only played one game in which they were eliminated from the playoffs. That is really unbelievable.
but Steelers fans are spoiled. There are a number of fans who didn’t know the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger quarterback until 2022. Therefore, they didn’t live through a losing season. It’s a lot more miserable than what people believe, and I don’t think fans are gonna like it in the moment.
it’s not that there would not be times in which the Steelers losing wouldn’t make fans feel better. Next March, knowing that the Steelers have a high draft pick, I’m sure fans would be fine with it. Even this last March there were plenty of Steelers fans that wish they didn’t win as many games last year in order to have that better draft pick. But while the season is going on, fans were all about wins.
to give my best evidence as to why I don’t think fans are ready to live through a losing season like they may think they are, I’m going back to 2024. Before the season started, many fans talked about how the Steelers needed to win games early because there weren’t a lot of opportunities for victories late in the season based on the schedule. This is exactly how things played out. But when the Steelers weren’t able to find those victories at the end of the season, just like a lot of fans predicted, fans were furious that they were not finding a way to win games, the loan to be more competitive. Even when it played out as they predicted, fans couldn’t handle the losses.
whether or not the Steelers have a losing season in 2025 won’t be known for a long time. But fans that say they’re ready for the Steelers to lose in order to improve their draft order for next year, I don’t think they’re going to like it in the moment. It’s going to be a lot harder if and when it happens than what people believe at this time.
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On the contrary, I think many Steeler fans are ready to embrace at least ONE losing season if it means breaking that (-%$($(- non-losing season streak while positioning to draft the next franchise QB to build toward breaking that @#%6@ playoff embarrassment streak. At least for me, I’m sick of mediocrity and have come to believe we’ll never achieve one unless we’re willing to endure the other.
Yeah, you can say that now but tell yourself that when you wake up the day of a game that you’re going to go into it watching and hoping they lose. I went into this a lot more detail in the podcast. You should give it a listen.
Fickle fanbase. If they have a losing season you’ll have fans claiming they are headed in the wrong direction and everything about this team needs to change. Just look at the live chat on the post game shows after losses. Imagine a 12 loss season how some of the constant complainers in the chat would be? And at the same time, what do you gain? Are we looking at the titans today and thinking “man they are really going places now”. I don’t think that. If you added Cam Ward to this team instead of Harmon how much would you think different of the future? It’s not a lock to get Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels when you have a top 5 pick, and the Steelers are nowhere near a top 5 pick. I would much rather have a winning culture and meaningful football to watch, even if it means they aren’t on the same tier as the elite teams.Thats the cycle of the nfl. You aren’t going to be a Super Bowl contender every year, or even 5 or 10 years. They’ll find their qb eventually, hoping next draft, but I will never root for a Steelers loss. I always try to just enjoy the process and the next game at hand and the journey to the next Super Bowl. Go Steelers
Absolutely right John! We ARE indeed a very fickle fanbase — in fact, I actually think we are spoiled by winning. And it is my hope also that we keep on winning. One of these days, we’ll break through and win our next Super Bowl! I have faith!
Respectfully, I agree with Dave and disagree with Ernie. It seems to me that many vocal Steelers’ fans view the NFL as a zero-sum game. As disappointing as it is, Pgh has routinely been more successful than more than half the NFL in the regular season since 2004, and near to if not the most successful franchise in the regular season since 1970. But, what have the Steelers done in the playoffs since 2010? Four wins and ten losses or so? Undesirable.
More than one year is often requisite, winning or not, to build a team that can successfully compete in the regular season and the playoffs. Recalling 1976 and 1977, circumstances can prevent a team from achieving winning a championship in the playoffs. The 2024 49ers and Lions are more recent examples of such ill- fatedness.
I also agree w/John. Apologies Dave, I don’t partake in these podcasts. Change is possible, though.
Dave, have you considered changing the title of this series to “Stirring the Poop”?
I’m not built to sit out a season. I look at our ’21 roster as our last chance for a top 10 pick, but even then there was a solid group to root for. I like what we’re building, and I suppose my expectations for ’25 are going to be unrealistically high again, but so what?
Plus, I don’t agree with the premise that we need an uber-quarterback, veteran or rookie, to advance in the playoffs.
Life is too short to sit out a season. The FO has put together three drafts in which they acquired men that fit the team’s design. The coaches must prepare the men to play successful, winning ball.
As to an “uber-QB”, those are helpful, but not required. Cases such as Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and late-stage Peyton Manning (let alone prime Eli Manning) are examples of such. And Brady and Mahomes are examples of the other class that lost the big game, on occasion.
Eh, I can handle losing fine as long as they’re competing. I can’t handle getting blown off the field in every aspect of the game, while appearing to be only slightly more interested in the game than my dog usually is. So it’s not really pass or fail to me.
Yep.
I can’t even handle losing when we’re competitive, but it IS much more palatable for me. I just don’t like it. At all. Haha
I would agree that most Steelers fans are not ready to live through a losing season…
I grew up in NE OH and became a Steelers fan in 1984 after my elder brother, five years my senior, convinced be to cheer for his winning team, instead of the lowly Clowns, I mean Browns. What did the Steelers reward my fandom with?
The end of the Browns Three Rivers Jinx in October of 1986.
Three below 500 seasons in (’85, ’86, and 88, some of the 5-11 or 6-10 variety)
Six consecutive seasons of 3rd and 4th place division finishes.
The 92-10 opening game sequence against the Browns and the Bengals in 1989…how the heck they made the playoffs and beat the Oilers in ’89 still amazes me.
I became a Steelers fan at exactly the wrong time… I can’t tell you how unpleasant it was to be at the bus stop with my elementary school classmates who were Browns fans in the 1980’s and my friend who was a Dolphin fan–who never stopped reminding me that Pittsburgh passed on Dan Marino in 1983.
I don’t look forward to any such losing seasons–Living through the 2020 (mirage), 2021-2024 has been difficult enough, but if they make it to the playoffs there’s still a chance… I know it may be a very slim chance, but it’s still a chance. There was no chance in the mid 1980’s, it was painful. Many Steelers fans say they are ready for it, but I’m not sold by that idea…
Having said all this, it doesn’t mean I’m not for a change at the top if the team doesn’t win a playoff game or two this or next season.
Yep, again. Patient ownership cuts two ways.