The 2024 NFL season didn’t go according to plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is why their quarterback room will look different next year. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields no longer on the team, Mike Tomlin and company hope to have Aaron Rodgers on board.
Speaking at the NFL‘s annual meeting on Monday, Tomlin made a harsh admission about the Steelers’ 2024 season by suggesting that the team wasn’t good enough to contend.
“If you look at the people that we play, particularly down the stretch, two Super Bowl teams, Baltimore Ravens being in that collection, it shows that we didn’t have the goods at the end. And I just see it with sober eyes. As a coach, as a guy that puts the collective together is responsible for the development of the collective over the course of the journey,” Tomlin said.
“We were not moving in the right direction in the end that put us in that elite category. That’s just truth. And so for me, it’s about how do we change that? How do we stay in those considerations as the road gets narrow? You know, we got to beat everyone if we desire to be world champ and it wasn’t us in 2024.”
Russell Wilson #3 and Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers look on as head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets embrace after the game at Acrisure Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tomlin’s Steelers moving on from sour one-year experience with Wilson, Fields
Tomlin’s team finished second in the AFC North after ending the 2024 regular season with four consecutive losses. Even though they still made the postseason, the Steelers‘ losing skid continued with an early playoff exit at the hands of division rivals Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round.
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When they landed Wilson and Fields in 2024, the Stelers were aware that both QBs would spend the season on expiring contracts. Therefore, they knew that this offseason they’d probably have to choose between one or the other.
However, both players ended up moving to New York. Fields will get paid by the Jets, who also guarantee him a chance to start, whereas Wilson will try to bounce back with the Giants. This only paves the way for Tomlin and Steelers to get Rodgers.
Steelers patiently waiting for Rodgers’ confirmation
The 41-year-old has been their priority target this offseason as no other quarterback in the open market boasts his decorated résumé. Rodgers has reportedly chosen the Steelers but remains silent about it, which is why his future continues to leave room for speculation.
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Either way, Tomlin and everyone in Pittsburgh seem to agree that waiting for the four-time NFL MVP is worth it. Especially since the experience with Wilson and Fields didn’t result in a deep playoff run last year.
