I get tired of reading and hearing in the national media about how much players around the league love Mike Tomlin. The Steelers consistently miss signing priority free agents and only retain their own priority players when they give “highest paid at the position” contracts.

The Rooneys need to conduct an honest evaluation of how they run the team, including player relationships, facilities, quality of staff, etc. They are consistently rated near the bottom of the league in nearly every category.

Anyone who follows them knows it isn’t because they make the hard decisions to part with aging but declining veterans that they keep on inflated contracts for sentimental reasons. Based on players’ ratings of NFL teams, that sentimentality goes one way. When The Chief ran the team, players professed love for ownership and sometimes stayed on discount contracts to play for the Steelers.

I’m not saying they have sunk to Pirates’ level yet, but that is the general direction they have been heading. It has been a long time since neutral observers have given the Steelers any chance of competing for the Lombardi Trophy, which they profess to be their goal every year.

Tom Maher

Rosslyn Farms

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)