Steelers face rebuild after long playoff-win drought

Cbssports says Mike Tomlin’s 19-year streak without a losing season helped mask a deeper problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers: the team has gone roughly 3,300 days without a playoff win and now faces what the outlet frames as a necessary rebuild.

The piece highlights a stark postseason split under Tomlin: 8-6 from 2007-16, including an AFC title and a Super Bowl, and 0-6 from 2017-25. It attributes that collapse largely to the loss of Ben Roethlisberger — who was drafted in 2004 and retired after the 2021 season — and to a succession of short-term quarterback fixes (Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers and others) that postponed finding a long-term solution. It also notes Pittsburgh’s low average draft position (22nd from 2007-25) and that the team used only one first-round pick on a quarterback in that span.

What happens next remains unsettled. The story says the Steelers need a new head coach and hold the 21st pick in the upcoming draft, with advice to avoid selecting a QB at No. 21 unless they are certain. It also points to roster age, cap space and multiple draft picks as reasons a short-term purge and intentional rebuild could be necessary, while warning that betting on future QB classes is risky and that, for now, the team is effectively stuck.

Key Topics

Sports, Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Nfl Draft