At this time I want you to mentally go back to a time when you were watching the Pittsburgh Steelers play among other fans of the black-and-gold.

Let’s say it’s a game which isn’t going the Steelers’ way, and they find themselves on the wrong end of the final score ledger.

What exactly do you hear from those around you?

“Fire that guy!”

“They need to cut that player after this season, he sucks!”

“Gut the roster…these guys stink.”

I’m sure we’ve all heard those comments, and you might have been one of the fans saying that after the Steelers failed to win a game. Well, have you been paying attention this offseason? As was famously said in the movie Gladiator, “Are you not entertained?!”

What’s crazy to think about during the offseason is just how the Steelers have gone about their business. They didn’t waste time releasing players they didn’t feel were worthy of a roster spot.

Mason Cole, and his very erratic snaps…gone.

Mitch Trubisky and his very erratic passes…gone.

Allen Robinson and his crazy high salary cap hit…gone.

Pressley Harvin III and his horribly unpredictable punts…gone.

Keanu Neal and his never-healing ribs…gone.

At this point, you get what I’m saying. If you want to go back even further, you’d see the calls for Matt Canada to be removed from his post as offensive coordinator were heard loud and clear. Was his dismissal all because of the fan revolt? Not necessarily, but don’t think the organization didn’t feel the heat from the people who pay top dollar to watch and support the team.

In other words, if you were one of the “Fire ____!” guys, this has been a miracle offseason for you. They didn’t just fire the coach, but they removed a lot of players who many deemed as dead weight on the roster.

Fans got their wish in many regards, and it begs the question…”Now what?”

Well, after the Steelers cleared over $25 million dollars in salary cap space, it is time for the front office, mainly Omar Khan and Andy Weidl, to prove 2023 was no fluke. That it was just the beginning. If Khan and Weidl can turn that salary cap space into quality players, and duplicate even some of the success they had in the 2023 NFL Draft in 2024, this team could make some noise next season.

However it plays out, for a large portion of the Steelers fan base this offseason has gotten off to a smashing start, but can they complete the offseason and have it be deemed a success? We’ll find out soon enough, but let’s hope the “Fire ___!” crowd doesn’t have as many players/coaches to scream about this time next year.