Art Rooney II finished his recent press conference by acknowledging that Steelers Nation is frustrated with yet another late season collapse and blow out wildcard loss. “My inbox has been pretty full,” he stated. “I understand why people are mad. All I can say is actions speak louder than words, and we’ve got to be better.”

As of now, we are still heavy on words and extremely light on action coming out of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. When asked about the quarterbacks, Rooney covered all the questions with the same stock answers that we have come to expect. Sure, he’d like to have either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson back if possible, they would look at the possibility of re-signing Najee Harris, and George Pickens has “room to grow.” I’d like a side of fries and a coke with that nothing-burger, please.

The changes to the coaching staff will be minimal, which is just how Art and Mike both want it. It means less dollars paid out by the organization, and more control for the head coach, and they both seem to be in lockstep on that strategy. There appears to be a pervasive stubbornness with both men to resist change and innovation. The blank side of the Steelers helmet is just begging to have a mule head on it right now. I guess the saying is true – it’s easy to forgive someone for being wrong, but damn near impossible to forgive them for being right. They have acknowledged that they have heard all the comments. Instead of bringing in new coordinators or even just adding to the staff in order to ease the workload, Rooney and Tomlin are doubling down on the same approach they have been on for years.

The Steelers organization, despite its popularity and huge fanbase, is surprisingly far down the list of top revenue earners in the league. Having a large coaching staff that attracts talent with big money contracts is not going to be how they operate any time soon. That means an overworked and under-experienced staff trying to keep up in an ever-evolving game, headed by a risk averse coach whose strengths lie in motivation rather than innovation.

Where does that leave us, the Black and Gold faithful, always tuning in and supporting the team no matter what the situation? In a familiar place, unfortunately. The past decade, this team has relied on having a few key players on each side of the ball that can overcome the coaching and strategy limitations to win a game. That’s why the win/loss record is so lopsided when one of those players is hurt, like a T.J. Watt. No team should be that dependent on one player and expect to be successful against quality teams and playoff contenders, and the results have borne that fact out.

There are no superhero quarterbacks coming to save the team this year. The best we as fans can hope for is the team re-signs Justin Fields, and Arthur Smith designs an offense that takes advantage of his strengths, and Mike Tomlin gives him the reins to run it. Unfortunately, Arthur Smith has also demonstrated at times that he shares the traits of Mike Tomlin, namely running the system they want instead of one that fits the players. I would not be surprised if the playbook cover stated “Square Peg Round Hole” after some of the games we watched this year.

There are so many needs on this team, one good aspect is they can target the best available for every draft pick and not be limited by specific position. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have delivered two good drafts, and I’m hopeful they can continue that trend to fortify the roster. I’m not exactly brimming with confidence on this staff evaluating talent once they get on the field, however. We could all see Cordarrelle Patterson look like he was running in molasses, yet they continued to have him return kicks and get crucial third down carries. I know the staff budget is limited, but do they not have enough stopwatches to go around? I can donate a few if it would help. If the staff couldn’t see that in practice, what else are they missing?

Art Rooney II’s statement of actions, not words rings hollow. I’m not sure how committed he is to throwing every resource he has at this team to go from just barely good enough to true contender, and given what his father and grandfather stood for, that’s a shame. Mike Tomlin is an expert wordsmith, but his actions are predictable and rapidly getting more and more out of date. If they get aggressive and trade up for a true franchise quarterback – in next year’s 2026 draft – then there is always a chance that the team could outperform the limitations put on them by the organization. That might be what it takes to compete for real again, and not just be the same first round easy out over and over. Mike Tomlin is a good coach and leader, but he needs quality help and a willingness to let them do their job. Will there ever be more actions than words? Right now, I’m not so sure.