The Pittsburgh Steelers are a legendary franchise.

This was not always the case as the team had not even scored a point in a playoff game until 1972. But in the Super Bowl era, nobody has won more of them than the Steelers. It’s hard to find any NFL fan who knows the history of the game that doesn’t respect the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise for what they’ve done.

But what have they done lately? Is this still the same Pittsburgh Steelers, or is it time to separate the past from the present?

First of all, history isn’t perfect. The Pittsburgh Steelers went a long time between their fourth Super Bowl and their fifth one. There were some pretty lean years in there where the present state of the team and its domination in the 70s seemed like there was a disconnect. I know this better than many as my Steelers fandom began after those Super Bowl championships based on my age, and I often looked at the Steelers as a team that used to be that way but no longer was. But after the Steelers won two more Super Bowls in a four-year span in the 2000s, it was a reminder of what the franchise could be.

Now that it has been 16 years since the Steelers last Super Bowl championship, it’s once again in that zone much like the 25 years between Lombardi‘s for the Steelers from the 1979 season to the 2005 season. But halfway through that lull through the 80s and 90s came a coaching change which brought the Steelers several years of being in contention and even a Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately, this is not where the team is right now as they seem very far removed from even being able to participate in the second weekend of the postseason.

So let’s look at some of these phrases that describe the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise and see if it’s time to move from ‘are’ to ‘were’ in some regards.

“The Steelers are a franchise known for great defense.”

“The Steelers are a hard-nosed football team which matches the mentality of the city they play.”

“The Steelers are franchise measured by championships, not wins.”

“The Steelers are franchise that knows how things work in the NFL and can get it going in the right direction.”

I could come up with more, but these were the first ones that came to mind. Honestly, I could change every one of those statements to being something in the past than what it is right now.

But why?

To me the answer is simple. I don’t think this Pittsburgh Steelers team is soaked in the tradition that it once was, and my reasoning is simple…

Dan Rooney

Here is your yearly reminder that the #Steelers have never won a playoff game without Dan Rooney.

— Dave Schofield (@STLRSuperFanDad) January 12, 2025

It can’t be denied the Pittsburgh Steelers never scored a playoff point, let alone had a playoff victory, until Dan Rooney took over operations. It also can’t be denied that since his passing in April of 2017, the Steelers have not won a postseason game. While this can be frustrating for the current state of the Steelers, what it should attest more to is the greatness of “Mr. Rooney” and how his contributions, even as he served in a lesser role with the team at the end of his life, have not been duplicated.

Sometimes it’s just the little things, such as music in the locker room, that made the difference with Dan Rooney. Was that something that was really that important and led to the right culture? It’s hard to argue against it since the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since.

It’s also important to understand that the NFL is not the same as it was in even the 90s, yet alone the 70s. The game is now centered around offense, splash plays, and enormous contracts. It’s not the same NFL that Dan Rooney championed over for decades.

The big question is, do the Steelers have the people in place, from the very top down, to have this franchise back as one of the top of the NFL? If not, what is the answer?

I wish I knew.

One thing I do feel is important is for this franchise to not be looking back in order to try to move forward. Getting back to a style of football that no longer exists isn’t the answer, so the Steelers must adapt or be left in the dust. It’s the unfortunate truth about today’s NFL. For this reason, many of those statements above are more about the Steelers past than their present.

Realizing how much of the Steelers legacy is in the past is something many Steelers fans are unable to accept. I know many want to see the Steelers defense lineup and just tear their opponents head off in the style of Jack Lambert. Unfortunately, the rules of the game don’t allow this anymore. As much as Steelers fans would like to see it, when they do and there are consequences they aren’t ready to accept it. When Joey Porter Jr. went “Mel Blunt style“ in the first match up against the Bengals, fans wanted to call him “six flags“ because of the penalties it brought. This just goes to show how this brand of football can’t be played anymore.

The legacy that was the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the man responsible for the greatness of this franchise, are no longer the team’s present reality. If the Steelers are going to get back to winning championships, doing so in the way “they’ve always done it” is not likely going to bring the desired outcome.

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers legacy, pretty much the only thing left they can do the same is win championships. Right now, even that feels much more like ‘were’ and a lot less like ‘are’.