Former Steelers DB Drops Bomb About Team's Work Habits

The veteran defender revealed a concerning note about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Eric Rowe (25) runs back an intercepted pass in the second quarter of the NFL 16 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. The Steelers led 24-0 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' five-game clapse to end the season is still being talked about as the NFL offseason takes a turn toward free agency. The team has made it clear that they viewed it as "unacceptable," and are doing everything in their power to resolve their issues for next season.

Former defensive back Eric Rowe believes it could be a mentality thing. The veteran defender spoke with Steelers Takeaways and shared how things were different from his time with the New England Patriots. And that Pittsburgh's lack of work off the field may have caused their downfall.

"It was more about what the guys did outside of practice. In New England they all studied outside of practice – they took it home," Rowe said. "I didn’t get that same feeling from other teams like Pittsburgh. There were some that did in Pittsburgh but the majority of the players didn’t do it like they did in New England. They didn’t take it in like they did in New England."

The Steelers struggled with communication at times throughout the season, and openly admitted players were not doing their jobs during games at the end of the year. Some of that may have had to do with lack of study times when they weren't at the facility.

Pittsburgh is trying to reshape their mindset and rebuild their culture this offseason, showing the entire NFL that these last few years have been nothing more than a bump in the road. They'll need veterans to push a stronger off-field mentality to help when it comes to developing the mindset to build while away from the game.

As for Rowe, he's made it clear he wants to return to the Steelers this offseason. They're currently speaking with him to try and work out a new deal.

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