Former Players Call Out Steelers About Poor Conditions

PITTSBURGH -- It has been no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to maintain their image in recent years as their winning ways have slowly drifted away.

With the league moving away from player voted scorecards via the NFLPA, this year's grades were leaked and the Steelers did not fare well. In the rankings, the Steelers were given a league-worst F- grade for their locker rooms. This is not terribly surprising as it has been known that they are lacking in amenities when it comes to player leisure.

More insight was given by former Steeler Joe Haden about these conditions. Haden last played with the team in 2021, but makes it seem like the locker rooms have barely been touched, if at all since.

"The one thing that's just glowing here is that the locker room, F-minus for sure. And when they state facts like five bathrooms, when we think about it, like, that's just the way it was-that's not okay. It could be 100 people in that joint at one time.... Then with the showers, it's not a lot of them joints in there, too. And in the locker room, when you walk in there, it's old. It's wood. It got your little name on the junk. But when we look at it back in the day coming from [Cleveland), I was like, 'Culture. This is what it is'. But when you do look at it, it's like, 'Nah, this is messed up'. We need to have bathrooms available." Haden said.

Haden emphasizes the part that made the Steelers such a desirable team to join despite lacking in multiple other places, and that was culture. Players could excuse the lack of bathroom, spa-level facilities or other amenities because the team culture was so strong.

His co-host, James Harrison, happened to agree.

"I never really paid attention to it,” Harrison said before telling a story about having to run through the facility to find a bathroom.

What Happens Now?

Now, with Mike Tomlin gone, the culture is set to shift. Whether new head coach Mike McCarthy can maintain the culture is up to the future to see, and the team currently has no plans to touch the locker rooms in any way. The space concerns with sharing it with Pitt has not stopped Pitt from renovating both their practice and stadium facilities, so it seems to come down to the Steelers not spending on the amenities.

Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II (left) and general manager Omar Khan (right) flank Mike McCarthy (middle) at a press conference announcing McCarthy as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That does not mean it will not happen, but there has been no indication to this point that the Steelers are inclined to spend and address their bad review.

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