Steelers Under Fire After Pirates Take Over City With Major Move

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are catching some heat well before their 2026 season, all because a team down the road is starting to heat up with a new star beginning his run in the pros.

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their first home series of 2026, adding to the excitement of top prospect Konnor Griffin being called up to join the team. Griffin is already expected to be the MLB's next big star, drawing optimism for the future within the Pirates for the first time in a while.

An example on NFL analyst wishes the Steelers would follow.

NFL analyst Dave Dameshek used the rise of the Pirates to share just how unimpressive the Steelers have been, especially regarding their quarterback position. And he did not hold back, stating exactly how bad it looks that the team is still waiting for an answer from Aaron Rodgers.

"Meanwhile the Stale-lers are waiting on a 43yo weirdo to publicly announce what they’ve assumed to be true for the last 3 months," Dameshek wrote on X.

Meanwhile the Stale-lers are waiting on a 43yo weirdo to publicly announce what they've assumed to be true for the last 3 months https://t.co/QLzEAPv3aJ
— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) April 3, 2026

While the Steelers are confident in Rodgers and are hopeful he returns, Dameshek may be right that they're putting too much faith in a veteran quarterback who may or may not come back. Even if he does, the expectations for this team aren't very high, only adding to how strange the situation has been.

But the Steelers believe Rodgers is their best bet at a Super Bowl this season, and this team wants to be a contender every year. Whether the outside noise feels the same way or not, Team President Art Rooney II doesn't like using the word "rebuild," and has made it very clear he wants to be a serious threat each season.

Steelers Have No Other Choice

Really, what it comes down to is that the Steelers are nearly out of options. If Rodgers doesn't return for 2026, they probably have to turn to Mason Rudolph and Will Howard to compete for the starting job.

With Kirk Cousins signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh doesn't have anywhere else to turn. Their new Plan B appears to be developing Howard and hoping he's capable of being a starter in 2026. They'll also likely draft a mid-round option to compete as well.

The Steelers need Rodgers, though. Their plan falls apart the moment he doesn't return, and so, while Dameshek isn't wrong about the strange situation the team finds themselves in waiting for Rodgers, they really have no other choice.

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