Pittsburgh Steelers 2022-2023 Season Preview

Who will replace Ben Roethlisberger under center?  Will Mike Tomlin extend his record streak of not finishing below .500?

The Pittsburgh Steelers snuck into the postseason in 2021, long-time quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s final season in the NFL.  Once there, however, they didn’t look like they belonged and quickly bowed out after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round.

 

2021 marked the fifteenth consecutive season that the Steelers finished .500 or above under Mike Tomlin, which broke a tie for the NFL record for head coaches starting their career.  2022 will mark Tomlin’s first season without Roethlisberger, the Steelers starting quarterback since 2004.  Remarkably, the streak has preceded Tomlin’s tenure, as the last time the Steelers finished under .500 was the year before Roethlisberger’s arrival.  It remains to be seen if Tomlin can extend his record streak without the two time Super Bowl champion.

Who will replace Ben Roethlisberger under center?

This will be the most important question for the Steelers to answer as they enter a new era.  The Steelers quarterback battle currently features free agent signing Mitchell Trubisky, first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett, and former backup Mason Rudolph.  If not for his untimely death, Dwayne Haskins likely would have also been in the quarterback competition.

 

As things currently stand, it appears that Trubisky has the best chance to end up as the Steelers Week 1 starter.  Pickett, despite being the first quarterback off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft, doesn’t quite appear ready to become the starter.  As for Rudolph, if the team were confident in him, they wouldn’t have made multiple quarterback acquisitions this offseason.

 

Trubisky was famously the first quarterback off the board in a 2017 quarterback class that included superstars Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.  The second overall pick never quite panned out for the Chicago Bears and spent 2021 with the Buffalo Bills backing up Josh Allen.  He does, however, have the most experience, which could be a deciding factor in the race as the Steelers have a roster that is ready to compete now.

 

Entering the season with Trubisky as the Week 1 starter wouldn’t necessarily be the worst situation.  Despite all of the heat he took in Chicago, Trubisky’s numbers were decent and he produced a winning record.  Unfortunately, due to the success of Mahomes and Watson, Trubisky’s expectations were very high.

 

If Trubisky struggles, and Pickett is able to learn the playbook and get adjusted to the NFL, he could take over before the season is over.  The Steelers likely see Pickett as their quarterback of the future, after using a first-round selection on the position for just the fourth time since the AFL-NFL merger.

Will Mike Tomlin be able to lead the Steelers to a record above .500?

Mike Tomlin is widely regarded as one of the best head coaches in the NFL.  Outside of Bill Belichick, Tomlin likely possesses the most job security of any head coach.  The Steelers have consistently outplayed preseason expectations throughout his tenure.  With a record fifteen straight seasons without a losing record to start his career, it is easy to see why his job is so secure.

 

Tomlin will face a different challenge in 2022, however, as he enters the season without Ben Roethlisberger.  Tomlin has previously shown that he can keep the team afloat without Roethlisberger, as the team went 8-6 in 14 starts between Rudolph and Devlin Hodges in 2019.  The key to that performance was a top-five defense, both in scoring and yards, something that has been a theme under Tomlin.

 

The Steelers enter 2022 with a defense that seems primed for a bounce back season after struggling in both departments in 2021.  They will, however, play in what could be one of the league’s toughest divisions, as all four teams have playoff aspirations.  The Steelers currently have the worst odds, +900, to win the division.  This is likely due to the uncertainty under center, where whoever starts under center for Pittsburgh will be the clear worst starter in the division.

 

As for making the playoffs, the Steelers are currently +350, while the over/under on their win total sits at 7 wins.  While Tomlin will have to get the most out of his team to extend his streak, he will truly have to work magic if he wants them to seriously contend.  Their +5000 odds of representing the AFC in the Super Bowl for the third time under Tomlin are the fourth-worst in the conference.  Those odds are ahead of only the Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars, three teams that aren’t expected to be very competitive.  The Steelers odds of winning their second Super Bowl under Tomlin currently sit at +9000, the tenth-worst odds in the NFL.  They are ahead of only the Texans, Atlanta Falcons, Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Jets, Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants.

 

Much of the Steelers success will hinge on whether or not Pickett can quickly develop or Trubisky can look like the quarterback that was drafted ahead of Mahomes and Watson.  While Tomlin has shown that he can keep the Steelers afloat with mediocre quarterback play, the AFC may be too tough to compete in with poor play at the position.