LOSING HAS VALUE

Steelers owner Art Rooney II doesn't like the word "rebuild." He says he's "not sure why you waste a year of your life not trying to contend."

I know why.

When the Steelers finished 1-13 in 1969, they got Terry Bradshaw.

When the Steelers finished 6-10 in 2003, they got Ben Roethlisberger.

The bar has been set artificially low by Mike Tomlin's hokey 19-year streak of no losing seasons. (As opposed to his nine-year streak of no playoff wins.)

But a losing season will not cause a plague of locusts to descend upon Pittsburgh. (Even though your reaction will approximate.)

The goal should be to build to a championship level.

If you encounter a losing season while constructing, so be it. It gets you better draft picks. (See above.)

There's no financial risk whatsoever in the NFL. A losing season won't result in red ink. Acrisure Stadium won't be empty. You could still tailgate.

There's zero nobility in mediocrity.

The Steelers are caught in a vicious cycle. A stupid cycle. And have made dumb decisions because of it.

Like trading a first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019 when Roethlisberger popped his elbow in the season's second game. Fitzpatrick's first-team All-Pro performance helped the Steelers scramble to 8-8. No playoffs.

Keep that pick, finish 4-12 and you draft Justin Herbert, a franchise quarterback.

Fitzpatrick got traded back to Miami this season. The Steelers didn't win a playoff game during his tenure.

The Steelers traded up to the 14th pick to draft Broderick Jones in 2023. Jones was supposed to be a franchise left tackle.

But Jones played right tackle as a rookie because marginal veteran Dan Moore Jr. was embedded at left tackle. Experience, veteran respect, blah, blah, blah.

In 2024, Jones started the season as a swing tackle. A backup to Moore and newly-drafted Troy Fautanu. Then Fautanu got hurt and Jones went back to right tackle.

This year, Moore was gone. Off to Tennessee as a free agent after a Steelers career that saw him consistently rated as one of the league's worst left tackles. There was zero upside to playing Moore over Jones, and Jones didn't develop.

Jones finally got to start at left tackle this season — and gave up three sacks in the season's first game. Jones got a bit better after that, but a neck injury in Week 12 put him out for the season.

The Steelers are unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Jones' rookie contract. He's a wasted first-round pick.

Jones was put in a position to fail, and did.

Because Moore was a bit better, or so the Steelers thought, and they never think big picture. Never look past the next game.

Tomlin might have quit.

But listening to Rooney, that philosophy will continue.