Steelers Fall To Middle Of The Pack In Final NFL Offseason Power Rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of three playoff teams to come from the AFC North last season, with the odd man out being the Cincinnati Bengals due to a season-ending injury to quarterback Joe Burrow.

Will they see a repeat performance in 2024?

Clutchpoints

Maybe not, as most offseason predictions have the Steelers missing the playoffs after turning over their entire quarterback room and missing out on several free agents this offseason.

For those and other reasons, Pittsburgh appears at No. 18 in the final offseason NFL power rankings.

18 - Pittsburgh Steelers

2023 Record: 10-7 (Lost Wild Card)

2024 Betting Win Total: 7.5

As you can see by the betting line, the consensus about the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers is not strong. But the Steelers are actually one of my favorite under-the-radar teams this year because all of their moves speak to a cohesive identity, one that fits like a glove with the culture of the organization at its best. [Offensive coordinator Arthur] Smith has his warts but even in Atlanta he called one of the league's most creative and effective rushing attacks. With the offensive line reinforcements and returning skill position talent, the Steelers have all the tools to be a dangerous offense even without throwing the ball all over the yard.

Eight wins would be HC Mike Tomlin's first losing season in 17 years and he's never dipped below that number. That's including years with a heavy reliance on guys like Duck Hodges or Mason Rudolph at quarterback. Pittsburgh won 10 games cycling through Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Rudolph last year. Whatever you think of Wilson and Fields, those two represent an upgrade. Combined with the high floor Tomlin's teams generally have, and I think the Steelers will be a team no one looks forward to playing this upcoming year.

It'll be a tough win for whichever AFC North team wins the division. But if we look at the final offseason rankings, the Bengals rank highest at No. 4, while the Baltimore Ravens fall in at No. 5. The Cleveland Browns show up just ahead the Steelers at No. 17.