One of the cornerbacks on the Pittsburgh Steelers has compared this year's team to a recent Super Bowl champion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be one of the more polarizing teams in the NFL coming into the new season.
With a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, there seems to be some optimism around the franchise. But having veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers still under center, there are many around the league who are doubting Pittsburgh.
Rodgers will be turning 43-years-old later this season, and while he led this group to the playoffs a year ago, there are real questions around what he can still do. Pittsburgh did use the offseason to bolster the roster, giving Rodgers more offensive weapons to work with.
The team also added multiple pieces on defense, giving the unit extra depth for the season. One of those was cornerback Jamel Dean, who is expected to provide the Steelers with good coverage on the outside.
The only goal of the Steelers is to win a Super Bowl, and the organization believes that they have a good chance. And there seem to be some similarities between this year's Steelers to a recent Super Bowl champion.
Dean has won a Super Bowl title in his career, winning with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2020. Dean believes that this year's Steelers team has a similar feeling to that Tampa Bay group.
“It’s definitely a similar feeling,” Dean said. “Aaron’s always been one of the top quarterbacks that I praise. … There’s a lot of confidence in him knowing that he’s still got it.”
With Rodgers on the roster, the goal is always going to be a Super Bowl. But whether he can actually deliver remains the big question.
Rodgers may still have some tricks up his sleeve, hoping to elevate the Steelers to the promised land before he calls it quits. 2026 will likely be the final year for Rodgers in his career, and the players on the roster want to send him out well.
“We know our goal,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “Not just get to the playoffs but when we get there to make noise. To win and go to the Super Bowl. But there definitely is extra added motivation to send ‘eight’ out the right way.”
Pittsburgh has a lot of work to do to win the Super Bowl, but counting out Rodgers has never been a good choice for anyone. However, until he proves he can win again, the questions will continue to be asked.
The Steelers open the year against the Atlanta Falcons next week.
