Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy has been left scratching his head after a concerning offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. During a recent appearance on the “Football Night in America” podcast, the Super Bowl XLI champion questioned the trajectory of Pittsburgh’s offense this upcoming season.
A year ago, Steelers general manager Omar Khan was being praised for his savvy moves that brought veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to the Steel City. Now, both of those quarterbacks are in the Meadowlands. Along with the significant quarterback departures, the Steelers have also lost their leading rusher and their leading wide receiver.
“Last year at this time, I was excited about the Steelers," Dungy said. “I felt like they brought in a couple of quarterbacks who had potential. You can work with Russell Wilson and develop your young guy, and you can be in good shape. Now, take those two guys away. We’ve got neither one of those quarterbacks. Our number one running back is not there. Our number one receiver is not there.”
Tony Dungy questions Steelers’ plan after George Pickens trade
Steelers running back Najee Harris recorded at least 1,000 rushing in all four of his seasons in Pittsburgh, but he left to join the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. While that departure was expected, the loss of wide receiver George Pickens came as a surprise.
The Steelers spent several months attempting to acquire a wide receiver who could serve as a complementary option next to Pickens. They finally landed wide receiver DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, but their time with two standout wide receivers proved to be short-lived. The Steelers traded Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week, leaving them without a reliable No. 2 option once again.
“And we weren’t good enough last year on offense, so I don’t know where we’re going,” Dungy added. “I don’t know what the plan is. Hopefully, it will take shape, but I’m scratching my head right now.”
The Steelers are heading into a critical season after losing six consecutive playoff games over the past eight years. The roster has been visibly decaying in that span, and some restless fans are beginning to sour on Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin has a stellar 183-107-2 record (.630) in the regular season and has never led the team a losing season in his 18 years at the helm, but that success has become overshadowed by his losing record in the playoffs. Tomlin has an 8-11 postseason record (.421), and a majority of those losses occurring in recent years. The Steelers have lost six consecutive playoff games over the past eight seasons, and the roster has visibly decayed during that span.
The Steelers selected Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and added running back Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, but they remain in limbo at quarterback as Aaron Rodgers has not yet announced a decision on his future.