There’s an old saying that goes, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is depth.” When it comes to the NFL, if you fall into a rut you fall behind and it can mean metaphorical death for your chances of winning a Super Bowl.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently struggling to find an identity both on and off the field. On the field, the Steelers used to be a fearless, hardnosed team that no one else throughout the NFL wanted to face on any given Sunday.

To say the least, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been very critical of the Steelers organization lately. He

Despite Roethlisberger’s Hall of Fame credentials, the “first-ballot” label is elusive. Many legends, including Vince Lombardi and Otto Graham, were not first-year inductees. With only four Modern Era players gaining entry in 2025, the voting process was more selective than in past years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of an identity crisis. Each year that passes, the franchise gets further and further away from its 1970s domination and closer and closer to perhaps the worst fate that can befall an organization: mediocrity.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have become a piñata of sorts this offseason with another embarrassing playoff exit during the 2024 NFL campaign. But surprisingly, one of the loudest critics of the organization has become one of the best players in the franchise’s history — Ben Roethlisberger.