Former Pittsburgh Steelers legend goes off about state of his former team
Former Pittsburgh Steeler and Super Bowl Champion Ryan Clark seems to have had enough with his former team, and he's not held back when talking about them recently. It's safe to say that the Steelers are trending in the wrong direction. The team was 6-3 at one point and now sit at 7-7 on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff picture.
Sure, the Steelers could very well finish with a winning record and could still make the postseason, but let's be real, here, this is a bad football team. The offense is inept and cannot move the ball. They've not yet gotten the QB right since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger and other positions are also the center of some attention.
Their best wide receiver, George Pickens, seems to have an attitude problem, and it's even shown up on the field. I mean, how many times have we seen something like this happen?
Pickens lack of effort yet again. Bruh, the running play is to your side! The Steelers problems aren’t just at QB.
— Edwin🎙️ (@EdwinSphere) December 17, 2023
- Pickett didn’t play today so you can’t blame him. They have a leadership, culture and coaching issue.
- Canada had no business coming back this year as OC,… pic.twitter.com/JpJ9W9iJO5
The second-year WR simply doesn't block his man on a run play to his side of the field. Diontae Johnson also did something like this earlier in the season, so this seems to be an issue with the team. I guess to an extent, it's hard to blame them for their frustrations. They're both talented players who are playing within one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
Well, former Pittsburgh Steeler, Ryan Clark, who played in over 100 games for the team, recently sounded off about the state of the Steelers and specifically their WR room:
Ryan Clark did not hold back today on NFL Live #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/QCdeJKKXnl
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) December 22, 2023
I don't think he's wrong. And this type of behavior from the players really goes back to coaching. Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin has had an excellent tenure as a head coach. If he were to retire at the end of the season, he'd be a first-ball Hall of Famer, no doubt. However, it's clear that Tomlin might not be the type of coach that the Steelers need at the moment.
In fact, the NFL landscape seems to be talking about the possibility that Mike Tomlin is not coaching in Pittsburgh next year. And I think a fresh start for both sides is just what the doctor ordered. But honestly, hearing former Steelers say things like this is very notable, as the Steelers for years have had a culture of maturity, and winning. The Steelers have had just three head coaches since 1969, so this is one of the most respected and well-run franchises in all of sports.
To see the team breakdown like this and to hear former players make these bold statements is an indictment on the team.