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While this might come as a shock to almost no one—players no longer want to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gone are the traditions of excellence, as the 'standard' has quite literally shifted to accepting mediocrity over chasing championships. Najee Harris and Mike Williams' comments about leaving the Steel City for the Los Angeles Chargers have reignited a narrative that has haunted the team for a long time—a desire to escape Pittsburgh.
While former Steelers TE Jesse James may be best known for the age-old Pittsburgh debate, 'did he catch the pass against the Patriots?', he infamously expressed his gratitude to "get away" from the drama that had fallen over the Black and Gold in 2019.
Former Packers SS Morgan Burnett signed a three-year deal with the Steelers in 2018 but requested his release just one year later after the team refused to play him deep. It was clear that players were no longer willing to make sacrifices to "chase championships" in the Steel City.
One of the most recent examples of a player’s distrust in how the Pittsburgh Steelers handle their roster is how HC Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff mishandled former Steeler and three-time Pro Bowler OLB Melvin Ingram III. Ingram left the Chargers to sign with Pittsburgh in 2021, supposedly with the promise of playing time and the opportunity to start. It became clear to Ingram that this was simply a smokescreen, and his frustrations led to a trade just a few months into the regular season.
The Justin Fields fiasco is eerily similar—a capable starter relegated to a backup role. One could argue that Fields was done far worse than Ingram, as the young Steelers QB led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start, while his replacement, 36-year-old veteran QB Russell Wilson, went 6-5 to end the season. Despite arguably being the last hope of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 QB room, Fields left the Steel City for the New York Jets—a team that finished 5-12 in 2024 and is in the midst of a complete rebuild.
It is clear from the terrible 2025 free agency haul that very few players want to don the Black and Gold. If the team hopes to change this narrative, a championship-focused mentality needs to take precedence over simply achieving winning seasons from now on.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Najee Harris and Mike Williams prove no one wants to play for Steelers
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Former Steelers Jesse James and Morgan Burnett ran for the hills
While former Steelers TE Jesse James may be best known for the age-old Pittsburgh debate, 'did he catch the pass against the Patriots?', he infamously expressed his gratitude to "get away" from the drama that had fallen over the Black and Gold in 2019.
Former Packers SS Morgan Burnett signed a three-year deal with the Steelers in 2018 but requested his release just one year later after the team refused to play him deep. It was clear that players were no longer willing to make sacrifices to "chase championships" in the Steel City.
Players don't trust the Steelers—and it shows
One of the most recent examples of a player’s distrust in how the Pittsburgh Steelers handle their roster is how HC Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff mishandled former Steeler and three-time Pro Bowler OLB Melvin Ingram III. Ingram left the Chargers to sign with Pittsburgh in 2021, supposedly with the promise of playing time and the opportunity to start. It became clear to Ingram that this was simply a smokescreen, and his frustrations led to a trade just a few months into the regular season.
The Justin Fields fiasco is eerily similar—a capable starter relegated to a backup role. One could argue that Fields was done far worse than Ingram, as the young Steelers QB led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start, while his replacement, 36-year-old veteran QB Russell Wilson, went 6-5 to end the season. Despite arguably being the last hope of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 QB room, Fields left the Steel City for the New York Jets—a team that finished 5-12 in 2024 and is in the midst of a complete rebuild.
It is clear from the terrible 2025 free agency haul that very few players want to don the Black and Gold. If the team hopes to change this narrative, a championship-focused mentality needs to take precedence over simply achieving winning seasons from now on.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Najee Harris and Mike Williams prove no one wants to play for Steelers
Continue reading...
