Former Steelers Super Bowl winner says the quiet part out loud when discussing the current state of the locker room in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been the pinnacle of stability and professionalism in the NFL. But in recent years, the team has started to see a crack in that foundation, with the end-of-season collapse reaching a boiling point. As it turns out, Willie Colon shared his intel on what is going on inside the locker […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been the pinnacle of stability and professionalism in the NFL.
But in recent years, the team has started to see a crack in that foundation, with the end-of-season collapse reaching a boiling point.
As it turns out, Willie Colon shared his intel on what is going on inside the locker room and it wasn't good…
Steelers' culture starting to erode?
“I was at the Super Bowl, and I ran into a lot of my old teammates because everybody was kind of whoring themselves around media row and trying to shake hands, kiss babies type thing and find a door so they can walk through with their media career," said Colon on the Ryen Russillo podcast…
"…We were talking about the culture of the Steelers. At one point, it meant something. And now, it feels like it’s something that you just say, and it doesn’t have as much weight as it once did. Some of the stories I was hearing coming out of the locker room was interesting. I got the feeling that the old way and what I was brought into doesn’t exist anymore. That was disheartening.”
Here's the thing, you should take Colon's word for it, but you don't have to. We have tangible evidence regarding the demise of the culture that was instilled by players like Colon during their Super Bowl runs in the late 2,000's.
By the end of the 2024 season, we saw RBs calling out the coaching staff, rookies refusing to play, and key defensive starters all but giving up, in a playoff game against a division rival of all atmospheres.
And that's why the pulse of the fanbase is sky-high. The standard has always been the standard. But when that standard goes from toughness and championships to quitting and first-round playoff exits, you're going to get some pushback.
Now, in fairness to the Steelers, a stabilizing force at QB would help calm everything and bring back that culture. But the revolving door that has been the QB room since the retirement of Big Ben will be going around yet again.
So even then, whether its Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph or a rookie, the Steelers are unlikely to have their next Ben Roethlisberger in 2025. That doesn't mean they shouldn't try and draft one, but until they find a signal caller of his caliber, these cultural issues are likely to continue.
