Steelers Should Throw All Caution To The Wind To Win In 2024: 'Do Whatever It Takes'

The Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves in a serious period of transition following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger after the 2021 season. Kenny Pickett was supposed to be the future, and now he is with the Philadelphia Eagles. With a quarterback room that now includes Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Steelers appear to be ready to win right now. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic agrees and could see Pittsburgh making some big moves to get them where they want to go.

The Steelers have been linked to several big-name receivers during the 2024 offseason, and while nothing has happened as of yet, that doesn't mean there isn't something going on behind the scenes. Looking at Pittsburgh's 2024 offseason from Kaboly's perspective, the Steelers have set themselves up to win immediately, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Kaboly took to X on Wednesday, where he made it quite clear how he saw the situation playing out.

"If I'm [the] Steelers, I'd take [a] huge swing at this draft if it is trading up, trading players, or trading for [a] WR. Who cares about next year[?] You have said you want to win now. Now show it. You have a win-now QB, a vet defense. Do whatever it takes to put yourself in position to win now."

That is a pretty straightforward take on where the Steelers find themselves ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. This wasn't the case when the 2023 season came to its disappointing conclusion for the organization, as Pickett was ready to prove that his third year would be better than his first two. With Wilson and Fields in the position room now, the Steelers went from hoping their former first-round quarterback would work out, to handing over the reins to two players ready to show that they can get Pittsburgh back to competing again.

Pittsburgh boasts the NFL's most expensive defense, and for good reason. Their generational defender, TJ Watt, is capable of taking over games at any point and is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three different times. Despite his remarkable accolades, Watt has never won a single postseason game in his entire career. For a player of Watt's caliber, that is simply unacceptable and something the Steelers are eager to remedy.

Watt is approaching the dreaded age of 30 for NFL players, and with so much of his career already behind him, the desire to win in the playoffs is becoming more pressing for the future Hall of Fame linebacker. However, Watt isn't the only star on Pittsburgh's defense who is tired of not winning when it really counts. Cameron Heyward is entering his 14th season in the league, and at 34 years of age, the defensive lineman knows that he won't be playing forever, and he wants to win now.

Watt and Heyward are the beating hearts of Pittsburgh's defense and having non-losing seasons cannot be the standard any longer. With an offense that should be able to do much more than simply hold their own, Kaboly could be on to something. After several seasons of treading water, the Steelers seem prepared to start moving forward again.

Steelers' Offense Ready To Pull Their Weight

2023 wasn't what anyone expected it to be when it came to a sudden, unceremonious end with the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pickett had managed 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in two NFL seasons, so enough was enough. Heading into the 2024 season, the Steelers have Wilson and Fields under center, either of which is an upgrade in the quarterback room. Throughout the 2023 season, the Steelers were forced to rely on their defense much more than they should have, and the impact was felt throughout the year.

Whoever is under center will have a reliable, bruising rushing attack to bring a balance that has been missing in the past. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will be running behind a huge, rebuilt offensive line that is sure to get stronger through the 2024 NFL Draft. Even if the new offense doesn't reach the lofty heights some are hoping for, they should be able to at least get out of their own way, which would be a huge improvement.

Watt and Heyward deserve to experience the glory that comes with winning playoff games in the NFL, and the 2024 offense could be the start of how they reach those goals. With a struggling offensive strategy, Mike Tomlin led the Steelers to surprising success in 2023. So, maybe Kaboly has good reason to feel positive about the win-now approach that seems to be happening in Pittsburgh.