“They deserve this”: NFL analyst calls out Steelers’ struggles
The Pittsburgh Steelers are not where they expected to be heading into the season, and Marcus Spears says they had it coming.
The frustration surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggling offense reached a new height this week, and former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears added fuel to the fire. Appearing on NFL Live, the ESPN analyst delivered a sharp critique of Pittsburgh’s ongoing problems at quarterback, arguing that the team’s current mess didn’t appear out of thin air.
“We all know the truth” - Spears puts Steelers on blast
Spears didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of the Steelers’ offensive state, saying the team is exactly where years of questionable planning were always going to lead them. He pointed specifically to the decision to lean heavily on Aaron Rodgers, despite the 42-year-old quarterback being well past the stage where a franchise can expect elite consistency.
“They put all the chips on Aaron Rodgers,” Spears said. “They thought this particular year he was going to be able to max out as a 42-year-old quarterback and hopefully make it to the playoffs.”
Instead, Spears suggested, the Steelers are now confronting the reality that their gamble never truly had the odds in its favor.
Marcus Spears says the Steelers are where they deserve to be: “The Pittsburgh Steelers are exactly where they deserve to be. This was a team with no plan after Ben Roethlisberger. They’ve been waffling the last seven years in the NFL. And we all know the truth. We all know the…
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) December 2, 2025
Despite sitting second in the division behind the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers’ 6–6 record is a letdown considering the expectations entering the season. Spears argued that Pittsburgh should be far more competitive inside the AFC North, a division that demands high-level quarterback play, something the team has struggled to secure since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
“They’re still not where they need to be,” he said, adding that no system, no scheme, and no coach can solve the deeper issue: the quarterback position simply isn’t good enough.
He emphasized the point plainly: “The team cannot go in any direction until you get the most important position [quarterback] right.”
Spears’ critique joins a growing chorus of voices urging a reset in Pittsburgh. Questions have been mounting about the long-term direction under head coach Mike Tomlin, and the team’s ongoing carousel of quarterbacks has only amplified those concerns.
"Aaron should have seen all this coming... Aaron Rodgers is going to come and go and it's not going to make any difference... They are the limbo Steelers."@andrewperloff says Steelers' inconsistent play is not surprising, while @MaggieGray wonders about Mike Tomlin's future pic.twitter.com/fTwDDxSoaB
— Maggie and Perloff (@MaggieandPerl) December 1, 2025
Even though the Steelers have managed to reach the postseason four times since 2020, their success has been limited. All four appearances ended in Wild Card exits, with none producing a hint of a playoff run. To Spears, that pattern is less a coincidence and more a symptom.
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