Should the Steelers be considered a contender this season?

Some NFL fans are looking forward to the new season, while others might not be so excited about this season.

With the moves during the NFL offseason, some teams have taken steps to become contenders this year.

Other teams have fallen flat trying to improve their team.

However, the team everyone is talking about for 2022 is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fans want to know if the team can be a contender in 2022 with their two new quarterbacks.

But should they even be considered contenders this season, or are they doomed in 2022?

Big Ben loss deals a blow to Steelers suitor talks

With Ben Roethlisberger retiring in 2022, the Steelers must now rely on a new quarterback for the first time in over a decade.

That now leaves the Steelers with Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett for the 2022 season.

Neither player is the star Big Ben was in his time with Pittsburgh.

However, Trubisky and Pickett will face off to see who is the best fit for the team.

Currently, Trubisky enters the preseason as a potential starter, while Pickett has been working with the third-string offense this offseason.

QB Mitchell Trubisky will most likely be the starter for the #Steels at the start of the season. Rookie QB Kenny Pickett took reps with the 3rd string team

— NFL DeLuca (@DeLuca_NFL) June 28, 2022

But Trubisky doesn’t really inspire confidence in some NFL fans, as he suffered under Matt Nagy when he was in Chicago.

As he improves as a coach in Pittsburgh, the damage he has suffered may be too much to repair.

Will the new coaching and starting role help Trubisky improve?

The former first-round pick has a habit of making bad decisions with the ball.

Most of his mistakes stem from a lack of progress in his readings correctly.

When former Browns QB Baker Mayfield was in trouble in Cleveland, fans compared him to Trubisky.

You can’t watch games and determine that Baker is the one who won those games… I love Baker but he keeps making the same mistakes. Fix the receivers. Does not progress in readings. Missing targets. He’s a better Mitch Trubisky.

— Michael Komertz (@MikeKomertz) October 19, 2020

However, they would say he was better than the former Bears quarterback.

Trubisky’s story of missing targets, staring at his receivers and not progressing in his readings is clear to everyone.

But some believe it was his lack of coaching in Chicago that caused him these problems as a player.

While this may be true, it would be great if Mike Tomlin’s coaching could fix these issues.

If so, they could still be contenders, despite losing Big Ben in retirement.

Tough AFC could block any Trubisky success in 2022

While Pittsburgh’s new starting QB could find success with the team, a tough AFC could keep them out of the playoffs.

With Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Cleveland all striving to improve, it’s hard to keep up.

There are only seven playoff spots up for grabs in 2022.

However, the Steelers only have four chances to advance to the playoffs with four division-winning berths.

So they have two choices to make the playoffs, win the division or become a wild card team.

The AFC North has three other teams that could prevent Pittsburgh from winning the division.

The other AFC teams can clearly do well enough in 2022 to put Pittsburgh out of action this year.

That’s why they shouldn’t be considered as contenders for the 2022 season.