The
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have never had a losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin’s 18-year tenure, but ESPN commentator and ex-Steelers safety Ryan Clark advised Pittsburgh to break this streak deliberately.
On ESPN’s “Get Up,” Clark called out the Steelers for mismanaging their offseason activities and proposed that they might want to consider intentionally underperforming during the 2025 season. This strategy could potentially allow them to secure either Texas QB Arch Manning or LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier with one of their picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“To my view, this group isn’t prepared to contend,” Clark stated on Wednesday.
via On3
I’m okay with this because it seems like you decided not to select a quarterback in the draft. Perhaps your assessment was that none of the available quarterbacks were up to par compared to Aaron Rodgers. However, if you’re going to play it safe, do so completely. We should aim for Arch or go after Nussmeier instead.
Ryan Clark recommends the Steelers should intentionally lose games to secure Arch Manning.
During an eight-year tenure with the Steelers, Clark played a crucial role in helping the franchise secure their sixth Lombardi Trophy during Super Bowl XLIII. Despite continuing to be a devoted advocate for his old team, Clark’s confidence in the Steelers’ prospects seems to have diminished following their trade of standout wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week.
To an extent, Clark makes a valid argument. Following a frantic search for a steady partner to complement Pickens, the Steelers secured wide receiver DK Metcalf through a trade with the Seattle Seahawks during the recent off-season. Currently, they find themselves with just one trustworthy wideout again.
This trade doesn’t seem poised to encourage veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers to sign with the Steelers either. Pittsburgh opted against pursuing other available quarterbacks during free agency; they decided to bide their time as they awaited the four-time MVP’s choice about his future.
Tomlin boasts an impressive 183-107-2 record (.630) during the regular season, yet this achievement is being overshadowed by his less successful performance in the playoffs. In post-season play, he holds an 8-11 record (.421), with many of these defeats happening more recently. Over the last eight seasons, the Steelers have failed to win in their past six playoff matches, and throughout this period, the team’s lineup appears noticeably depleted.
The Steelers require their future quarterback.
Although Clark’s disappointment regarding Pittsburgh’s off-season activities is justified, intentionally losing games to secure Manning isn’t always a surefire fix. Given that Arch Manning is related to both Peyton and Eli Manning, he understandably garners significant attention and anticipation; however, this doesn’t ensure he’ll turn out to be an exceptional NFL-caliber quarterback. Moreover, he might choose not to join the draft when it comes up again next year. It’s anticipated that Manning will take over as the starting player for Texas during his third-year campaign, though determining whether he deserves one of the coveted first-round picks remains uncertain.
The Steelers
chosen Ohio State quarterback Will Howard
In the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he isn’t anticipated to step into an immediate starting role right away. To bolster their quarterback position, the Steelers signed experienced signal-callers Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson during the off-season; however, they represent a downgrade compared to last season’s quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The article was initially posted on Sportexposs.com.
Steelers’ Super Bowl winner encourages squad to intentionally underperform for Arch Manning
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