The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, but the franchise hasn’t experienced nearly as much success as its glory years. Pittsburgh has now gone eight years without a playoff win, but a franchise opposed to major changes could have one on the horizon.
Under head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have been one of the most consistent NFL teams and extended their streak to 21 consecutive non-losing seasons. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it has also reached the AFC Championship Game just once since 2011, with its last Super Bowl win coming in 2008.
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While the lack of recent playoff success has prompted many to call for a head coaching change, the organization remains committed to Tomlin. However, that could change in a few years with an even bigger move atop the organization.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote in a recent Q&A chat that it’s ‘safe to say’ there will be a change in the Steelers’ ownership in the next five years, with Dan Rooney taking over control of the team from his father.
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Art Rooney II, who turns 73 in September, took over as the Steelers’ team president in 2003. He then acquired a 30 percent ownership stake in the club in 2009, per NFL.com, before becoming the majority owner in 2017.
The Steelers haven’t been to the AFC Championship Game since, even with a change at general manager in 2022 when Omar Khan replaced Kevin Colbert. While Rooney is still committed to running the franchise for the foreseeable future, the groundwork seems to have been laid for a future takeover.
In recent years, Daniel Martin Rooney has taken on a growing role within the organization as he works towards becoming his father’s successor. He would follow in the footsteps of the family-run franchise, following after his father Art II, who came after Hall of Fame owner Dan Rooney.
