The Pittsburgh Steelers got the ire of NFL Twitter on Sunday for what many perceived to be a distasteful and classless celebration on the field. During the fourth quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith sacked quarterback Deshaun Watson before getting a faux CPR from his teammates as a celebration for the successful QB takedown.
That would have probably gone unnoticed by people on social media, but since the Steelers did it less than a week since Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin's life was apparently saved by CPR on the field, those Pittsburgh players should have known better than actually execute that celebration in front of the public.
I will once again say the Steelers are TRASH pic.twitter.com/KtHCET1P7J
— Stephen (@Scuba_Steve26) January 8, 2023
Classless Steelers with the CPR celebration pic.twitter.com/PT0hSPgwGN
— Ben Tylka (@tylkabm) January 8, 2023
Steelers will paint the “3” on their 30-yard markers in Bills red and blue for Sunday’s game to honor Damar Hamlin.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 6, 2023
Steelers defense celebrated a sack by performing CPR. Of all weeks… not a great look. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/ZvVPCwS6ya
— Gunz (@TheGunzShow) January 8, 2023
So the week after medical trainers save the life of Damar Hamlin, Quay Walker pushes one who is trying to help a player?
Furthermore, a Steelers player celebrates by doing CPR on his teammate?
What is happening? Why?
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) January 9, 2023
Hamlin has made an amazing recovery, but that doesn't make the Steelers' choice of celebration more acceptable if you ask the same people who went at the team on Twitter. It all boils down to sensitivity and timing. It was just too soon perhaps, even though the Steelers likely had no intention of offending anyone.
In any case, Pittsburgh is out of playoff contention despite beating the Browns in that game to the tune of a 28-14 score. If anything, at least the Steelers finished the 2022 NFL regular season with a 9-8 record and closed out their campaign with a four-game win streak.
The Steelers could have made the playoffs if only the Miami Dolphins managed to defeat the New York Jets. With the Steelers winning against Cleveland and the Buffalo Bills beating the New England Patriots, all the Steelers needed to get in the playoffs was a Jets win in Week 18, which did not transpire.