Tumultuous would be the first word that comes to mind when describing the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2018 season. There was so much drama going on inside the locker room that could've made a good reality TV show.
Jesse James, a Steelers tight end in 2018 now on the Detroit Lions, put it perfectly. He said the Steelers were the “Kardashians” of the NFL.
If there's one thing you don't want to be compared to, it's the Kardashians, unless it pertains to how much money they've made. The Steelers were a complete circus from the very beginning of the season when the Le'Veon Bell news began.
Pittsburgh planned on using their franchise tag on the All-Pro running back even though he wasn't interested in it. Instead, Bell decided to sit out the regular season, which didn't sit well with some of his teammates.
Most of the offensive line including Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro had plenty to say about the running back. And it was probably stuff they should've kept in house but it became a snowball effect from then on.
James Conner played well in Bell's absence, but he still didn't bring everything that Bell can. Just two seasons ago, Bell touched the ball 406 times for 1,946 yards from scrimmage.
He is now gone to the New York Jets and forgotten in Pittsburgh along with Antonio Brown. Brown had a fallout with the organization after he sat out in Week 17 when the Steelers were facing the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to multiple reports, the issue lied within a disagreement between Ben Roethlisberger and the veteran wideout. This caused Brown to leave practice and bench himself to end the season.
The game had a lot of importance as Pittsburgh was fighting for a playoff spot. Although they won the game, since the Baltimore Ravens won, the Steelers were eliminated from playoff contention.
It was a fitting ending to a season that was filled with distractions. Since then, Brown requested a trade from the team and his wish was granted. Brown will be suiting up for the Oakland Raiders in 2019. The Steelers were forced to part ways with the star receiver after the relationship was seemingly irreparable.
So with two-thirds of the “Killer B's” now gone, what does the future hold for Roethlisberger? Probably not anything meaningful as the quarterback continues to see a decline in his play.
His window to win another Super Bowl is now closed. If you think losing two of the best skill players in the NFL makes you a better team, then you're probably a Steelers fan.
Stats wise, you may think Big Ben is having the best years of his career, but he isn't. In 2018, he had a career year in passing yards, but he also attempted a whopping 675 passing attempts.
His previous career-high was 608 in 2014. The Steelers have asked him to throw more the past couple of seasons, but it hasn't led to postseason success.
Furthermore, turnovers have become a glaring issue for the aging quarterback. For instance, Roethlisberger has thrown 59 interceptions in the last four seasons combined.
To put that into perspective, Eli Manning has 54 over the same span. At 37 years old, it's unlikely Roethlisberger is going to change his ways of being aggressive with the ball.
Nonetheless, Roethlisberger is undeniably a Hall of Fame quarterback and will sport a gold jacket someday. Unfortunately, his run has come to an end and the Steelers need to begin thinking towards the future.
The Steelers still have Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and a great offensive line, but that isn't enough to win anything. Is anyone supposed to think Donte Moncrief tips the scales in the Steelers favor?
The AFC North has seen itself flipped with the Cleveland Brown likely viewed as favorites. This comes after they acquired Odell Beckham Jr. via trade.
The 30 for 30 that will inevitably be made on the “Killer B's” will be must-watch television. From 2013-2017 (when Ben, Bell, and Brown were together), Pittsburgh only managed to make one AFC Championship game.
As hard it may be to say, Steelers faithful has to realize the departures of Bell and Brown spell the end of Roethlisberger's window to win another Super Bowl. All good things must come to an end.
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