Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum continues to rip the Steelers.
On a recent edition of ESPN’s “Get Up,” the failed general manager predicted Pittsburgh will finish last in the AFC North, thanks to Ben Roethlisberger.
“(The Steelers) are going to be last (in the AFC North) because they have the worst quarterback in the division,” Tannenbaum said.
Apparently still salty over Pittsburgh’s 2010 AFC Championship win, Tannenbaum is one of the Steelers’ biggest detractors in the media. Last summer, he proclaimed Roethlisberger was the worst quarterback in the AFC North.
In March, Tannenbaum said the Steelers lost free agency, because they — you guessed it — brought back Roethlisberger.
Tannenbaum also wasn’t crazy about the re-signing of JuJu Smith-Schuster. “I think this is a team that could very much wind up with one of the top five picks in next year’s draft,” Tannenbaum said at the time.
The Steelers didn’t finish last season on a strong note, getting embarrassed by the Browns in the Wild Card Round. Roethlisberger was atrocious down the stretch, throwing 10 interceptions in his final seven games. But he’s back for the 2021 season, and looked downright ebullient at OTAs.
Seemingly every Steelers receiver, from Chase Claypool to Smith-Schuster, has showered Roethlisberger with praise.
Still, Tannenbaum is far from the only NFL pundit who’s down on the Steelers. Pro Football Focus also projects Pittsburgh will finish last in the AFC North — after 10,000 simulations of the season.
Even if Roethlisberger rebounds, the Steelers still may have too many holes to compete. They lost two starters on the offensive line and three veterans on defense: Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson. The secondary remains a huge question mark.
But it’s tiring listening to Tannenbaum repeat the same note. The guy who drafted Mark Sanchez doesn’t deserve much deference.