Welcome to Joe Starkey’s mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist and 93.7 The Fan radio host answers your questions about sports, life, Larry Foote and everything in between. If you want to ask Joe a question, tweet him at @JoeStarkey1 or email him at jstarkey@post-gazette.com. On to the questions, which this week were laced with Steelers angst …
Jay, @Crossland895: Dr. Starkey. It seems the Steelers have Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to Mike Tomlin. Having said that, do you see any avenue to legitimate success for them in 2025?
Starkey: All avenues appear to be blocked by orange signs, Dr. 895, kind of like every street in the city. But let’s get to the next question on this topic …
Runnin' Ref Rick, @PadreRico: Tough to be optimistic about the Steelers' near future — conservative offense from the 70s, weak o-line despite the draft investments, other than Pickens, no splash players on offense, porous defense despite the money spent, no obvious quarterback to count on, same tired voice at head coach … what am I missing?
Starkey: I think you pretty much covered it, Dr. Ref, and you can start with the quarterback situation. It’s a weak draft class. The in-house options aren’t great, and the free-agent class is monumentally depressing. A trade, maybe, but for who?
The offensive line should improve with Troy Fautanu entering the equation. Zach Frazier is a keeper. Broderick Jones must take a leap. But I don’t know how you fix the other issues. You might fix one — you might find an explosive player in the draft or free agency, for example — but it’s like a game of whack-a-mole: as soon as you take care of one situation, another pops up.
This isn’t exactly Nostradamus stuff, but I see a team that makes or misses the playoffs by a game — and if it gets into the playoffs, it’s as a double-digit afterthought again, headed for a blowout loss.
Fansville, @Fansville412: Will Artie Smith get out of the Stone Age and evolve into at least 1990's offense?
Starkey: Probably not, Dr. F. It seems to be that Artie was quite fortunate to have Derrick Henry in Tennessee. He parlayed that gig into three losing seasons as a head coach and the disaster you just witnessed here, in which the Steelers were the worst first-down team in the NFL, never scored a touchdown on their opening drive, couldn’t get a yard when they needed it, used a frozen quarterback for one of the biggest passes of the season (in Cleveland) and couldn’t score in the red zone.
Other than that, it was a smashing success.
Paul Jr., @ppotopenko: Pauley Pavilion here. If it were up to you, would you sign Russ for three years for $90 million and draft a guy, or Fields for two years and $36 million and sign a bridge guy? I also expect an invite to play golf when the weather breaks!
Starkey: Your only good idea there is the golf, Dr. P. Russell Wilson is still OK, but he clearly is no longer a guy to win a championship with. And while he mixes fits of excellence with fits of disaster, he also seems like a guy who could go downhill faster than Picabo Street. I would never invest that kind of money in him. Fields still struggles with the passing part of the game, which is kind of important for a quarterback. I guess if he’s your best option, you try to bring him back, but I’d try very hard to find a better option.
TP Ward, @TomWard1621239: There’s a solid argument to be made that all three major sports coaches in the city should be fired. Who gets fired first? I’d say Sully, then Shelton, and then, unfortunately, Tomlin … Shelton is easily the worst of the group, but every PGH coach seems stale.
Starkey: It should be apparent, by now, that Mike Tomlin will never get fired — although demanding he make changes he does not want to make could always force a divorce, I suppose. Short of that, he will coach here as long as he likes. I’d say the order would be Derek Shelton first, perhaps even if the Pirates get off to a terrible start, and then Mike Sullivan, although I wouldn’t count on Sullivan getting fired anytime soon.
Brian's Misadventures, @G950Brian: Have Pittsburgh sports been in a sadder state in recent memory? Steelers hopelessly stuck in the standard of mediocrity, Pirates wouldn't eat off the dollar menu if it still existed, and Penguins haven't had a goalie or a hope in the playoffs since Fleury was here. It's bad, man.
Starkey: It’s not good, Dr. M, I’ll say that. Since September of 2017, the Steelers have missed the playoffs nearly 40 percent of the time (three times in eight years) and have not been competitive in a single playoff game; the Penguins have seen their playoff streak snapped and their sellout streak snapped and have won just a single playoff series (none in the past six years); and the Pirates … well, I don’t have to tell you about the Pirates, do I?
Yes, it’s quite depressing.
Steve, @stevestam87: What is it that makes 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 conversions seem to be a guaranteed first down for every other franchise in the NFL, but at best, a 50/50 chance for the Steelers?
Starkey: It’s maddening, isn’t it, Steve? I was just thinking of this the other day watching teams seemingly convert those situations with ease. Justin Fields should be able to execute the tush push nearly every time, with a good center in front of him, two guards getting a push and somebody pushing from behind.
When Mike Tomlin punted on 4th-and-inches the other day in Baltimore, it was game over.
Actually, it might have been game over after one drive, but you get the point.
Dylan, @iamDylanH: Greetings, Dr. Starkey. Do you see a world in which Mike Tomlin or Teryl Austin aren't coaching the Steelers next year?
Starkey: It would appear that Tomlin will be back, Dr. D, but what if Art Rooney II demands changes that he does not want to make? One change has to be taking the defense away from Tomlin and bringing in a defensive coordinator to run that unit on his own. I could absolutely see the Steelers moving on from Austin, as the Cincinnati Bengals did.
The Steelers should have kept Brian Flores in-house and given him the defense. I have never seen a Steelers defense look as soft as this one did in Baltimore. Just pathetic.
PaulSkenesSzn, @PaulSkenesSzn: Joe, If you could make any change to the coaching staff (besides firing Mike Tomlin), what would it be?
Starkey: Both coordinators (Tomlin still runs the defense) and the offensive line coach.
Brock, @BrockMatava: I’m not fully buying Dulac’s report. Could be a ploy to get a better trade offer for him. It could also strip away some of his powers, and maybe that drives him away. Do you agree, or is it a foregone conclusion that MT is back?
Starkey: Well, the report said the Steelers “plan” to bring Tomlin back, and we all know that plans can change, Dr. B.
But I wouldn’t bet on that.
Skip Bittman, @BittmanSkip: All AFC playoff teams are set at quarterback long-term with one exception. Whether it‘s Fields or someone else, do you have confidence they have the coaching to develop a young QB? Tomlin’s forte is defense, and Smith is not a QB guru.
Starkey: No, Skipper, I do not have confidence that this staff could develop a young quarterback. Who would?
Yinzersaurus, @jbfrompgh: Pittsburgh sports are stuck in some sort of Groundhog’s Day universe. Which team breaks out of the cycle first?
Starkey: I’d like to say Pirates because of Paul Skenes, but their offseason has been a historical embarrassment. I guess I’ll still say Pirates because of the young pitching talent, but I don’t say it confidently.
Clint Hurdle, @piratesaretrash: Out of all the available options, Who would you pick to be the Steelers quarterback in 2025?
Starkey: Man, I’m realizing by the hour how slim the options are, Dr. Hurdle. It’s not Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins, I’ll tell you that. It might have to be Justin Fields … more on this next week.
UncleTonyRusso, @UncleTonyRusso: Do you think hard knocks became a distraction to the team? The timing of the collapse adds up.
Starkey: I think it was more the timing of playing the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs in 11 days, Dr. Russo, and getting exposed as mediocre.
Thank you for asking.
First Published: January 14, 2025, 4:10 p.m.
Updated: January 14, 2025, 8:35 p.m.