Steelers Slipping Behind in the Burgh?

Podcast discusses Steelers' place in Pittsburgh sports hierarchy

Apr. 7, 2026 at 10:36pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented Steelers football game, with sharp planes of black, gold, and white overlapping to create a sense of motion and competition.The Steelers' struggle to find a franchise quarterback has them falling behind their Pittsburgh rivals in the race for championships.Today in Pittsburgh

In the latest episode of the Steelers Afternoon Drive podcast, hosts Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss the Steelers' current standing among Pittsburgh's professional sports teams. They note that the Steelers have the worst odds of winning a league championship compared to the Pirates and Penguins, and explore how much of that is tied to the team's lack of a franchise quarterback.

Why it matters

The Steelers have long been the most successful and popular professional sports franchise in Pittsburgh, but this podcast examines whether that status is starting to slip as the team navigates a transition at the quarterback position and struggles to keep pace with the city's other sports powerhouses.

The details

Saunders and Smith analyze the Steelers' current situation, noting that the team's odds of winning a league title are worse than those of the Pirates and Penguins. They discuss how much of this is due to the Steelers' lack of a clear franchise quarterback, and whether the team is building a 'QB-proof' roster to compensate. The hosts also touch on players receiving their new playbooks and the team's efforts to construct a strong roster around a potentially lesser QB.

  • The Steelers Afternoon Drive podcast was recorded and published on April 7, 2026.

The players

Alan Saunders

Co-host of the Steelers Afternoon Drive podcast.

Zachary Smith

Co-host of the Steelers Afternoon Drive podcast.

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What they’re saying

“We discuss the Steelers having the worst odds amongst themselves, the Pirates and the Penguins to win the league's championship. What do we make of them seemingly being the third fiddle in the hierarchy in that way?”

— Alan Saunders, Co-host

“We then discuss how much of that is attached to just them not having a franchise QB. We also discuss players receiving their playbooks and building a QB proof roster vs a lesser roster with the franchise QB.”

— Zachary Smith, Co-host

The takeaway

The Steelers' struggles to maintain their status as the top professional sports franchise in Pittsburgh, particularly as they navigate a transition at the quarterback position, highlights the challenges the team faces in keeping pace with the city's other sports powerhouses like the Penguins and Pirates.