Pittsburgh Steelers

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Lore & Background

The Steelers, whose history may be traced to a regional pro team that was established in the early 1920s, joined the NFL as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933. The team was owned by Art Rooney and took its original name from the baseball team of the same name. The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since the organization's founding. The Steelers enjoy a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation. They currently play their home games at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh's North Side.

In Their Own Story

The intensity peaked during the Ben Roethlisberger era, particularly in two playoff meetings. In a 2005 AFC Wild Card game in Cincinnati, Carson Palmer was injured on the first drive, yet the Bengals built a 17–7 lead before Pittsburgh scored 24 unanswered points to win 31–17, en route to their fifth Super Bowl victory. Decades later, in the 2015 AFC Wild Card game, the Steelers led 15–0 after three quarters. With Roethlisberger out due to injury and Andy Dalton benched for A.J. McCarron, Cincinnati scored 16 straight points. The game ended on a controversial sequence: Ryan Shazier forced a Jeremy Hill fumble, followed by Vontaze Burfict being flagged for unnecessary roughness on Antonio Brown's head, leading to a suspension. Chris Boswell then kicked the game-winning field goal from 35 yards. Another brutal encounter occurred in 2017; after Cincinnati took a 17–0 lead, Pittsburgh outscored them 23–3 to win 23–20. The game saw serious injuries to Shazier, Mixon, and Burfict, along with suspensions for JuJu Smith-Schuster and George Iloka (later overturned).

Reader's Guide

The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl titles, with six, and hold the NFL record with 16 conference championship game appearances and 11 hosted. They have also won eight AFC championships. The team's dynasty in the 1970s included four Super Bowl wins in six years. The famed 'Steel Curtain' defense anchored by Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, and Dwight White, with linebackers Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Andy Russell, defined the team's identity.

Did You Know?

• The Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC.
• The team was originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates when it joined the NFL in 1933.
• The Steelers have won six Super Bowl titles, tied with the New England Patriots for the most.
• The 'Immaculate Reception' in 1972 was the Steelers' first postseason victory ever.
• The 1974 draft produced four future Hall of Famers: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster.