A Letter From the Editor: Walking into the Steelers unknown future as one

The Pittsburgh Steelers future is anything but known at this juncture, but we’re going to dive head first into the unknown together.

As I write this article I take a sip of coffee and am looking out the window to see mother nature changing. In the midst of winter’s clutch we all know what is coming. Before you know it, warmer temperatures will break through and the green of the grass and buds on the trees will begin to show.

The expected and known bring comfort. When we know what to expect, we don’t have to consider the alternative.

This has certainly been the case with the Pittsburgh Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2004. No matter what, No. 7 would be in training camp to give our favorite team a chance to compete. Sure, there were years when we knew it would be tough sledding, but Roethlisberger always gave the Steelers a “don’t count them out” feel to season expectations.

No longer.

Just one week ago the Steelers’ 2021-2022 season ended in a dud vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, and with it was the end of Roethlisberger’s time with the black and gold. On top of Roethlisberger’s departure from the team, Keith Butler’s retirement and a slew of free agents who could be finding greener pastures next season leave the Steelers’ future anything but certain.

With all that said, the Steelers’ upcoming offseason shouldn’t be viewed as a dark winter with no hope in sight, but one where hope is on the horizon. Filling the void at quarterback won’t be easy, but there are many aspects of this offseason which provide excitement about the future.

The Steelers’ have a tremendous amount of salary cap space this offseason, something they haven’t had the luxury of having in the last decade, and can put an exclamation point on their rebuild by making wise decisions to bolster the roster on both sides of the football. On top of that, the 2022 NFL Draft will be critical to their success, as it always has been.

Some will scoff at the thought of hope for the future of the Steelers, and that’s fine, but the point is we here at BTSC are diving head-first into this unknown together. We hope to provide you the very best Steelers coverage you can imagine as it pertains to your favorite football team.

Unlike other outlets, we are all fans of the team, and don’t have to hide this fact in our work. Whether it be writing or podcasts, we can proclaim our fandom and our readers/listeners know we are all on the same side. Not some “objective” voice trying to hide the fact they grew up rooting for the Steelers but can’t be a fan at this stage of their careers.

The plans we have this offseason will be both traditional and unique. You’ll get the usual breakdowns, latest news and features from the writers you’ve come to enjoy, but we are also planning on some new features and a different approach to our work. I’m very excited about this aspect of the website.

On the podcast front, not much will change as we saw exponential growth in this area. We are “trimming the fat” a bit, but you’ll still get all the same content fans have come to lean on throughout this season.

Ultimately, the hope is BTSC isn’t just your one-stop-shop for all things Steelers, as we proclaim on every podcast, but it is your sounding board, your punching bag, your electronic tavern and anything else you need this platform to be during this unforeseen future.

We’ll all get through this as we always do — together.

As for me, I’m excited about the future, both for the Steelers and BTSC. Time to enjoy the ride, hope springs eternal.