The air over Pittsburgh is once again rife with that familiar, electric tension—the kind that usually crackles before Immaculate Extensions and Terrible Towel blizzards. Except, this time it’s the premonition of something big that could tilt the axis of the AFC North. In simpler words, whispers around Acrisure Stadium’s corridors point out there could soon be a ‘Unicorn’ basking in Steel City Twilight, helping Aaron Rodgers.

Still confused? Well, if we are to listen to the latest buzz, the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly made a phone call to the Atlanta Falcons to enquire about their 2,651-yard tight end phenom, Kyle Pitts. Notably, Pitts isn’t just any tight end. Drafted 4th overall in 2021—the highest-drafted TE ever—he exploded onto the scene with a rookie year for the ages: 68 receptions, 1,026 yards (a Falcons TE record, shattering Tony Gonzalez’s mark), joining Mike Ditka in the elite 1,000 receiving yards rookie club. His 6’6″ frame, 83⅜-inch wingspan (longest for a TE/WR in 20 years), and 4.44 speed make him a coverage nightmare, a true unicorn.

Remember that 163-yard demolition of Miami? Or the 49-yard TD vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers last October, where he crossed the line just before the ball flew loose? That’s Pitts: Rare air, breathtaking potential. Yet, Atlanta’s new regime seems ready to move him. And for Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, sitting on a healthy $31.8 M in cap space, swinging for Pitts feels like aligning stars around their newly acquired sun: Rodgers. Yet, not everyone is convinced—not about Pitts, but rather how much the quarterback will be able to capitalize on his new team.

During an appearance on The Facility on June 5, former Bucs player LeSean McCoy quipped with a tone laced with weariness. “Now everybody’s excited about the play—they always go to the playoffs. You can’t be excited about something you always do.” McCoy’s focus then landed squarely on the four-time MVP now wearing black and gold. “Aaron Rodgers is turning 41 years old. Or was he already 41? Turning 42. You know him better… I think we’re stuck on the old Aaron Rodgers. Even the way we follow his path: is he signing with them? Is he not signing with them? And it’s like since when we do all this for a 41-year-old quarterback?” The comparison is inevitable, yet dismissive: “It ain’t Tom Brady.”

“[If] Tom Brady [was] coming to the Steelers…’Yo, man, we about to see something we haven’t seen before’. [But] you’ve seen Aaron Rodgers…he [is] going to take that team to the playoffs. Now, it might look a little different, might be a nice little sidearm pass, it might be a 40-yard bomb…[but] it’s going to be the same results. He is not getting better at 41.”

“[As for the Steelers], did the offensive line get better? No. The running game, did that get better? No…I guess you got better wide receivers depending on how you look at DK [Metcalf]…The defense get better? No, not really…All I’m saying is, when I watched the [team] last year, they had bad defensive play, bad running game, bad O-line play. That’s not really changing that much, and you bring a 41-42 year old quarterback, you think it’s going to be a difference? The only difference is, maybe, it’s going to look different. But it’s going to be the same results…playoffs because they always in playoffs,” the veteran opined.

But, there’s always a but…

Amid serious concerns: Rodgers foundation cracks

McCoy’s skepticism isn’t just about Rodgers’ age; it’s about the ground beneath the aging gunslinger’s feet. The Steelers added firepower with DK Metcalf (6,324 career yds, 48 TDs) and shored up the defense with Patrick Queen and Darius Slay Jr, but the core issues McCoy highlights linger.

Can Jaylen Warren truly carry the run game? Through his first three pro seasons, he has piled up 1,674 rushing yards (4.8 Y/A), 894 receiving yards and 2,568 yards from scrimmage—highlighted by a 74-yard rushing touchdown that stands as the Steelers’ longest rushing TD since 2014. But Najee Harris’ departure leaves rookie Kaleb Johnson (round 3, pick 83) and Kenneth Gainwell (single-season best of 364 yards in 2023 since joining two years prior) as the unproven backups.

But will the O-line hold long enough for Rodgers’ meticulous deep-ball artistry? The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line faced significant challenges during the 2024 NFL season, impacting both pass protection and run blocking. Here’s an overview of the key issues:

Pass Protection Struggles

• High Sack Rate: The offensive line allowed 49 sacks throughout the season.

Run Blocking Inconsistencies

• Yards Per Carry: The Steelers averaged 4.1 yards per carry, totaling 2,166 rushing yards over the season. While respectable, there was room for improvement in creating consistent running lanes.

• Penalties: 102 O-line penalties in total, ranking them 23rd in the league.

Youth and Inexperience

• Rookie Starters: The Steelers relied on rookies like center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick, who showed promise but also faced typical first-year challenges.

• Development Needs: With a quartet of second- and third-year players projected to start in the upcoming season, the offensive line’s development remains a priority.

Yet, McCoy’s warnings echo loud enough. Is trading for Pitts, even with his undisclosed injury (though participating in off-field work), really going to work? It’s the ultimate Steelers paradox: Chasing Lombardi with a legendary, aging QB while wrestling with the ghosts of playoff exits past and foundational questions

But in the harsh, fluorescent light of the NFL grind, as McCoy reminds us, poetry often collides with the prose of reality. Will this gamble be their Super Bowl triumph, or just another chapter ending in the Wild Card round? The Terrible Towels are poised to wave, waiting to see if this twilight ride ends in a blaze of glory or familiar, frustrating dusk.