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The Steelers are Founded
Arthur J. Rooney formed the Pittsburgh Steelers on July 8, 1933. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL's seventh-oldest franchise, were known as the Pirates until 1940. -
Name Change
The team's name was changed to the "Steelers" in 1940 to honor Pittsburgh's major industry, the steel industry. -
Tough Stretch
From 1948 until 1957, the Steelers were on a losing streak, losing season after season. Nothing could have helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win despite many coaching changes. -
New QB
In their nearly forty years of existence, the Steelers have only been in one playoff game. The Steelers selected quarterback Terry Bradshaw with their first pick in the draft; he is despised by everyone, and the media assumed the Steelers had selected yet another bust. -
New Coach
The Steelers have lost five straight seasons due to poor quarterback play and defensive failure. The Steelers, on the other hand, have hired Chuck Noll, a fresh coach with a lot of potential. -
"Mean" Joe Greene
The Pittsburgh defense will be completely rebuilt with Chuck Noll's first move. He selects Joe Greene with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The Steelers still had a disastrous season, finishing 1-13. "Mean" Joe Greene, on the other hand, is the defensive rookie of the year. -
Finally, a Good Year
Franco Harris, a great running back, was drafted by the Steelers. Terry Bradshaw has one bad year, but comes back and plays like a champion. Joe Greene continues to show out. The Steelers had a fantastic 39th season, going 11-3 and advancing to the playoffs. -
Immaculate Reception
The Steelers were taking on the Raiders in the AFC divisional playoff game. The Raiders were ahead 7-6 with 1:13 left to play. Terry Bradshaw hurled the ball into the air. The ball was launched into the air when two players collided trying to get the ball. Franco Harris was rushing after it when he picked it up and sprinted for a touchdown as the ball was about 3 inches from the ground, to win the game. The Immaculate Reception is one of the most well-known plays in American football history. -
The Steel Curtain
By completing their steel curtain, the Steelers have completed one of their best drafts in history. People called the Pittsburgh defense the "steel curtain" because it was so impressive. It was based on four players, with "Mean" Joe Greene leading the way. They also added two superstar receivers to the mix. -
Super Bowl IX
In defeating Minnesota 16-6, the Steelers won their first-ever NFL championship. -
Super Bowl X
The Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21–17 to win their second Super Bowl in a row. -
Super Bowl XIII
A few years later, the Steelers appeared in the Super Bowl once again. Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers to their third Super Bowl victory, throwing four touchdown passes for a final score of 35-31 over the Dallas Cowboys. They are the first team to three super bowl wins. -
Super Bowl XIV
By defeating the Rams 31–19, the Steelers became the first team to win four Super Bowls. Terry Bradshaw was named MVP. -
Back to a Losing Season
Things are looking down for the Steelers, as all of their previous greats have moved on, besides a few. The Steelers finish with a 6-10 record. -
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph Rooney, the owner of the Steelers, passes away. He had been the only owner of the team from the beginning in 1933. Dan Rooney, his son, takes over the team. -
A New Era
With the retirement of Chuck Noll, the Steelers' four-time Super Bowl champion coach, a new era begins. Bill Cowher has taken his place. The Steelers have a strong start to the year under Bill Cowher and finish with an 11-5 record. -
The Bus
The Steelers are taking their time, one season after another, when they pick up a man named Jerome Bettis, who is pretty good. He is given the nickname "The Bus". They also have Kordell Stewart as their quarterback. The Steelers finish with a record of 6-10. -
Super Bowl XXX
The Steelers make it back to the Super Bowl and meet the Dallas Cowboys for the third time. This time it ends in a defeat with a score of 27-17. -
"Big" Ben
The Steelers quarterback had recently suffered an elbow injury. As a result, the Steelers chose to put rookie Ben Roethlisberger in the starting lineup. The Steelers had one of their best seasons ever, going undefeated, but ended up losing a game that they needed to win in order to advance to the Super Bowl. On the plus side, "Big" Ben Roethlisberger was looking good and could very well be the Steelers' future quarterback. Also, Jerome Bettis is as good as he's ever been. -
Super Bowl XL
The Steelers are back in the Super Bowl with Ben Roethlisberger. They outlasted the Seattle Seahawks 21-10, the fifth Super Bowl win in Steelers history. -
Super Bowl XLIII
"Big" Ben leads the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XLIII. Santonio Holmes made a spectacular reception for a six-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a record sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23, over the Arizona Cardinals. -
Super Bowl XLV
In the Steelers' eighth Super Bowl appearance, they are defeated by the Green Bay Packers 31-25. -
The "Killer B's"
Le'Veon Bell, a rookie running back, broke the franchise record for most scrimmage yards by a rookie set by Franco Harris. The "Killer B's" trio of offensive players, which included Bell, up-and-coming wide receiver Antonio Brown, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, would dominate the AFC North for the next few years. -
Return to AFC Championship
The Steelers won the AFC North for the second time in the last three seasons and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Steelers went on to beat the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round before losing the AFC Championship Game 36–17 to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. This was the Steelers' first AFC Championship Game since the 2010 NFL season. -
New Owner
Dan Rooney died on April 13, 2017, passing the ownership of the Steelers on to his son Art Rooney II. -
Downfall of the "Killer B's"
Bell refused to sign a contract and ended up missing the entire season. The Steelers used second-year halfback James Conner to fill in for him. Also, despite setting career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns, Brown was involved in several issues both off and on the field and frequently clashed with the Steelers' media and coaching staff. Brown broke down prior to the team's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 17, was benched for the game, and then left the team. -
Third String QB
In a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Ben Roethlisberger tore his UCL, ending his season. Mason Rudolph took his place after that but was then hurt in a game against the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks later. With Rudolph out due to a concussion, Devlin Hodges took his place for the remainder of the game. After a 7–1 run following the loss to Baltimore, The Steelers climbed to an 8–5 record by week 14, but lost the final three games of the season to finish 8–8. -
Franchise-Best Start to Slow Finish
The Steelers started the season with a franchise-best 11–0 record, which came to an end when they fell to the Washington Football Team. The Steelers were then 11–3 after losses to the Bills and Bengals. In Week 16, they won the AFC North by rallying from a 24–7 deficit to defeat the Colts, with the Jets upsetting the Browns 1–13. They would have a rematch with Cleveland in the playoffs at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers were big favorites to win the wild-card game, but they fell 48–37. -
Mike Tomlin
Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have not had a single losing season for as long as he has been the head coach since 2007. He has a career record of 154-85-2, including two super bowl victories. -
End of an Era
Following the Steelers' 42-21 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC's wild-card round, the longtime Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sounded like he had played for the final time in the league. He spent his whole career in Pittsburgh and accomplished numerous things, including two Super Bowl victories and much more.