The Pittsburgh Steelers received extremely negative reviews in the 2026 NFLPA Report Card, finishing last in the league, well behind the rest. For the first time in the survey’s history, the organization ranked last in the entire NFL. The athletes expressed severe dissatisfaction with the infrastructure, pointing to owner Art Rooney II’s lack of investment as the main obstacle.
Some critics point to severe problems with the physical facilities, such as the locker room and the condition of the turf at Acrisure Stadium. This situation did not go unnoticed by the NFL World, which reacted strongly to the infrastructure problems in Pittsburgh.
Stephen A. Smith Slams Pittsburgh Steelers After NFLPA Report
The harshest reaction came from Stephen A. Smith, who slammed the Steelers’ management during Friday’s “ESPN First Take,” saying he was surprised by the scores recorded by the NFLPA, while outlining how all these problems may be affecting the team on the field.
“This organization under Art Rooney II, I mean right now it looks like a disgrace compared to what his family has established for so many years”, said A. Smith.
“No wonder Mike Tomlin left. … This organization under Art Rooney II, I mean right now it looks like a disgrace compared to what his family has established for so many years.”@stephenasmith responds to the Steelers receiving an F on their NFLPA report card 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/9E85QRbaxt
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 27, 2026
“Ownership deserves an F before any of it because all of this is a result of the ownership. Yeah, this is unfortunate, disappointing, and, quite frankly, a little surprising coming out of Pittsburgh.”
In another harsh comment on the Steelers’ situation, Joe Raineri cited details from notes received by the organization and ironically wished Mike McCarthy “good luck” in light of the enormous difficulties facing the franchise.
“How they did that is amazing. But do you know who got an A? Mike Tomlin. And suddenly, it all makes sense, doesn’t it? We were all wondering why Tomlin finally threw his hands up and walked away from the organization after his 100th season. Well, now we know,” said Jones.
He added, “The guy was tired of coaching a team where players have to wait and line out the door just to use the restroom. So good luck to the new head coach, Mike McCarthy.”
The full NFLPA 2026 report cards have leaked — and the results are eye-opening 👁️ – @JoeRaineri
The Dolphins top the league with A’s across the board, while the Steelers rank dead last. Now Mike Tomlin’s departure makes a lot more sense… pic.twitter.com/zK8xPxyMK5
— SportsGrid (@SportsGrid) February 27, 2026
During the “Steelers Afternoon Drive” podcast, Alan Saunders also did not hold back in his criticism of the situation facing the Pittsburgh franchise, emphasizing that many of the season’s injuries may be related to a lack of structure.
“I mean, we’ve talked about the soft tissue injury thing over and over again. Absolutely, that matters. And the Steelers know they need a bigger facility. It is a pain in the butt for literally everyone that works there in some way every single day”, said Saunders.
A lot is always made of the NFLPA report cards. Some of it matters, but does all of it?
📺/🎧: https://t.co/5pGfQ9NE9t pic.twitter.com/W8odsLWi7E
— Steelers Afternoon Drive (@Steelers_AD) February 27, 2026
He added, “I’m not taking a poll, but I would wager that every single person from Art Rooney to the janitor that works in that building is annoyed by something about the lack of space in that building almost every day. Like it’s a constant annoyance.”
Other reactions that also drew attention point to the Steelers’ decline in the NFLPA rankings in recent years, a fact that caught the attention of Curt Popejoy and Mike Lewis, who detailed the NFLPA’s key findings in The Athletic.
“I can see why some owners didn’t want these results made public,” said Lewis. According to information released by “The Athletic“, the NFL sent a memo to teams asking them not to comment on the NFLPA survey.
