Major 2024 Developments in Pittsburgh Professional Sports: Overhauled Steelers’ QB Room and Pirates’ Pitching Phenom Lead the Headlines
The year began with the Pittsburgh Steelers suffering their fifth straight playoff loss, extending a streak that dates back to the 2016 postseason.
However, it concluded with the Steelers, despite a three-game losing streak, securing a playoff spot and an opportunity to end the franchise’s longest postseason victory drought in the Super Bowl era.
Team president Art Rooney II set the tone early in the offseason, stressing the urgency for the team to progress toward securing a seventh championship.
“We’ve had enough of this,” Rooney declared in late January. “It’s time to win. It’s time to take these next steps.”
Rooney showed his commitment by approving a major shake-up in the quarterback room. Out went Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, and in came three new players, including one of the most notable free-agent acquisitions in team history.
The Steelers signed former Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson shortly after his release by Denver. The day after trading Pickett to Philadelphia, they acquired former first-round pick Justin Fields.
In addition, the Steelers signed two starters in free agency—linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott—and traded their most established wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, to Carolina in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson.
Although the Johnson trade helped bolster the secondary, it highlighted a weakness in the wide receiver group behind George Pickens, a gap that management didn’t fully address.
An injury to Wilson in a conditioning drill on the eve of training camp allowed Fields to start the first six games. The Steelers went 4-2, but coach Mike Tomlin switched to Wilson, who led the team to six victories in the next seven games.
With a 10-3 record, the Steelers were on the verge of clinching the division title and securing a home playoff game when losses to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City in an 11-day stretch dulled the excitement of their strong start.
Pirates’ Skenes Stuns MLB
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2024’s bright spot was their pitching, with rookie right-handers Jared Jones and Paul Skenes lighting up the mound with triple-digit fastballs, while veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman hit 105.1 mph.
Skenes, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 260 pounds, became one of baseball’s most talked-about stories, transitioning from the 2023 No. 1 overall pick to an All-Star Game starter, winning NL Rookie of the Year, and finishing third in Cy Young voting.
At the plate, Bryan Reynolds earned his second All-Star appearance with a scorching June that included an MLB-best 25-game hitting streak and a new franchise record for home runs by a switch hitter. Andrew McCutchen marked another milestone, hitting his 300th career home run, while Oneil Cruz joined the 20-20 club.
Yet, the optimism was tempered by struggles. The Pirates endured a 10-game losing streak in August, finishing with a 76-86 record for the second consecutive season and in last place in the NL Central.
Several Pirates players struggled offensively, contributing to one of the worst teams at the plate. Their bullpen blew 29 saves, as Chapman and closer David Bednar, who together have nine All-Star appearances, faltered in preserving leads. Expected sluggers Henry Davis and Jack Suwinski had subpar seasons and spent significant time in the minors.
The Pirates also raised eyebrows when they moved Cruz from shortstop to center field in late August after a month of defensive struggles. Meanwhile, Ke’Bryan Hayes, a Gold Glove winner, endured a tough season with a bothersome back injury.
Despite an improvement in 2023, the Pirates failed to make a significant leap into postseason contention. A promising start was undone by a midseason collapse, despite adding two bats at the trade deadline.
Jones, who had earned a spot in the rotation after being called up, debuted with a dynamic performance, striking out 10 in 5 2/3 scoreless innings at Miami. Skenes finally made his MLB debut on May 11, dazzling in a 10-9 win over the Cubs, and continued to impress throughout the season with dominant performances on the road.
Despite Skenes’ impressive rookie campaign, the Pirates’ late-season struggles derailed their progress. They lost 10 straight games in August and dropped below .500 after another blown save by Bednar.
In response, the Pirates fired hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage, hiring new staff members, including Matt Hague from Toronto as the new hitting coach.
With significant moves in the front office and roster, general manager Ben Cherington is optimistic about the team’s future, believing they will be in their strongest position yet for the 2025 season.
Penguins in Transition
The Pittsburgh Penguins entered 2024 in unfamiliar territory—they became sellers at the NHL trade deadline for the first time in nearly two decades.
All-Star forward Jake Guentzel, a key part of the team’s 2017 Stanley Cup win, was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 8. In return, the Penguins received NHL forward Michael Bunting and several promising prospects.
After the trade, the Penguins made a late push for a playoff spot, going 8-2-2 in their final 14 games, but fell just short, finishing three points out of contention.
Instead of pursuing big-name players, the Penguins made several small signings and trades, including acquiring forward prospect Rutger McGroarty and re-signing captain Sidney Crosby to a two-year contract extension.
Despite their transition to a younger team, Crosby remains the franchise’s anchor. The Penguins’ season has been a mixed bag, starting with a 7-12-4 record. However, after Tristan Jarry’s struggles were addressed, the team surged with a 9-3-1 record since November 27 and is now in striking distance of a playoff position.
Hounds and Riveters’ New Horizons
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC reached the USL Championship playoffs after a 9-1-6 home stretch but fell 1-0 to the Charleston Battery in the first round. This marks their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, but they’ve been eliminated in the first round five times during that stretch.
In a new development, Pittsburgh will introduce an expansion team in the USL W League, the Pittsburgh Riveters, set to begin play in 2025 at Highmark Stadium. The Riveters will be led by Scott Gibson, director of the Riverhounds Academy and head of the girls’ program in the Elite Clubs National League.
