| 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Rooney Family |
| General manager | Dick Haley |
| Head coach | Chuck Noll |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 4th AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | OT Tunch Ilkin |
| AP All-Pros | None |
| Team MVP | David Little Rod Woodson |
| Team ROY | Warren Williams |
The 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 56th in the National Football League. Hall of Fame team founder and owner Art Rooney died at age 87 less than two weeks before the start of the season on August 25. The team wore AJR patches on the left shoulder the entire season in memory of "The Chief".
The team finished the season at 5–11 failing to improve on their 8–7 record from 1987, and had their worst record since finishing an NFL-worst 1–13 in 1969. As of 2024, the 5–11 mark remains the team's worst record since 1969, and they have only finished with ten losses twice since, in 1999 and 2003.
The Steelers got off to a disappointing start. After winning their home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the team lost six straight, their first six-game losing streak since 1969. The team never recovered after the skid, and at one point had a 2–10 record after a 27–7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It was the Steelers worst start to a season since the merger. The Steelers did, however, finish the season on a positive note, winning 3 of their last 4 games to finish the season 5–11. To date, this represents the only time since the AFL-NFL merger the Steelers have finished the season last place in their division.