| 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Rooney Family |
| General manager | Kevin Colbert |
| Head coach | Mike Tomlin |
| Home field | Heinz Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7–1 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC North |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Chiefs) 21–42 |
| Pro Bowlers | 4
|
| AP All-Pros | 2
|
| Team MVP | T. J. Watt |
| Team ROY | Najee Harris |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2021 season was the Pittsburgh Steelers' 89th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 22nd and final season under general manager Kevin Colbert and their 15th under head coach Mike Tomlin. They failed to improve upon their 12–4 record from 2020 and failed to win their division in back to back years for the first time since 2016–2017. However, despite only having a 6% chance to make the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight before Week 18, they did clinch a Wild Card spot that week as well as make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2014–2017 after defeating the Baltimore Ravens, combined with the Las Vegas Raiders defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, (The Steelers would've gotten in had the Chargers won as well, they just couldn't have that game end in a tie) and the Jacksonville Jaguars upsetting the Indianapolis Colts; this came despite the Steelers finishing with a -55 point differential. However the Steelers were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs 42–21.
For the first time since 2009, center Maurkice Pouncey was not on the roster, as he announced his retirement on February 12.[1] Also, for the first time since 2011, guard David DeCastro was not on the roster, as he was released by the Steelers on June 24. It was also quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's final season with the Steelers as he announced his retirement on January 27, 2022, after 18 seasons with the team. A 6-time Pro Bowler, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to 12 playoff appearances and 3 Super Bowl appearances, winning 2 of them in 2005 and 2008 respectively. He also retired as 5th all-time in passing yards, and was the last remaining active quarterback from the 2004 draft class.[2]
It was also the final season that the team’s home stadium was known as Heinz Field, as it was announced that the naming rights were bought by Michigan-based insurance company Acrisure in a deal initially reported on July 11, 2022 after Kraft-Heinz, who owned the original rights to the stadium’s name since its grand opening in 2001, decided not to sign a new deal with the Steelers, officially ending its 21-year business arrangement, renaming it Acrisure Stadium in the process. The decision to rename the stadium has been received overwhelmingly negatively by Steelers fans.
- ^ "Longtime offensive linemen Maurkice and Mike Pouncey retire from". NFL. February 12, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ Pryor, Brooke. "Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger retires after 18 seasons: 'I retire from football a truly grateful man'". ESPN. Retrieved January 27, 2022.