If the Steelers are following the Eagles' model, are they capable of putting it together?

It’s been three days since the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, and I keep hearing that’s good news because it means the Pittsburgh Steelers are “on the right track” toward building a team in their image.

Since, you know, the Eagles are all about defense and running the football. So, yinz don’t need a high-profile quarterback n’at.

OK. Let’s take a look at that theory. Let’s examine how the Eagles are built and how the Steelers are being constructed.

And let’s see where they’ve already messed up in trying to be like the team at the other end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts was a second-round draft pick in 2020. But after he was second-team All-Pro in 2022, the Eagles signed him to a five-year deal worth $180 million guaranteed.

In 2024, he counted $13.5 million against the cap. That’s almost the same as what Larry Ogunjobi did in Pittsburgh ($13.2 million). This year, Hurts will count $21.8 million. That’s less than what Minkah Fitzpatrick is costing the Steelers in 2025 ($22.3 million).

Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. Since then (including the playoffs), Hurts is 41-12 with a Super Bowl ring in Philadelphia.

The Steelers, meanwhile, have tried Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as the starting quarterback to replace Big Ben.

Much like those guys, the Eagles didn’t swing big on Hurts as a second-round pick when they brought him into the building. But he was the right guy to bring in, and when the Eagles realized that, they locked him up.

Before him, the Eagles had guys like Nick Foles and Carson Wentz. In comparison to the Eagles, the Steelers’ methodology at trying to find their next quarterback hasn’t been flawed. They’ve tried the former Pro Bowl veteran free-agent route. A first-round pick. A third-round pick. A trade acquisition and a mid-tier free agent.

It’s their talent assessment at the position that has been problematic.

Wide receiver

Let’s not rewrite recent history. A.J. Brown has had his moments of volatility in Philadelphia. Not to the degree of what we have seen with George Pickens in Pittsburgh. But there have been incidents. His own performance and that of the team have masked those issues, though.

So if the Steelers keep Pickens for at least this year, they better win to offset his inevitable distractions. Or they need to trade him, bring in a lower-maintenance No. 2 receiver akin to DeVonta Smith and draft their future No. 1 target in the first or second round this year.

For as much as the Eagles are heralded for their run game, they used a top-10 pick on Smith in 2021 and gave $84 million guaranteed to Brown. That’s a lot of investment in the wide receiver position.

As for the Steelers, they have Pickens and very little else.

Running back

The Steelers pushed their chips into the middle of the table on Najee Harris in the draft. The Eagles did so with Saquon Barkley in free agency. Similar to the QB conversation, the Eagles just made the better read on the better player.

Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are both capable No. 2 running backs. That said, the Steelers can do better at that position in 2025 than elevating Warren or retaining Harris in free agency (after foregoing his fifth-year option in the first place).

In what is supposed to be a strong year for running back talent in the draft, the Steelers may want to look at that position in the third round after addressing receiver and defensive line in the first two, depending on what cornerbacks may be available.

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Tight end

Based on age, similar cost in 2025 and recent health issues, I’ll take Pat Freiermuth over Dallas Goedert.

However, the Eagles can move on at that position after this year if they want, whereas the Steelers have Freiermuth on the books for $10.5 million-$12.8 million over the next four years.

Not to mention that Arthur Smith likes to deploy lots of tight ends in his offense. If the Steelers are going to be so tight-end reliant, they need to be more impactful. The Eagles just won a Super Bowl with 794 yards and three touchdowns combined between Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.

Offensive line

It’s not like the Steelers have ignored this position in the draft. We think Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick showed promise as rookies last year. We think former first-round tackle Broderick Jones will be better on the left side. We think last year’s first-rounder Troy Fautanu will be a good right tackle if he gets healthy.

The Steelers’ one known offensive line commodity, though, is Isaac Seumalo, a guard the Eagles decided they didn’t need anymore after the 2022 season.

That line is great. It is also built with two second-rounders on the interior in Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens (both players the Steelers could have drafted) and a reclamation project in Mekhi Becton. The tackles are a seventh-round project in Jordan Mailata and 12-year vet Lane Johnson. Both were second team All-Pro this year.

The Eagles molded their offensive line. Right now, the Steelers just have the clay.

Defensive front

The difference here seems to be more about scheme and style than roster construction. But one hand washes the other.

The Eagles come at you with waves of depth, size and talent up front, with lots of push up the middle. Jalen Carter was a second-team All-Pro, Josh Sweat and Milton Williams were the defensive stars of the Super Bowl.

The Steelers rely on whatever interior pressure they can get from Cameron Heyward, along with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith/Nick Herbig rushing from the same place on the edge every play. The club seems to have gotten everything it’s going to get out of Larry Ogunjobi. Keeanu Benton never took a big step forward after flashing as a rookie. DeMarvin Leal looks like he’ll never find a role or stay healthy, and everyone else along the line is just a guy.

The Eagles were second in pass yards allowed (3,266) and second in points allowed (303). They allowed just six rushing plays over 20 yards (third-fewest in the NFL) and allowed the fewest yards on defense in the league (4,732).

At inside linebacker, the Steelers spent $41 million on Patrick Queen for marginal results. The Eagles spent $3.5 million on Zack Baun, made a position switch, and almost turned him into the Defensive Player of the Year.

Secondary

Aside from retaining Darius Slay, the Eagles largely rebuilt their secondary in one year. They drafted Quinyon Mitchell in the first round of 2024, two picks after the Steelers selected Fautanu. He came right in as a rookie cornerback and played more snaps than anyone on the Eagles’ defense (955). Fautanu played 55 before getting hurt.

Cooper DeJean was taken in the second round and can play corner, slot, safety and return punts. He had a pick-6 in the Super Bowl. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was brought back after a year away, and undrafted Reed Blankenship now has nine turnovers in two years at safety. Conversely, the Steelers got one forced fumble and one pick from Fitzpatrick for $21 million.

DeShon Elliott was a good signing at the other safety. Joey Porter Jr. was up and down but still worthy of a 2023 second-round selection. Donte Jackson provided splash plays early but faded as the season went along. Every other spot in the secondary appears up for grabs.

So that’s the Eagles’ model. The Steelers have the model.

Unfortunately, they are missing a lot of the pieces, can’t figure out the instructions to put it together, and sometimes seem to make personnel decisions like they’ve sniffed too much of the glue.

Aside from all that, though, yeah. Sure. They’re almost the Eagles.

LISTEN: Tim Benz and Chris Adamski look at the Steelers’ attempts to shape themselves after the Eagles in this week’s offseason podcast.