In the blink of an eye, another year has come and gone. Things have changed drastically for the Pittsburgh Steelers, at least from a personnel perspective.

And yet, the results — for the most part — largely remain the same. Entering Week 18, the Steelers sit at 9-7 on the season and have struggled at times on both sides of the football, failing to have a consistent passing attack, while being unable to stop the run or communicate well defensively for stretches.

Sounds a lot like recent years, doesn’t it?

A division title with a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football and a home playoff game could change some minds. But with the way things have been up and down all season for the Black and Gold, there’s a clamoring for change, from the head coach to the franchise’s overall philosophy.

That actually happening remains to be seen and largely seems unlikely at this point. But it’s a new year, and with a new year comes New Year’s resolutions. For Pro Football Focus, the one resolution for the Steelers in 2026 and beyond is quite simple.

Find a way to be better than a team perennially hovering around .500.

“The Steelers hold an NFL-record 22 consecutive seasons finishing .500 or better, a remarkable standard of regular-season consistency. However, that steadiness has not translated into postseason success, as Pittsburgh has not advanced past the wild-card round since the [2016] season,” PFF’s Zach Tantillo writes. “For a franchise measured by championships, simply staying competitive is no longer enough.

“The Steelers’ priority moving forward must be turning that baseline consistency into meaningful January results.”

The consistency in which the Steelers are playing meaningful football late in the season is remarkable in today’s NFL, especially with the salary cap, player movement, and how rosters change year after year. The fact that the non-losing seasons record of 22 and counting spans late in Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin’s tenure is pretty impressive, too.

But for all those non-losing seasons, the Steelers don’t have much to show for it.

No Super Bowl appearances since 2010, no division titles since 2020, and no playoff wins since 2016.

And since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement after the 2021 season, the Steelers have largely been irrelevant when it comes to true contender status. Though they’ve gotten by in recent years starting Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and now Aaron Rodgers, they’ve never been viewed as a top team, one that can win the Super Bowl.

They’ve invested a great deal in the defense, too, and it hasn’t been that dominant unit many expected with how much money was poured into that side of the football.

So, something needs to change, whether it’s the head coach, or the organizational philosophy. Just getting into the playoffs isn’t enough. The team needs to find a way back to being a legitimate contender in the NFL. That starts with finding a franchise quarterback and playing a brand of football that fits today’s era on both sides of the ball.

How that happens in the next few years ahead is anyone’s guess. But something needs to change — and fast.