Who is the leader of this team?

[steelreserve]

One thing that struck me, with all the drama surrounding this team, is ... in past years when the franchise was competing for championships year in and year out, you could generally look around the locker room and point out several veterans who fit the "team leader" role. Like, you used to have a ton of players like Ward, Farrior, Clark ... or Keisel, Miller, maybe Deshea Townsend who were leaders by example ... along with the Joey Porters and Greg Lloyds of the world who, if not "leadership" in the traditional sense, at least provided a healthy dose of piss and vinegar that helped the team keep its edge, and probably headed off a lot of the diva bullshit before it started.

Who do we have right now that would qualify as a "leader?" Like - Cam Heyward sort of, and that's it.

We've always been a bit of an anomaly in that the quarterback is often one of the main leaders of the team in addition to its public face, but Ben has only sort of, or reluctantly, been that for most of his career. The veteran superstars are both divas. Watt and JuJu are explosive players but too young. Same with the running backs. The DBs and the other LBs are all one fuck-up away from the bench. I guess you have a few linemen who fit the career profile, but it doesn't really seem like they're that interested.

So what are we left with? No leader, no drive, no killer instinct. A lot of drama, it seems a lack of direction sometimes. I can't help but think that in a different kind of environment, a lot of the problems surrounding this team in 2018 would not have happened, but without a few players like that on the team, the self-motivation that comes with it, the focus disappears and you see offseasons like this, and starts and finishes to seasons like the last couple years.

I don't rightly know what the solution is, but just something that occurred to me and I wonder if that's as big a problem as anything ... maybe the team really DOES have the talent, and this is one of the things preventing it from cohering into an actual "team" that's the kind you need to be serious title contenders instead of just a collection of talented athletes with a puncher's chance at winning it all.

[Mojouw]

Another reason the loss of Ryan Shazier was just gutting.

There is no one who is a visible enough veteran playmaker to rein the knuckleheads in.

Unfortunately OL and DL are typically too low profile to be demonstrative leaders.

[st33lersguy]

Who knows? This circus act of a team is too busy running their mouths, deflecting blame, and/or sitting back to have leadership

[86WARD]

Cam Heyward is the closest thing.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Cam Heyward is the closest thing.

Cam Heyward Basically Called Out Antonio Brown for Quitting

Finn McCarrick
03 JAN 2019

https://www.12up.com/posts/6262267-cam-heyward-basically-called-out-antonio-brown-for-quitting

[Edman]

Unfortunately, Ben and Antonio Brown are the de-facto "leaders" of the team.

And people sit and wonder why the locker room and this team is a hot mess.

[Fire Goodell]

Heyward and Watt

Nobody on offense, they're really missing that Ward / Bettis type presence. Maybe Conner can be that guy

[st33lersguy]

Unfortunately, Ben and Antonio Brown are the de-facto "leaders" of the team.

And people sit and wonder why the locker room and this team is a hot mess.

Ben calls the shots, however he isn't a true leader which is the problem

[steelreserve]

Another reason the loss of Ryan Shazier was just gutting.

There is no one who is a visible enough veteran playmaker to rein the knuckleheads in.

Unfortunately OL and DL are typically too low profile to be demonstrative leaders.

In hindsight, things like Mike Mitchell turning out to be a meathead instead of a leader really hurt in this respect. He was probably the only defensive player who was not a lineman that was consistent at all. In this case, "consistent" just meaning "able to keep your job."

Other than Shazier, which you mentioned. That was a real killer.

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Heyward and Watt

Nobody on offense, they're really missing that Ward / Bettis type presence. Maybe Conner can be that guy

I really hope that Watt can step up into this role in the coming year. He's certainly a good/visible enough player to be taken seriously, and by his third year he'll sadly be one of the longest-tenured members of the defense who is not a lineman. Haden also seems to have the potential to fit that billing somewhat.

That, as much as anything, may be what the defense needs in order to get its shit together.

[teegre]

Heyward and Foster are the vocal leaders.

DeCastro leads by example.

Haden is new, but he’s become a leader.

Watt is on the cusp.

But... in three years... it’ll be JuJu. Everyone loves him. Everyone respects him. He’s currently “too young”, but his day will come.

[AtlantaDan]

Cam Heyward is the closest thing.

Agreed on Heyward and as teegre has posted I think Haden is listened to

NFL Network reporter assigned to Steelers also goes with Pouncey

1079856929999147008
(https://mobile.twitter.com/AKinkhabwala/status/1079856929999147008)
But if Pouncey had any clout you would think he might have convinced AB to cut out the celebration penalties that were being penalized

Ben has proclaimed himself the leader but other than the OL it appears the rest of the team at best tolerates his effort to play that role without taking him seriously. Nothing extraordinary about that - Greene and Lambert were the sheriffs of the 70s teams while Bradshaw performed on the field but otherwise was not regarded as any sort of authority figure

[steelreserve]

Is Pouncey still into stupid shit like Twitter pissing contests with fans, and quasi-gang-member hats, and getting into nightclub fights at 4 in the morning? Or did he mature a bit from that? I honestly don't know.

Because if he did grow up a bit, then good for him and for everyone ... if not, I can see how that could still appeal to certain kinds of other players and they might look up to him - but I wouldn't exactly call it "leadership" or really anything positive.

[86WARD]

I,don’t know if Pouncey is considered a leader or just a guy who is vocal with his opinion when the media is in front of him? I don’t know for sure...

Who does the media think and who have we heard are the leaders of this team?

[tube517]

I,don’t know if Pouncey is considered a leader or just a guy who is vocal with his opinion when the media is in front of him? I don’t know for sure...

Who does the media think and who have we heard are the leaders of this team?

I've seen a few articles or tweets mentioning Pouncey as one of the locker room "leaders".

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2015/8/16/9161713/pittsburgh-steelers-c-maurkice-pounceys-unique-brand-of-leadership

https://www.steelers.com/news/when-pouncey-talks-everyone-listens-20202783

[Steeldude]

They haven't had one for years.

Each time a Cowher player left the team became a little worse.

[DesertSteel]

Heyward and Watt

Nobody on offense, they're really missing that Ward / Bettis type presence. Maybe Conner can be that guy
I see Decastro kind of in the mold of a leader. But the skill set diva group needs a leader too.

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Ben has proclaimed himself the leader
Now if he could just get someone on the team to return one of his texts.....

[W&M_Steeler]

In hindsight, things like Mike Mitchell turning out to be a meathead instead of a leader really hurt in this respect. He was probably the only defensive player who was not a lineman that was consistent at all. In this case, "consistent" just meaning "able to keep your job."

Other than Shazier, which you mentioned. That was a real killer.


Losing Shazier might have been the point at which the current version of the Steelers' window closed. Losing a budding superstar and leader around whom the defense revolved was a horrific blow. As someone who lives in Redskins country, this situation reminds me of the Redskins team in the late 00s under Gibbs part 2. They had a core of players and were starting to make playoff runs. Then Sean Taylor was murdered and it seemed that the team lost its spirit. The core fell apart, Gibbs left, and it was over. The Steelers also seem to have lost their lynchpin, their spirit.

[zulater]

Unfortunately, Ben and Antonio Brown are the de-facto "leaders" of the team.

And people sit and wonder why the locker room and this team is a hot mess.

Ben is as good or a better leader now than he was in 2005, 2008, and 2010. He also takes no back seat to Terry Bradshaw as far as being a team leader goes.



Now to answer the thread. I think Pouncey, Ben and Ramon Foster would all be considered the team leaders on offense. On defense Cam Heyward and Joe Haden are guys that seem to be looked up to by teammates.

[ALLD]

M-I-C
K-E-Y

M-o-u-s-e

[Michael]

I agree these choices have the potential. Perhaps Conner. Oh I long for the day of Joe Greene. Joe was pissed off at Dwight White's unacceptable play during one game and Joe kicked White off the field. George Perles the DL coach angrily ran up to White on the side line Screaming "why are you out of the game?" White fearfully replies "Joe told me to get off the field.".. Perles replied get your ass back in there." White nervously replies to coach George Perles "I am not going back in till Joe says its ok".

Mean Joe was the greatest and without Joe there is no Steeler dynasty , no great legacy. Some have followed but none of matched #75. What would Joe have done with AB?The only player that Joe did not scare was Jack Lambert but Why would he be? One was great and he was a supreme leader in every way. One was just simply great and fearless.Give us two of these types and the coach's job becomes much easier even in these times of selfish immature players.

[DesertSteel]

Ben is as good or a better leader now than he was in 2005, 2008, and 2010.
Very good point.

[pczach]

I hope that Watt and JuJu emerge as leaders. Both embody everything you want in a player and leader. Both young men give you absolutely everything they have on the field. They are both young and their talents are relied upon by the team. These are the faces that exemplify how it should be done. Other young players will respect them and follow them if they step forward into leadership roles.

They are literally the future of this team and a large part of its foundation.

[Mojouw]

I'll toss an interesting monkey wrench into the debate.

This all assumes that every NFL players is in it to work to make a team better and win championships.

That is not a consistently valid starting assumption. I believe the vast majority of players are. However, I also believe that a measurable percentage of NFL players only talk about team and winning because that is how you have to talk to be perceived well in the league and they only care about themselves, their stats, and their next accolade and contract.

Am I right? I don't know. But I do know that you can not lead people who don't want to be lead - especially if they do not share the same goals that you do.

I have no idea if this is happening or not, but I do strongly think it needs considered.

[steelreserve]

I'll toss an interesting monkey wrench into the debate.

This all assumes that every NFL players is in it to work to make a team better and win championships.

That is not a consistently valid starting assumption. I believe the vast majority of players are. However, I also believe that a measurable percentage of NFL players only talk about team and winning because that is how you have to talk to be perceived well in the league and they only care about themselves, their stats, and their next accolade and contract.

Am I right? I don't know. But I do know that you can not lead people who don't want to be lead - especially if they do not share the same goals that you do.

I have no idea if this is happening or not, but I do strongly think it needs considered.


I think that is an excellent point, and I will say this: To some extent, almost every player probably wants to win, if for no other reason than because losing sucks and is usually less helpful to your individual goals, whether that means stats, money, or fame.

However - as you correctly point out - there are all different degrees of that, and some players are a lot more mercenary than others.

For the most part, I think that sorts itself out automatically. When you have a team that is winning and has a "team-first" mentality, it ought to attract and retain like-minded players a lot more easily, and it self-selects against the mercenary players. Partly because those players can find more of what they're looking for elsewhere, and partly because the team is looking for something else as well. On the other hand, when you have a team that is not that way, you probably attract more players who are mercenary or at least neutral.

If this indicates the team is gradually switching from one kind of mentality to the other, that's worrisome. It certainly IS a lot easier to build that team-first attitude if you are winning or at least have a strong positive trend that people can believe in. If you're drifting aimlessly, they'll go "what the fuck, why should I break my neck to buy into this?" Then all but the most die-hard idealists are going to look out for number one first.

In other words, maybe it's that the newer generation of players themselves are cut from a different mold, maybe it's that the atmosphere is changing and losing converts ... but if either one is happening, that could be a very bad thing.

[Iron Steeler]

Ben has the rings. The all look to him for guidance. Sometimes he can be dramatic too.