PITTSBURGH — On Thursday, ESPN published the leaked results of this year’s NFL Players Association annual report cards. For the first time in the four-year history of the union’s survey, the Steelers finished last among the NFL’s 32 franchises. And when this news was announced, very few were surprised. This year’s report card covered 18 different categories. ESPN’s report claims the Steelers ...

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II walks on to the field prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Eric Espada/Getty Images North America/TNS

PITTSBURGH — On Thursday, ESPN published the leaked results of this year’s NFL Players Association annual report cards. For the first time in the four-year history of the union’s survey, the Steelers finished last among the NFL’s 32 franchises. And when this news was announced, very few were surprised.

This year’s report card covered 18 different categories. ESPN’s report claims the Steelers received failing grades for “treatment of families,” “home game field,” “locker rooms” and “team travel.” The team’s strength coaches received a B- grade, which also ranked tied for last in the league.

“The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t just finish last in the NFLPA survey. They got embarrassed,” Mad Dog Radio’s Damon Amendolara said Friday morning on his daily Sirius XM program.

The only A-grades the Steelers received were for “head coach” and “special teams coordinator.” Both of the men who held those roles last season are no longer on staff. Everything else that remains is largely viewed to be below league standard — at least as far as the players are concerned.

For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers were as close to untouchable as one can get in this town. One would rather slander their own mother than suggest any wrongdoing by the beloved Black and Gold. But those days are long gone.

The “Steeler Way” has been lost. A term that once exuded the pursuit of greatness now rings hollow. Things have fallen stale on the South Side, and many believe the man at the top is to blame.

“I think fans have turned on Art [Rooney II],” 93.7 The Fan’s Chris Mueller said of the Steelers’ owner Thursday afternoon. “I don’t think Art is popular with the fans at all.”

When it comes to ownership, Pittsburgh sports fans aren’t afraid to voice frustration. My former co-worker Ron Cook once suggested that Bob Nutting was our town’s most “hated” sports figure, a claim that’s difficult to refute.

Nutting, however, has always had one thing in his corner. The Pirates were equally incompetent — actually worse — under Kevin McClatchy, their prior majority owner. Nutting inherited a mess, one that naturally provided low expectations. Rooney has no such luxury.

“The standard in Pittsburgh used to be excellence, Super Bowl victories,” Amendolara said. “They have six of them. This is an elite sports city, and it deserves better.”

Since inheriting the team’s majority stake in 2017, little has gone right under Rooney’s watch.

The team has lost seven consecutive playoff games. It’s experiencing far less success when it comes to drafting and player development. The quarterback position has become a revolving door. Assistant coaching hires have been routinely underwhelming, and the same can be said for their recently hired head coach. Pair that with consistent off field drama and a frugal reputation at the top, and it’s easy to understand why so many are upset.

On the same day that the NFLPA report cards were leaked, Rooney announced that the Steelers will be addressing the team’s playing surface. If only he addressed similar issues with such speed and certainty.

Had Mike Tomlin not stepped down on his own accord, the Steelers would be in the midst of the same song and dance we’ve seen for far too long, an act that nearly everyone had become sick of. While Mike McCarthy is now at the helm, it’s hard to see how things will be much different — at least in the early going.

The Steelers are the most important team in this town. Heck, they might be the most important entity overall. Nothing has a greater influence over the collective mood in Western Pennsylvania than the result of a fall Sunday. Their bar is much higher. And now, if they continue to fall short, ownership will be the primary source of blame.

For years it was the coordinators who experienced the brunt of the city’s displeasure. Last year, the “Fire Canada chants” turned to “Fire Tomlin.” With Tomlin now gone, Rooney is now at the front of the line the next time things go south.

It will be interesting to see how things are handled whenever that moment inevitably arrives. Will the continually building unrest among the fan base eventually lead Rooney to step out of his comfort zone? Or will he take a page out of Nutting’s playbook and prioritize the most convenient way to an ensured profit?

Being a disliked owner of the Pirates is one thing. This city loves its baseball, but football has been and always will be Pittsburgh’s identity.

The Steelers have been underwhelming, but far from incompetent over the last decade. But if things continue to slide, there will be no apathy like we see most years at PNC Park after MLB’s trade deadline.

Steelers fans are always going to show up. They will always be deeply invested, some of them to an unnecessary degree. Such dedication can be an obvious blessing for a business owner — until those loyal fans start to believe they care more than the person running the show.

That notion seems to be catching on more and more around this area, with the reaction to this year’s NFLPA report card serving as just the latest example. If things don’t turn around this fall, Bob Nutting may soon no longer be the most criticized man in town.

____