NFL Power Rankings: Steelers outside looking in at the Top 10 entering the regular season

The Pittsburgh Steelers, like all 32 NFL teams, are just a few weeks away from this strange preseason concluding, and real games beginning.

Strange might be an understatement, as it pertains to how the 2020 calendar year has been thus far.

No rookie minicamp.

No Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

No mandatory minicamp.

No preseason games.

No alternative site for training camp.

Nonetheless, the NFL regular season is poised to start on time when Houston travels to Kansas City on Thursday Night Football to kick off the regular season, and this means it is time to start ranking teams.

These rankings might seem futile, and they are absolutely meaningless, but they are also great for discussion and debate. The folks at ESPN put out their preseason rankings, and also included a player they feel is on the hot seat heading into the 2020 season. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh fans, their favorite team finds themselves on the outside looking in at the Top 10.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, check out the Top 10 below:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Tennessee Titans
10. Minnesota Vikings
...
13. Pittsburgh Steelers

“Who’s on the hot seat? WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Why his seat is warm: A handful of Steelers offensive players are on the hot seat, but the temperature is the highest on Smith-Schuster’s. The second-round pick flourished as the No. 2 receiver behind Antonio Brown but faltered in his first chance to break out as the top weapon. Some of that was out of his control, due to injuries to both Ben Roethlisberger and himself, but it leaves Smith-Schuster playing the final year of his rookie deal without a long-term contract in place. The cap-strapped team faces tough financial decisions after the season, and another poor year from Smith-Schuster could make at least one of those decisions easy. — Brooke Pryor

Is JuJu Smith-Schuster on the hot seat, or are the Steelers just putting plans in place for life without Smith-Schuster? Are they the same thing?

What do you think of the Steelers’ ranking in these Power Rankings? Do you think they should be higher? We all know these mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, but they are good for quality discussion and debate. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.