Cornerback Patrick Peterson only spent one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers but he has some strong opinions about his former team. In a recent interview, Peterson was asked about where he thinks the Steelers stand in the AFC North and Peterson didn't hold back in his thoughts on what to expect in Year One under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

“They're third in the division right now," Peterson said. "I think Baltimore is a better team. Cincinnati is going to be better if Joe Burrow is healthy. I think the Steelers, they're going to be salvageable. They're going to get their eight-to-nine wins and Aaron Rodgers is going to go off into the sunset. But I don't think they're in position to compete as a team right now in the AFC North. Mike McCarthy is a great head coach. He's done some great things in Green Bay, done great things in Dallas, but I think with this team being an older team, it's going to be a lot more challenging. I believe they'll be right there in the middle of the pack as far as wins and losses as they have been in the last 17 years.”

This might seem far fetched but the Steelers have finished third in the AFC North twice in the last four years. They did win the division in 2025 on a last-minute field goal miss in Week 18 against the Ravens. The Steelers have won a total of five playoff games since winning the Super Bowl in 2009 and haven't won a playoff game since 2016.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Former Steeler calls team 'salvageable' this season