Pittsburgh Steelers Great Jerome Bettis On 2026 NFL Draft, What It’ll Take For A Deep Playoff Run

BusinessSportsMoneyPittsburgh Steelers Great Jerome Bettis On 2026 NFL Draft, What It’ll Take For A Deep Playoff RunByDJ Siddiqi,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. DJ Siddiqi is a reporter who covers the NFL, NBA, and pro wrestling.Follow AuthorApr 28, 2026, 01:09pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Pittsburgh Steelers great Jerome Bettis said the team didn't have the right pieces on offense to make a deep playoff run in recent years. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)Getty ImagesJerome Bettis knows how special the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base is.Bettis technically started out his career as a highly touted first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1993. He was named a First Team All-Pro selection during his rookie season after rushing for 1,429 yards on what would end up being a career high 4.9 yards per carry.The bruising running back known as "the Bus" would spend the first three years of his career with the Rams before spending his most memorable stint with the Steelers. Bettis spent the final 10 years of his career in Pittsburgh, winning Super Bowl LX in his final game in his hometown of Detroit at the conclusion of the 2005 season.Bettis led the Steelers to six playoff appearances and ended his career as the NFL's fifth all-time leading rusher after notching four Pro Bowl bids and three All-Pro selections with Pittsburgh."It's a generational fan base," said Bettis in a one-on-one interview. "It's not, 'Hey, I just became a Steelers fan. It's my grandmother was a Steelers fan, my grandfather, my father, my kids are.' It's a rite of passage to a degree for family and so that breeds that type of relationship that they the fans are ingrained in the team. "They are a part of the success or failure of the te...