Troy Aikman Drops Harsh Critique of Steelers' Effort in Slow Start vs. Bengals

Pittsburgh trailed 10–0 after the first quarter.

Troy Aikman in 2024. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is one of the most candid announcers on television in any sport—unafraid to jab players, coaches or even whole organizations when criticism is warranted. The 2024 edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, haven't won since Dec. 8 as a protracted slide engulfs them.

On Saturday, Aikman and the Steelers crossed paths—with predictable results.

As the Cincinnati Bengals took a 10–0 lead on Pittsburgh, Aikman took the Steelers to task for their lackadaisical start to the game.

"This is as good of a start as Cincinnati could have hoped for.... and here they are on the march again," Aikman said on ABC's broadcast. "You watch Pittsburgh's body language, and I don't want to read too much into it, but a lot of walking around. Not much enthusiasm here in Week 18."

The Steelers have played the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs over their past three games, and Aikman hedged his critique a bit accordingly. However, Pittsburgh fans couldn't have been encouraged by their team's start Saturday—even if a second-quarter touchdown provided some relief.

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