Win or lose, it's the preseason. Winning is always the preference, the goal. But the preseason is also a tool, a part of the process that Coach Mike Tomlin refers to as team development.

And really, that's what the Steelers are doing. They've been working since July 23 at the multi-layered task of developing a team capable of contending for a championship in 2025. The training camp portion ended on Aug. 13, and following a 17-14 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, two of the three preseason games are now in the books.

So, what's to make of the team the Steelers have been developing? Realistically, the 2025 Steelers at this point are a work in progress, also a fair assessment of each of the other 31 NFL teams.

For these Steelers, the games start to count in the standings o

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