Steelers First Team to Reach 500 Wins Since NFL-AFL Merger

With their 19-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Steelers became the first team with 500 wins since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. That is 21 wins more than the second-closest team, the Dallas Cowboys, who have 479 since the merger.

Given the longstanding success the Steelers have had over the years, this is not surprising. After all, Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in the 1970s and had sustained success throughout the 1990s through the 2010s. Rarely does the term ‘losing seasons’ ever get brought up around the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. They are just that rare for the franchise.

Since the merger, the Steelers own a .611 win percentage and have 317 losses and 4 ties to go with their 500 wins. Pittsburgh is also tied for the most Super Bowls with the New England Patriots during that time period. It is a longstanding fact that Mike Tomlin has yet to have a losing season, and this stack tracks with impressive stats like that as well.

Prior to the merger, the Steelers were largely thought of as a bottom feeder. They did not have sustained success until Chuck Noll came into the franchise and changed the way things were run around Pittsburgh. Since 1969, Pittsburgh has only had three head coaches in Noll, Tomlin, and Bill Cowher.