Steel City would never take it in high spirits if you say Terry Bradshaw rode the Steel Curtain’s coattails. Pittsburgh loves Bradshaw. Well, we were talking about the quarterback. The analyst? That’s a different conversation.

But when it comes to his four Super Bowls in six years (’75, ’76, ’79, ’80), Steelers fans will defend him to the END. And why not? The guy delivered rings, and down in Pittsburgh, that’s all that really matters. But was he truly great, or just in the right place at the right time? That’s where things get messy.

Lofa Tatupu didn’t hold back. The former Seahawks linebacker took a blowtorch to Bradshaw’s legacy on his All Day podcast. “He’s got like 219 picks and 219 touchdowns. Did he really have to do that much?” Ouch. The man essentially said Bradshaw was just a guy under center while the real heavy lifters wore black and gold on defense.

“You’ve got the f—ing Steel Curtain. Come on. I could’ve played quarterback.” Bold words from someone who never played a snap for the Falcons before they cut him… Banters aside, to be fair, Tatupu isn’t completely out of pocket here. Bradshaw was reckless with the football.

He threw 210 interceptions in 168 games, leading the league in picks twice. That 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio? Not exactly screaming “elite.” And let’s not forget, he wasn’t even the Steelers’ first choice in 1974—Joe Gilliam won the job before crashing out.

Bradshaw only took over after Gilliam struggled, and even then, the Steelers weren’t exactly lighting it up through the air. You want a fun fact? I will lay one out for you. During their 4th SB run, Chargers schooled the Steelers in week 12 of the 1979 season. But more so, Bradshaw was their target. The #12 threw for FIVE picks in that game alone. It took a lot to go ahead and get the ring after that drubbing, but they did it.

You see, we do understand the point. I mean, the Steel Curtain was legendary. Period. Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Dwight White, Ernie Holmes. That unit was the backbone of those championship teams. No questions asked. So, I am not going to sit here and convince you otherwise. But let’s not go ahead and berate Bradshaw and say it was a light work for him.

Top Comment by Charlie

I believe there is something a lot of people are not taking into consideration. Back in those days, the rules...more

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Terry Bradshaw was not a bystander

Let’s clear something up—Terry Bradshaw wasn’t just out there handing the ball off and letting the Steel Curtain do all the work. When the lights were the brightest, he showed up. In back-to-back Super Bowls (XIII, XIV), he lit up defenses for over 300 yards and walked away with MVP honors both times. You don’t just stumble into those numbers. Even the most dominant defenses need an offense that can put points on the board.

Meanwhile, let’s look at the 1978 Steelers. Absolute juggernauts, right? The defense was legendary, no doubt, but Bradshaw had his best season ever, leading the league with 2,915 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. However, if you’d start comparing those numbers to today’s game, your reaction would be: ‘Meh’.

But in an era where the game revolved around running backs, that was huge. Teams weren’t slinging the ball 40 times a game like they do now. And yet, Bradshaw still put up numbers that turned heads—even when defenses were designed to destroy quarterbacks. Speaking of, let’s talk about just how brutal it was to play QB back then. No soft roughing-the-passer calls. No “defenseless receiver” rules.

If you took a hit, you had to get up; no two ways. Because if you didn’t, you got replaced. Defenses schemed to confuse quarterbacks, and passing games weren’t built for stat-padding. Plus, the play-calling was conservative, the passing attempts were limited, and yet, Bradshaw still delivered in big moments. (Just like he has delivered some moments during his analyst career).

His style? Deep shots. He wasn’t dinking and dunking his way down the field—he was throwing bombs. His career yards-per-completion? 14.1. For context, Patrick Mahomes sits at 11.6. That’s the kind of stat that makes you think twice before calling Bradshaw a “system QB.” The guy had an absolute cannon, and he wasn’t afraid to use it.

So, did he benefit from one of the greatest defenses of all time? Absolutely. But did he also make plays when it mattered? No doubt. This debate will never end, and that’s part of what makes football great. You tell us—was Bradshaw a legend, or just a guy who had the right teammates?