| 1981 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Art Rooney |
| General manager | Dick Haley |
| Head coach | Chuck Noll |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | CB Mel Blount LB Jack Lambert S Donnie Shell C Mike Webster |
| AP All-Pros | Mel Blount (1st team) Jack Lambert (1st team) Mike Webster (1st team) Donnie Shell (2nd team) |
| Team MVP | Jack Lambert |
The 1981 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 49th in the National Football League. After enduring an injury plagued 9–7 season the previous year and missing the playoffs for the first time since 1971, the Steelers had hoped that the 1980 season was just a small hiatus from contending for championships. However, while the Steelers had flashes of their former glory years after starting the season with 2 unimpressive losses, the 1981 season would end in an 8–8 record and eventually prove the end of the Steelers great dynasty of the 1970s. The Steelers had a chance to make the playoffs with an 8–5 start to the year but lost all of their last three games to miss the playoffs.