| 1998 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Rooney Family |
| General manager | Tom Donahoe |
| Head coach | Bill Cowher |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | C Dermontti Dawson |
| AP All-Pros | Dermontti Dawson (1st team) |
| Team MVP | Levon Kirkland |
| Team ROY | Alan Faneca |
The 1998 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 66th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL).
This season marked the first time since the 1991 season that the Steelers failed to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh finished 7–9 after starting the season 5–2, losing their last five games to lose a spot in the playoffs. It was Bill Cowher's first losing record as head coach of the Steelers.
The season was marked by a controversial ending to the team's Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions, where Jerome Bettis claimed he called the coin toss in overtime as "tails" although referee Phil Luckett heard "heads." The Lions won 19–16 and started the Steelers' losing streak to finish the season.
The inept plays of Kordell Stewart was cited as another conflict, as the fans slowly began to turn on him. After their 11–5 1997 season, Pittsburgh lost two key offensive components: Chan Gailey, the offensive coordinator who went on to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and their leading receiver, Yancey Thigpen, a Pro Bowler for Pittsburgh in 1997, who joined the Tennessee Oilers.