Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News has argued that the presence of AFL and the subsequent merger radically altered the fortunes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, saving the team "from stinking". Before the merger, the Steelers had long been one of the NFL's worst teams. Constantly lacking the money to build a quality team, the Steelers had only posted eight winning seasons, and just one playoff appearance, since their first year of existence in 1933 until the end of the 1969 season.
Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News argues that the merger between the AFL and NFL significantly improved the Pittsburgh Steelers' performance, rescuing them from a long period of poor results. Before the merger, the Steelers were consistently among the worst teams in the NFL due to financial constraints. They had only achieved eight winning seasons and one playoff appearance since their founding in 1933 until the end of the 1969 season.