Pittsburgh Steelers have travel difficulties for second straight week

The Pittsburgh Steelers might want to start thinking about different travel plans. For the second straight week, the team had mechanical issues related to its flight back home.

Burt Lauten, the team’s senior director of communications, sent out a post on X saying that the flight back to Pittsburgh was delayed. The Steelers also had travel concerns a week ago.

“We were delayed this evening due to a mechanical issue with our charter plane following the game in Houston,” Lauten said. “We have no been cleared to safely fly back to Pittsburgh.”

We were delayed this evening due to a mechanical issue with our charter plane following the game in Houston. We have now been cleared to safely fly back to Pittsburgh.

— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) October 2, 2023

Last week, the Steelers made an emergency landing in Kansas City on their way home from Las Vegas. One of the engines experienced low oil pressure, forcing the plane to make an unexpected stop.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt last week. And it sounds like the team avoided another potentially dangerous situation this weekend.

The Steelers traveled back home following a disappointing 30-6 loss to the Texans. Pittsburgh now owns a 2-2 record on the season.

Steelers had travel issues after win over Las Vegas

We have to imagine the Steelers are getting pretty tired of these travel issues. Last week, the team plane made an emergency landing in Kansas City.

“After their team plane was unexpectedly diverted to Kansas City early this morning, the Steelers remain on the same plane that left Las Vegas at roughly 11:30 pm PDT last night, waiting for another plane to get them back to Pittsburgh,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared last week. “Steelers were supposed to have landed in Pittsburgh about 5:30 am; their new arrival time remains uncertain. Soon enough they’ll be back on another plane; they play at Houston on Sunday.”

Fortunately, that was the weekend Taylor Swift was at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs in action. So, Pittsburgh star Cameron Heyward asked for a helping hand.

“Dang emergency landing in KC. I think it’s due to (Minkah Fitzpatrick’s) ‘roughing the passer call’ but seriously landing (in) KC …,” Heyward wrote on X. “Yo (Taylor Swift) & (Travis Kelce) we might need a ride to Pittsburgh.”

Eventually, the team headed back to Pittsburgh. So, while we’re sure Swift and Kelce would’ve been happy to help any way they could, it wasn’t necessary.

Hopefully Pittsburgh doesn’t run into this issue again anytime soon. One travel issue is more than enough. Having them in back-to-back weeks? That has to be unsettling.