More Coverage: Steelers, Haynes agree to deal

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The man who set the tone for the Steelers' Super Bowl season set his sights on another yesterday, and also will soon open negotiations to extend the contract of the coach who delivered the franchise's fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Art Rooney, entering his fourth year as the club president, sees no reason the Steelers cannot defend their Super Bowl championship next season.

"I think we're going to put a good team on the field next year and make a run at it," Rooney said as the annual NFL meetings kicked off yesterday. "Obviously, it took us a long time to win this one."

The Steelers won consecutive Super Bowls in the seasons of 1974-75 and 1978-79 and would like to do it again.

"I think repeating would put you on a different level than a team that just wins once and they're done," Rooney said. "I think repeating means a lot to everybody in the organization. I think everybody understands that kind of places you on a level that not a lot of teams are able to achieve. I think there's a pretty big carrot out there that we're going to go after."

Virtually done signing free agents, the Steelers now hope to sign coach Bill Cowher to a contract extension. Cowher's contract goes through the 2007 season and the Steelers have never failed to extend it with two seasons left.

"We'll sit down and talk," Rooney said. "We typically have tried to wait until after the league meeting and things calm down a little bit to have those conversations. We'll start having those conversations in the near future."

Cowher coached his first Super Bowl winner in his 14th season as Steelers coach, a span that includes nine years in the playoffs, six AFC title game appearances and two Super Bowl visits.

"He's done a great job," Rooney said. "I was really happy he got that last feather in his cap. He deserves to go down as one of the great coaches we've had and that the game has had. The level of consistency that our team has performed at over his tenure has been pretty remarkable, given free agency and everything else we have in this day and age.

"It was great for him to win it. I think it would be great for him to repeat. I think that would put him at another sort of level in the hierarchy of all-time coaches. He's that kind of coach who will distinguish himself."

One thing Rooney won't consider is the job of NFL commissioner. After Paul Tagliabue's announcement that he will retire from the job, Rooney's name appeared as a possible candidate. He played a part in crafting the new extension of the collective bargaining agreement and he's one of eight members of the powerful NFL council executive committee. This week, he is a strong candidate to be named NFL executive of the year.

But the man who turned down an appointment to fill the seat of the late John Heinz as U.S. Senator said becoming NFL commissioner is improbable.

"I would rate it as highly unlikely," Rooney said. "No. 1, it's not something I would pursue. I think there are other good candidates out there and I'm very happy in the job I have and I'm looking forward to the challenges we have in our franchise."

His father, Dan Rooney, could head a search committee to find the NFL's next commissioner.

"Obviously, I think it's very important we find the right person for the job and there's some good candidates out there," Art Rooney said. "I think we'll find the right person. I think anybody who's in ownership or even somebody who's from a club, it's a little bit of a long shot to get the others to go along that this is the right guy. That's another reason it's unlikely."

The extension of the CBA gives more money to the players, thus taking more out of the owners' pockets. The Steelers rank near the middle of the pack in revenue but high enough that they must contribute $1 million to a pool the low-revenue teams can tap into.

"I think the new CBA presents a challenge for, let's say, all of the middle-to-low-revenue clubs," Rooney said. "I think it was better than the alternative -- not having a CBA. But certainly it's going to be very expensive for a lot of the teams.

"I don't think we'll make any dramatic changes. We will not be in a position to make mistakes and bail ourselves out with cash like some teams can do. So we'll have to be smart with the way we spend our money."

Rooney said he was not predicting a Super Bowl one year ago when he said it was "time" the team won it, merely stating facts.

"I never make predictions. It really was a feeling that we had a lot of pieces in place."

He believes the same holds true today.

NOTE -- The NFL will announce today that the Miami Dolphins will play the Steelers to kick off the season Thursday night, Sept. 7, at Heinz Field. The Dolphins, who did not make the playoffs last season, last week acquired quarterback Daunte Culpepper from the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers' players and coaches will receive their Super Bowl rings that night.