Tag Archives: Antonio Brown

Is There Solution to Sloppy September Football? Maybe, Maybe Not….

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Steelers scribes can use lots of adjectives to describe McCarthy’s inaugural win in Pittsburgh, but the one that best suits it is “sloppy” – a descriptor that applies to both teams.

D.K. Metcalf with one of several drops in the Steelers 2026 opening day win over the Falcons.

D.K. Metcalf drops another pass. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

Numbers don’t lie and they tell a disheveled tale:

  • The Steelers and Falcons combined to miss 3 field goals
  • Add one more “what was that?” botched field goal attempt
  • The Steelers and Falcons accepted a total of 13 penalties for over 150 yards
  • Aaron Rodgers targeted D.K. Metcalf 10 times and only came away with 4 catches
  • The Falcons and the Steelers went a cumulative 5 for 25 on third downs
  • For the record, the Steelers were 0 for 2 on fourth downs

OK. Those conversion stats present a double-edge sword, because the takeaway could easily be that the defense was playing exceptionally well. If you look at how Alex Highsmith ended Atlanta’s opening and closing drives with sacks, that conclusion has merit.

Mike McCarthy acknowledged the “herky jerky” nature of his offense and chalked the sloppiness up to “September football.” So be it. That’s now the norm in the NFL.

  • But the better question is:  Must it really be that way?

We know the reason: With each passing year, coaches play starters and even first-line backups less and less in preseason. And that has consequences, as Bob Labriola laid out about a year ago in “Asked and Answered.” Responding to a question about early season sloppiness, the Steelers Digest editor explained:

Once the regular season begins, a team doesn’t need to be a well-oiled machine to win games; it just needs to be better than that week’s particular opponent. Since no teams give significant playing time to their starters during the preseason, there are no well-oiled machines in the NFL in September. Or even into early October.

Two questions later, in the same chat, Labriola pointed to the goal of protecting starters from injuries, indicating that coaches will err on the side of keeping players healthy.

Fair enough.

The days of Chuck Noll using the final preseason game as his “dress rehearsal” where he’d play presumptive starters well into the 4th quarter are long gone.

Metcalf didn’t play a down in preseason and he had two egregious drops. Now, no one will ever confuse Metcalf’s pass-catching ability with Antonio Brown’s. But his 40% catch rate is 20 points below his career average. In this game, that translates to 2 catches. And one of Metcalf’s drops would have been a game changer.

  • It is tempting to wonder whether Metcalf would have been sharper with even a few preseason reps under his belt.

Couldn’t an enterprising coach create a competitive edge by finding a happy medium between playing starters just long enough to knock off the rust while keeping them healthy?

  • Maybe, maybe not.

We’ll likely never know the answer to the question.

The Steelers went into the game healthy, not counting DeShon Elliott and, er um, Joey Porter Jr., and came out of the game healthy. And the Steelers, while sloppy, were less sloppy than the Falcons.

So maybe it is OK that we’ll never learn the answer to the question.

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What Went Wrong During the Second Half of the Mike Tomlin Era?

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Editors Note: Why did the Steelers’ championship window close after the 2016 AFC Championship Game? Here we provide a 360 view of the franchise during the latter half of Mike Tomlin’s tenure. For an end-to-end analysis of Tomlin’s entire career click here.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers team charter went wheels up at Logan International Airport on January 22nd, 2017, everyone onboard knew they’d passed a milestone.

  • But no one, however, knew what that milestone marked.

Getting pulverized by the Patriots in another AFC Championship game stung, for sure. But Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison and Greg Warren offered 3 reasons for hope: They were the only Super Bowl XLIII veterans on the plane.

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin stood on the precipice of a near impossible feat: Executing an end-to-end rebuild around a franchise quarterback.

Ah, but every conference championship loss comes with a rub: Either they signal that you’re about to open heaven’s door, or, that you’re never getting in.

The Steelers never re-opened heaven’s door in the latter half of the Tomlin Era. They didn’t even come close.

Today we look at what went wrong and why championship window closed.

Chris Hogan's touchdown, as Robert Golden "watched" and Sammie Coates dropped pass were critical moments in the Pittsburgh Steelers January 2017 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots.

Chris Hogan catches a TD and Sammie Coates drops a pass in Steelers loss to the Patriots in the 2016 AFC Championship. Photo credits: Matt Slocum, AP; Patrick Smith II, AP

1. Ringing the Bell 1 Too Many Times – Franchising Le’Veon Bell a 2nd Time

The first critical football decision after the AFC Championship loss to the Patriots was to put the franchise tag on Le’Veon Bell.

It was the right move — Bell had just broken records that Hall of Famers John Henry Johnson, Franco Harris or Jerome Bettis never touched.

  • Bell played 2017 on the franchise tag and piled up nearly 2000 all-purpose yards.

In the spring of 2018, Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin ignored Bell’s warning that he wouldn’t play on a second franchise tender and franchised him again.

I was wrong. The decision was a disaster for everyone. Really, this decision had a ripple effect that gave the Steelers post-2016 decline momentum.

Le'Veon Bell, Le'Veon Bell free agent,

Le’Veon Bell departing the gridiron at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: EPA, via the New York Post

Franchising Bell locked up 14.5 million dollars in salary cap space, preventing Pittsburgh from addressing other priorities. Bargain hunting in the inside linebacker market brought them Jon Bostic who was strong against the run, but struggled vs the pass.

And, because they were counting on Bell, they failed to add an experienced running back during the 2018 off-season.

Which leads us to….

2. Failing to Staff Adequate Running Back Depth

Failure to staff sufficient running back depth started several seasons earlier, but it hurt them, again, in the AFC Championship. When Bell got injured, DeAngelo Williams entered.

Williams had done an exceptional job in 2015 in Bell’s absence, so bringing him back was a wise move, despite his age. But Williams had needed knee surgery during the season, and against the Patriots he averaged 2.4 yards a carry – and that’s with a long run of 15 yards.

Mewelde Moore, David Jones, Steelers vs Bengals 2008

Mewelde Moore, the unsung hero of the Steelers 2008 season. Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images via Zimbo.com

It’s easy to say, “So what? Any team that loses its top two running backs, is screwed no matter what.” But the 2008 Steelers had lost their top two running backs and still won the Super Bowl thanks to Mewelde Moore.

  • But too many Steelers teams in this era lacked a Gary Russell caliber back, let alone a Mewelde Moore or even a Jonathan Dwyer.

Think back to the December 2018 loss to the Saints. We all remember JuJu Smith-Schuster’s fumble and the questionable PI calls.

But everyone forgets Stevan Ridley’s fumble. On third down. When the Steelers were leading. And in position for Chris Boswell to put them up by 7. In a game they lost at the buzzer by 3…..

Once again, Pittsburgh stung itself with poor backfield depth, only this time it kept them out of the playoffs just when the entire team was gelling and the championship window was still cracked open. (Rolling your eyes? Go back to the win against the Patriots the week before.)

Drafting Benny Snell signaled Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert had learned.

Had they learned sooner, some things might have been different.

3. Injuries, Suspensions, Drama and Divas

The Steelers beat the Bengals in 2015 Wild Card in no small part due to the efforts of Ryan Shazier and Martavis Bryant. Their performances signaled that two additional two championship-caliber defensive and offensive weapons had arrived in Pittsburgh.

Alas, Bryant’s off the field problems and discipline issues combined with Shazier’s tragic injury scuttled that promise.

Ryan Shazier, Ryan Shazier injury, Ryan Shazier contract, Ryan Shazier 5th year tender, Ryan Shazier contract

Ryan Shazier. Photo Credit: Aaron Doster, USA TODAY via BTSC

Neither Art Rooney II, nor Kevin Colbert nor Mike Tomlin can be faulted here.

  • The trio does deserve fault for how they reacted to those twin misfortunes.

At inside linebacker the Steelers tried low and high-priced free agents, draft picks, multiple trades and trading up and drafting and perhaps still hasn’t secured a certain long-term starter there.

To their credit, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin recognized the red flags in their wide receiver room and aggressively addressed the position through the draft.

If their strategy was sound then their execution leads us to another problem….

4. Whiffing on Drafts

The Steelers used a succession of 2nd round draft picks in response to Bryant’s antics, Sammie Coates’ erratic behavior and Antonio Brown becoming unglued in plain sight.

They picked a good player in JuJu Smith Schuster, and a solid character yet underachiever in James Washington. Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and George Pickens all flashed at times, yet all three had to be traded away due to discipline issues.

Four years have passed since JuJu played his last down in Pittsburgh and the Steelers still haven’t drafted a long-term starter at wide receiver.

  • Worse yet, wide receiver is hardly the only position the Steelers have whiffed on in the draft.

Take a look at the Steelers 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 drafts and you’ll find that the Steelers have drafted precisely two long-term starters, one for each side of the ball: Alex Highsmith and Pat Freiermuth. (For comparison’s sake, the Steelers 2011 and 2012 draft classes netted 3 long-term starters.)

Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, Steelers vs Raiders, Immaculate Reception 50th anniversary

Kenny Pickett and George Pickens after the Go Ahead Touchdown in the Immaculate Reception Game. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review.

Some of these drafts were better than others. In some cases, the Steelers found players who were started or played as key backups throughout their rookie contracts. That’s a “win” from a Money Ball perspective.

But collectively they formed a group of players who played well enough to win more than they lost in the regular season but got immediately outclassed in the playoffs.

Of course the biggest draft mistake the Steelers made was in the players they passed on…

5. Being Unprepared When Big Ben Struck Midnight

Art Rooney II began the 2026 season by reaffirming the franchise’s goal is to win instead of “wasting a year not trying to compete.”

  • This is the exact message everyone must hear from the head of the franchise.

Art Rooney II had 3 chances to embrace a “clean reset” and opted to field the best team possible instead. Rooney made the right move.

Ben Roethlisberger and Art Rooney II embrace after Big Ben's final game at Heinz Field in January 2022.

Ben Roethlisberger, Art Rooney II and One last dance @ Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Nor does the tandem of Colbert and Tomlin deserve undue criticism for missing on Kenny Pickett – After all, Chuck Noll and Art Rooney, Jr. went Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone with their two first round quarterbacks.

Yet, the franchise still missed on chances to take swings at Roethlisberger’s replacement prior to Big Ben striking midnight. Circumstantial evidence suggests (see Jim Wexell’s reporting) that Mike Tomlin wanted to take Lamar Jackson in 2018.

But if that was his plan, he gambled by drafting Terrell Edmunds first, expecting Jackson would be there later. He wasn’t. The Steelers also had a shot at taking Jalen Hurts in the 2020 draft. They chose Chase Claypool instead.

Pulling off a Joe Montana–Steve Young or Brett Favre–Aaron Rodgers handoff is only slightly less rare than seeing Haley’s Comet.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, as the Steelers are still finding out.

6. Tomlin’s Struggles with Hiring Solid Assistant Coaches

Here’s a classic case of “both things can be true.”

  1. Mike Tomlin’s record with assistant coach hires is more mixed than people credit him for.
  2. Identifying, recruiting and developing rising coaching talent was his greatest weakness.

Click here for a deeper discussion Mike Tomlin’s struggles with hiring assistant coaches.

The only additional observation to add here is this: This was a Tomlin weakness from the beginning, and not one he ever addressed — he had a better staff on the sidelines for the AFC Championship loss than he did for his final loss to the Texans.

7. Missing Dan Rooney?

Dan Rooney died shortly after the AFC Championship loss to the Patriots and the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since….

Dan Rooney, Dan Rooney legacy, Dan Rooney Lombardi Trophies, Dan Rooney obituary

Dan Rooney sitting in front of the Steelers 5 Lombardi Trophies. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

…If the conclusion seems obvious, it shouldn’t be. Correlation does not equal causality. Had social media existed in the 80’s, you could have easily found fans complaining “Dan Rooney is lost now that ‘The Chief’ is only a figurehead.”

  • And they would have been wrong.

Still, looking back, it doesn’t take too great of a stretch of the imagination to envision Dan Rooney’s wisdom guiding the franchise to better outcomes.

  • It is an unanswerable question, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to ask.

Because the Steelers entered the second half of the Mike Tomlin era with every reason to believe another Super Bowl run was coming. Instead, their championship window quietly closed.

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Steelers Free Agency: Should Pittsburgh Re-Sign Calvin Austin?

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With NFL free agency about to open, the Steelers again face questions about their wide receiver room and whether they should keep one of their own. It wasn’t always this way….

…Once upon a time, word was that “The Pittsburgh Steelers have the touch of gold when it comes to finding wide receivers.”

Sure, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the Steelers opened the last decade fielding the following four wide out set: Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown.

When Martavis Bryant started sabotaging himself with substance abuse, the Steelers drafted JuJu Smith-Schuster seemingly as easily as if it were stopping in at Giant Eagle to get a half pound of Kielbasa, a half pound of chipped ham and a package of Kondikes.

  • Alas, their golden touch began to leaden as decade closed.

Yes, Kevin Colbert drafted good wide receivers like former Steelers Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and George Pickens, but they all turned into divas, and each of them got traded away. So finding wide outs that they want to keep in Pittsburgh has been a problem.

Calvin Austin III becomes a free agent next week, and today we look at whether he should be the one to break the recent trend.

Calvin Austin catches to go ahead touchdown pass during the 2025 Steelers regular season finale win over the Ravens.

Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin catches the go-ahead touchdown vs the Ravens in the 2025 season finale. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Calvin Austin’s Career with the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers drafted Calvin Austin in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Austin, unfortunately, lost his rookie season to injury. He returned for his season as WR No. 3 behind Johnson and Pickens and appeared in all 17 games, but only made 17 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown.

In 2024, Austin started 8 games and in many ways made the proverbial “second year leap.” While he didn’t prove he was someone who could “step up” in George Pickens’ absence, Austin did show an ability to make tough catches late in the season.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin hauls in a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Injuries hampered Austin to start 2025, and he was less of an impact player than he’d been the year before. Still, he came on strong in the season finale, and will always hold the distinction of being the man to catch the last touchdown pass of the Mike Tomlin era.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Calvin Austin in 2026

After seeing Calvin Austin down the stretch in 2024 and 2025 something is clear – he’s not a legit NFL No. 2 wide receiver, let alone a No. 1. And that’s the point – Calvin Austin wasn’t drafted to be one. Asking him to be says more about the team than it does about Austin.

Austin has shown himself as a legit number 3 wide receiver who, despite his small size, can make tough catches.

Calvin Austin, Steelers vs Ravens

Calvin Austin hauls in a sideline pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

No one is going to throw a lot of money at Calvin Austin and Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room is perilously thin. They can and should keep him in Pittsburgh on a cap-friendly deal.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Calvin Austin in 2026

The Steelers wide receivers have been atrocious for the last two seasons. Calling them a JV wide receiving corps might be generous. Calvin Austin has been part of the problem and isn’t part of the solution.

  • The 2022 Draft was Kevin Colbert’s last and arguably his worst.

Connor Heyward and Calvin Austin are all that remain of that class. Time to finish ripping off the band aid.

The Curtain’s Call on Calvin Austin and the Steelers

Word was last summer at St. Vincents that the Steelers might be targeting Austin for a contract extension. They did not, and Omar Khan can be glad he kept Art Rooney II’s check book shut. Because Austin didn’t continue to improve in 2025 the way he had in 2024.

  • But that doesn’t mean the Steelers should give up on him.

The Steelers have nothing behind D.K. Metcalf at wide out. Sure, Roman Wilson gets a fresh start with a new coaching staff, but you can’t count on him. For this scribe’s money retaining Calvin Austin and asking him to play or complete for the WR No. 3 role would be a win-win for both sides.

  • But it isn’t this scribe’s money.

The Steelers rarely give second contracts to wide receivers and Mike McCarthy has a history of favoring tall wide outs. Calvin Austin is 5’9”. All of which means that the touchdown pass he caught helping Mike Tomlin win his last game during the 2025 season finale is likely Calvin Austin’s last as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

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Mike Tomlin Steelers Legacy: 19 Years of Winning in Pittsburgh

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Mike Tomlin left the Pittsburgh Steelers the same way he arrived – unheralded and unanticipated.

When Bill Cowher called it a day after the Steelers 2006 season, everyone knew either Russ Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt would get the job. Art Rooney II admitted that he didn’t expect to hire yet Mike Tomlin when he walked in the door, but Tomlin knocked his and Dan Rooney’s socks off.

By the same token, Art Rooney wasn’t expecting Mike Tomlin to step away following the loss to the Texans. But step away he has. Here we review Mike Tomlin’s full legacy as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, balancing his accomplishments and shortcomings, all framed within their historical context.

Mike Tomlin, Mike Tomlin Franco Harris Jersey, Steelers vs Raiders

Mike Tomlin wearing a Franco Harris jersey. Photo Credit: Fred Vuich, AP via St. Albert Gazette

2007 – 2010: Cementing the Franchise Legacy

Few NFL coaches get handed the keys to a Super Bowl team.

If you think that winning is “simple” for them then please Google Phil Bengtson, Ray Handley and Richie Petitbon. A coach who takes the reins of a Super Bowl-caliber team must do much more than “not mess up.”

As Willie Colon explains, “It’s hard to grab the keys to the Porsche and not crash it.”

In his first season, Mike Tomlin took an underperforming team that had gone 8-8 in 2006 and led them to a 10-6 record and an AFC North Championship.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Heath Miller to bring the Steelers within 5 points. Mike Tomlin went for two. Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward bringing narrowing the difference to three.

Except Sean Mahan got flagged for holding. Tomlin didn’t bat an eye and went for two again. But this time, Roethlisberger couldn’t connect.

  • The Steelers did score again. But so did the Jaguars who won the game 31 to 29.

The move was controversial at the time, but with social media in its infancy the fan rage muted by 2026 standards.

But by doubling down in going for 2, Mike Tomlin established his legacy as a head coach who would put games in the hands of his players and trust them to deliver with the game on the line.

With the Arizona Cardinals threatening to take the lead as the first half closed, James Harrison, granted the freedom to freelance by Tomlin and Dick LeBeau, audibled out of his pass rush assignment and dropped into coverage. 100 yards later Harrison authored the longest run in Super Bowl history, putting the Steelers up 17 to 7.

james harrison, super bowl xliii, interception, record, pick six

James Harrison’s dramatic interception in Super Bowl XLIII

By the time more points were needed to put Pittsburgh back in the lead, the culture of trust and confidence in one another Tomlin had built proved to be the difference maker, as observed at the time:

the Steelers poise and camaraderie were consistent for four quarters. The men in Black and Gold never lost their belief in themselves nor their faith in one another. When faced with adversity, they persevered, they remained determined. And they did it together. That’s been the case all season.

And that’s what made them Super Bowl champions.

The Steelers 2009 season will and should be remembered for the Super Bowl hangover Tomlin tried and failed to avoid.

  • But 2009 revealed something important about Tomlin: His ability to rally a down team.

Memories have faded, but Tomlin’s Steelers never looked worse than they did during 2009’s 5-game losing streak. Yet, Tomlin rallied them for 3 straight wins.

In 2010, the Steelers suffered one of their worst off seasons ever as the word “Midgeville” entered the vernacular. Willie Colon was lost for the season in June. With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for 4 games, Tomlin brought Byron Leftwich back to Pittsburgh. Leftwich broke his leg in preseason.

By week, 2 Mike Tomlin was playing Charlie Batch, effectively his 4th string quarterback, and traveling to Tennessee, starting UDFA Steve McLeodon over Casey Hampton and authoring arguably the greatest defensive performance in franchise history.

  • By the time 2010 ended, the Steelers were in their 3 Super Bowl in 6 years.

Super Bowl XLV ended with a loss , but that didn’t change the fact that as new decade began, it was no longer a question of 4 Super Bowls for Chuck Noll and 1 for Bill Cowher, it was 6 Super Bowls for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Kevin Colbert observed.

2011 – 2017: The Under Appreciated Rebuild

Mike Tomlin isn’t the only coach to take over a Super Bowl team and win another Lombardi. But continuing to win for more a couple-of-three seasons is much more challenging.

  • Just ask Barry Switzer or Mike Martz.

Yet, despite the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement leaving the Steelers in Salary Cap purgatory, Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert managed .500 seasons in 2012 and again in 2013 – after a 2-4 start no less. The 2012 season stands out for one simple reason – it contains the only Mike Tomlin-coached game where the Steelers were eliminated from playoff contention.

  • By 2014 the Steelers returned to the playoffs, as they did in 2015 and 2016.

As observed elsewhere on this site, the Steelers Killer Bees were too true to their name. Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown only played 3 of a possible 7 playoff games together.

Steelers Killer Bees, Steelers Killer Bs, Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell

The Steelers Killer Bees were too true to their name. Photo Credit: pegitboard.com

(Rhetorical question “How might Chuck Noll have fared had Bradshaw, Franco, Swann and Stallworth been similarly unavailable for his playoff runs?”)

Injuries aside, by the time the Steelers reached the 2016 AFC Championship game, the only three players who remained from the 2008 Super Bowl squad were James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger and long snapper Greg Warren.

Yes, Tom Brady seared the Steelers that night in New England, but the fact that Mike Tomlin got his team there with three rookies defensive starters, without Cam Heyward in the lineup and with Robert Golden logging 36% of the defensive snaps speaks volumes about his coaching acumen.

Steelers vs Patriots, Steelers vs Patriots 2016 AFC Championship, Javon Hargrave, Tom Brady

Javon Hargrave sacks Tom Brady early in the ’16 AFC Championship. Photo Credit: Charles Krupa, AP via Mercury News.

As badly as another AFC Championship loss to the Patriots stung, the Steelers seemed to be back.

Alas, tragedy would close the Super Bowl window that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert had re-opened 12 games later, when Ryan Shazier fell to the turf paralyzed from the waist down at Paul Brown Stadium.

From there on out, Mike Tomlin would be forced to do more with less.

Interlude: Tomlin’s Warts — Assistant Coaches and Talent Evaluation

And there’s a reason why Tomlin had to do more with less. As Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher did before him, Mike Tomlin had his flaws.

The infamous post-penalty 2-point conversion foreshadowed one of them. Sean Mahan was called for holding, and he’d been hand-picked by Mike Tomlin from Tampa Bay. Mahan traded away at a fire-sale price next September.

  • That raised the question on why Tomlin chose to bring Mahan to Pittsburgh in the first place.

Yes, Mike Tomlin managed to pluck Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt at the bottom of the first round. He and his scouts found gems like Antonio Brown and Kelvin Beachum in the 6th and 7th rounds.

But as the Steelers struggled to Re-Load for Ben Roethlisberger, they swung and missed badly as any sober evaluation of their 2018, 2019, and 2020 draft classes reveals. 2021 wasn’t much better, but Salary Cap Armageddon, combined with injuries and surprise retirements, forced them  to reach to fill needs.

D.K. Metcalf, Terrell Edmunds, Steelers vs Seahawks

D.K. Metcalf burns Terrell Edmunds for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Yahoo.com

This isn’t the sole responsibility of Mike Tomlin, but his voice was at the ver least, the first among equals in the draft war room.

  • In contrast, Mike Tomlin did have a free hand in picking assistant coaches.

Let’s be objective and acknowledge Mike Munchak, Danny Smith, Karl Dunbar, Richard Mann, Al Everest and, arguably, Todd Haley as good hires.

But those were balanced out by the Bob Ligasheskys, Amos Joness, Carnell Lakes and Joey Porter Sr’s (anyone notice how Bud Dupree blossomed when Keith Butler returned to the linebackers room?) Tomlin changed offensive line coaches not named Munchak the way everyone else changes underwear.

His signature attempt to cultivate an innovative coaching talent was Matt Canada. Canada holds the infamous distinction of being the only Steelers coordinator to be fired mid-season in the modern era.

Selecting assistant coaches wasn’t Tomin’s strength, and this weakness weighed him down.

2018 – 2025 – Doing More with Less

The post-Shazier/playoff drought phase of Tomlin tenure will remain a lightning rod for generations. So be it.

  • Here the focus is on what Mike Tomlin achieved as instead of what he failed to achieve.

Three examples highlight Tomlin’s skill as both a leader and as a football tactician: Quarterbacks, the 2021 season and the 2025 season.

Quarterbacks

The Steelers franchise deserves all the criticism it gets for bungling the post-Roethlisberger transition. I can’t prove it, but I suspect Mike Tomlin wanted to draft Lamar Jackson but got beaten to the punch.

Be that as it may, following Roethlisberger’s injury in 2019, Mason Rudolph, Devlin Hodges, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers all started for the Steelers.

Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Steelers 2022 quarterback competition

Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. Photo Credit: Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images and The Athletic.)

Do Coach-quarterback records say more about the coach or the QB? Who knows? Either way they yield valuable insights such as:

  • Don Shula reached a Super Bowl with David Woodley – Score one for Shula.
  • Bill Belichick’s record without Tom Brady is piss poor – draw your own conclusions.
  • Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls with three different QBs – Yeah Joe is underrated.
  • Noll & Malone beat Walsh & Montana. Twice – Score one for The Emperor.

Rudolph, Hodges, Tribusiky, Pickett, Fields along with an aging Wilson and an even older Rodgers offer a wide spectrum in terms of talent and pedigree.

  • The only one with a losing record in Pittsburgh was Trubisky.

The rest have losing records in their post-Steelers lives, and Hodges, who was .500 as a Steelers starter, couldn’t even secure a spot on another team’s practice squad.

Enough said.

The 2021 Season

We remember Ben Roethlisberger going out with a bang in 2021 after seven 4th quarter comebacks. He gets  he lion’s share of the credit for the 9-7-1 finish.

But what we forget ’21 Steelers had an offensive line held together with spit, duct tape and bubble gum and a defensive line that had Cameron Heyward playing alongside career backups and practice squanders.

Few credit Mike Tomlin for keeping that team together. But they should.

The 2025 Season

Mike Tomlin’s Yin and Yang was on full display 2025.

During the off season, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan took several calculated personnel risks.

One was that the trio of Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. backed by safety Juan Tornhill could deliver the shutdown secondary necessary to combat Joe Burrow’s video game-like passing attack. On offense, they gambled that Roman Wilson would grow into a legit WR No 2.

  • Burrow didn’t get a chance to test them, but Joe Flacco did and exposed them.
  • Roman Wilson flashed (well, flickered) early on but finished the year inactive.

By season’s end, Mike Tomlin had brought in 3 new defensive backs and moved the pieces around so that only secondary starter was playing in his opening day position. He did something similar at wide receiver adding not one but two cast offs.

Jalen Ramsey, Tua Tagovailoa, Steelers vs Dolphins, Steelers vs Dolphins MNF

Jalen Ramsey sacks Tua Tagovailoa. Photo Credit: Alysia Rubin, Steelers.com

The changes resulted in a team that lost 5 of 7 games to close November at 6-6, to one went 4-1 down the stretch and won the AFC Championship.

Sweet Steelers Symmetry

Early in his tenure, a reader asked Ed Bouchette in a Post-Gazette chat to compare Tomlin to his predecessors. Bouchette opined that Tomlin struck him as a cross between Noll and Cowher.

So there’s something poetic about Mike Tomlin finishing with 193 regular season wins, just as Chuck Noll did. And its fitting that Tomin’s Super Bowl record of 1-1 match’s Bill Cowher’s.

Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, Chuck Noll, Steelers Six Lombardi Trophies, Mike Tomlin Bill Cowher photo

Bill Cowher interviews Mike Tomlin. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Noll and Cowher boast better post-season percentages, yet Tomlin’s regular season squads never swooned to the depths his predecessors touched.

Thank you Mike Tomlin for 1 Super Bowl, 2 AFC Championships, 8 AFC North Titles, 14 playoff experiences and 193 wins.

Thank you for giving us 19 years of a “winning era.”

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Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

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Say it now Steelers Nation and say it in unison, “Muuth!!”

Yes, you hear the battle cry on the road almost as often and  almost as automatic on the road as you do at Acruisure. When you hear it, you know that things are going well. And things are going well because the new number 88 for the Pittsburgh Steelers has just authored the play.

And that’s why we’re happy to give 2025 Steelers Thanksgiving Honors to Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth, Jordan Battle, Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers vs Bengals TNF

Pat Freiermuth stiff arms Jordan Battle en route to the end zone. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The Steelers Twists and Turns @ Tight End

Tight end is one of those tricky positions for the Steelers.

Under Chuck Noll it went from a position of strength featuring players like Larry Brown, Randy Grossman and Bennie Cunningham, to almost total obscurity (you don’t see many Preston Gothard throwback jerseys, do you?) without rhyme or reason.

Larry Brown, Super Bowl IX

Larry Brown catches a touchdown in Super Bowl XI. Photo Credit, Twitter, Vintage Steelers

But there’s no mystery behind the fact that the Steelers second Super Bowl era was quietly anchored by tight end Heath Miller, hands down the franchise’s best at the position.

Following Miller’s retirement, the franchise rode the tight end carousel trying out home grown options like Jesse James, free agents like Ladarius Green and Eric Ebron and trades for guys like Vance McDonald.

Some of those worked better than others, but Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert took the team off the carousel when they took Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

Pat Freiermuth arrived in Pittsburgh and not only became an immediate starter, but Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to guy in a season the Steelers signal caller exited the NFL by authoring 7 more 4th quarter comebacks.

IT is easy to see why.

As a rookie, Pat Freiermuth caught 60 passes 7 touchdowns and boasted a 75% catch rate, which for comparison purposes, is 3 points better than Heath Miller’s career average. During that first year it was fair to wonder whether Freiermuth would mirror Miller’s stature at the position.

To be honest, his development hasn’t quite followed that path.

  • But, to be fair to Freiermuth, that’s an extremely high bar to clear.

So what has Pat Freiermuth done since his sensational rookie year? He’s caught 123 passes and counting, 15 touchdowns while compiling a 73.7% catch rate. Those numbers are impressive, but what’s more impressive is the way he does it.

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Browns,

Focused Pat Freiermuth scores the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

When times get tough, the wise move for the quarterback is to look to Pat Freiermuth.

As a rookie, Ben Roethlisberger looked to Freiermuth in the 4th quarter on the road against the Browns to put the Steelers ahead for good, giving Big Ben one final win in Cleveland. Last year, Russell Wilson targeted Freiermuth against Washington to give the Steelers a lead in a 1 point game. Aaron Rodgers did the same thing against Indianapolis just a few weeks ago.

Six of Pat Freiermuth’s 15 touchdowns have been lead changers there’s a reason why clutch players are clutch players. And even when he doesn’t give Pittsburgh a lead during a win, Pat Freiermuth makes it look pretty:


And that clips offers an additional reason of why Pat Freiermuth is winning Steelers Thanksgiving Honors in 2025. With that catch from last week’s loss in Chicago, Freiermuth has now caught touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.

  • That’s 7 separate quarterbacks, if you haven’t been counting.

Catching touchdowns from 7 different quarterbacks over 5 seasons is an interesting and somewhat impressive stat. But underlines something far more important about Pat Freiermuth: As the Steelers offense has struggled for the last 5 years, Freiermuth has been a source of stability and has easily been the unit’s most consistent player.

And that fact, more than any statistics we can cite, is the reason why Pat Freiermuth wins Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors

A Word about Steelers Thanksgiving Honors

In 2009, as the Steelers were ramping up for what would be the infamous 5 game losing streak the punctuated their Super Bowl hangover, I was looking for a sign of hope, something to be thankful for.

Rashard Mendenhall jumped out to me.

Not only had he authored several impressive games after taking over the starting role for Willie Parker, but in the loss to Kansas City after Andy Studebaker had intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass Mendenhall not only picked himself up off the turf, he crossed width of the field, and ran down at the 8 yard line to save a touchdown.

  • Thus, the tradition of Steelers Thanksgiving Honors was born.

Every Thanksgiving since then, Steel Curtain Rising has taken out time to shine the spotlight on someone who makes us thankful that they’re with the Steelers:

2009 – Rashard Mendenhall
2010 – Marukice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, Al Everest
2011 – Antonio Brown
2012 – Keenan Lewis
2013 – Cam Heyward
2014 – Le’Veon Bell
2015 – “The Understudies” – Alejandro Villanueva, DeAngelo Williams, Will Allen, Cody Wallace
2016 – Ryan Shazier
2017 – Ben Roethlisberger
2018 – JuJu Smith-Schuster
2019 – Kevin Colbert
2020 – T.J. Watt
2021 – Cam Heyward (second time)
2022 – Larry Ogunjobi
2023 – Chris Boswell
2024 — Russell Wilson

As you can see, many Steelers Thanksgiving Honorees are franchise pillars. Time has certainly shown others to be short timers.

But that’s the point: They all underlie the wisdom of giving thanks for something in the moment that you have it.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation

Thanksgiving is my favorite US holiday, as it is something embraced by everyone. And today marks my 24th Thanksgiving celebrated outside of the United States.

Hopefully, everyone reading this, be you here in Argentina, up in Mexico or somewhere in the good ole USA has reasons drawn from family and friends – and not football — to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation.

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Cam Heyward-Steelers Contract Dispute in 1 Word: Unfortunate

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“He said ‘c’mon don’t tell me that the rich don’t know
Sooner or later it all comes down to money…’”
– Bruce Springsteen, “A Big Muddy,” Luckytown

Cam Heyward’s contract situation with the Steelers is complicated. But it is hardly unique.

But as both a fan of Cam Heyward and the franchise that is the Pittsburgh Steelers, the word I’d use to describe it is simply: Unfortunate.

Cam Heyward, Cam Heyward Franco Harris Number 32, Steelers vs Raiders

Paying homage to Franco, Cam Heyward leads Steelers out of tunnel. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

As fans, and perhaps particularly fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, we sometimes tempt ourselves into feeling that it really is only about playing, winning, losing and competing for championships. And so when a player who serves as the “Face of the Franchise” goes public with a contract complaint things get awkward in a hurry.

Franco Harris, Franco Harris Seattle Seahawks

A sight Steelers Nation should have never seen. Photo Credit: X

Franco Harris held out and got cut. The left the tune of Chuck Noll’s “Franco who?” ringing in our ears and this awful after image burned in our retinas.

Slightly over a decade later, someone from the Steelers brain trust, presumptively Tom Donahoe – although that’s never been confirmed – tried to strong arm Rod Woodson into signing a low-ball offer.

Woodson declined.

Instead, he played 7 more years for the 49ers, Ravens and Raiders, and made 4 Pro Bowls, 2 All Pros and earned a Super Bowl ring for his trouble.

To keep this in context, no one is talking about Cam Heyward leaving the Steelers. But yes, this situation unfortunate.

But what to make of it and how can we get out of it?

Yes, Two Things Can Be True

Decrying “Both sidesism” is in vogue these days and often times with merit. But this is one case where two things can be true:

  • Cam Heyward agreed to a contract with the Steelers one year ago.
  • A year later, that contract leaves Cam Heyward underpaid.

As fans, working for far less, it is easy to look at the $131,555,028 Heyward has made in his career, point to the $13,450,000 check the Steelers have already cut him for 2025 before he’s played a game this year, and say, “Come Cam, suck it up, strap on your helmet and get out there!”

Cameron Heyward, Cam Heyward, Cam Heyward sack Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals

Cam Heyward sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to play in the NFL, take the pounding a player takes with risk of a life-changing injury at any moment. But we shouldn’t dismiss Cam’s comments about wanting to feel valued.

For most of my professional life, I’ve worked Nearshore, and several times I’ve seen the value of my salary eroded by the twin specters of inflation and devaluation.

Cam Heyward is a straight up, honest man. And if he says he told Art Rooney II and Omar Khan that he’d be coming back asking for more if he had a good year – and Cam had a great year in 2024 – they everyone should believe him.

But it isn’t as simple as that.

No Matter The Angle, Optics Are Bad

The problem here is the optics. A year ago when Heyward reupped, he explained “There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys. I want to be one of those one-helmet guys.”

The feeling was mutual – the Steelers included 29 million in new money, although the deal did not include any new guaranteed money. The Steelers have already paid them the bulk of his 2025 money, and are not on the hook for anything in 2026, although they are due a roster bonus in 2026.

But even if he did say he’d want more if he had a strong year, why then, as Dejan Kovacevic has asked, didn’t his agent work that into his contract?

Why go public with this pay dispute?

Heyward says he made his request in February and again, we should believe him. He’s been holding in through training camp, yet no one knew about it until he, or more likely his agent, leaked it to the national press?

  • And his he really serious about missing games?

If he really is then I think he is guilty of wanting to have it both ways. If he’s not then he’s unnecessarily exacerbating things. Either way, he looks almost petty.

AB Offers a Way Out?

The Steelers have a different approach to contracts. They don’t negotiate during the season, a tradition that began in 1993 and has served them well since then. They also don’t renegotiate deals for players who have more than one year left on their current contract.

That would seem to leave them between a rock and a hard place.

However, they were in a similar situation with Antonio Brown several years back, and Kevin Colbert worked out of it be with a restructure that converted future salary into current year bonuses.

The smart money says something similar will happen with Heyward. IF it does, this will fade into hindsight. But until the situation remains unfortunate.

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3 Takeaways as Steelers Trade Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith

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Last week the Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the world by trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith. The Steelers also sent their 5th round pick from the 2027 NFL Draft to Miami and got the Dolphins’ 7th rounder.

No one apparently told Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin that this was supposed to be the slow spot in the NFL’s off season.

While rumors had tied the Steelers to trades for Ramsey and Smith, trading Minkah Fitzpatrick was unimaginable. But traded he has been.

Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell perhaps summed it up the best by concluding, “…Dolphins made off with the best player in the big trade with the Steelers, but that the Steelers won the trade.”

ON paper, Wexell’s right, we’ll see if what happens on the field vindicates his conclusion. While we wait for that reality to play out, here are three things this trade is telling us now.

Antonio Brown, Jalen Ramsey, Ramon Foster, Steelers vs Jaguars, Antonio Brown vs Jalen Ramsey

Antonio Brown vs Jalen Ramsey. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

1. The Steelers Brain Trust Takes 2024’s Meltdown Seriously

The 2024 Steelers closed their season with a 5-game losing streak that got uglier with each week. The piss-poor performance of the defense against the Chiefs at Christmas and in the playoffs against the Ravens called into question the franchise’s fundamental strategy of using defense to keep the team competitive until they can find a franchise QB.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes terrorized the Steelers defense through the air, while Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry ridiculed them on the ground. In simple terms:

  • The Steelers defense got its ass kicked. Twice.
  • The men in Black and Gold didn’t belong on the same field.

No one should think, let alone suggest, that Minkah Fitzpatrick was responsible for these losses or even that he was some sort of “weak link.” That’s both wrong and disrespectful.

But Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan have clearly concluded that Jalen Ramsey can be a bigger part of the solution than Fitzpatrick.

Events may prove them wrong, but no one can say the Steelers took these beatings sitting down.

2. The Steelers Way Evolves Under Omar Khan

While this easily amounts to the biggest trade in franchise history, let’s keep it in context:

But they’ve never exchanged All Pros. Perhaps it’s true that a trade of this magnitude would have been near unthinkable in June of 2015, it hardly spells the death of “Steelers Way.”

  • The “Steelers Way” is simply evolving.

In fact, Omar Khan is building on tendencies that first surfaced under Kevin Colbert. Colbert began making trades more frequently in hopes of “Reloading with Roethlisberger,”  contract restructures became more common, and using voidable years on contracts began to happen and so forth.

Like Kevin Colbert and Tom Donahoe before him, Omar Khan is leaving is own finger prints on the Steelers Way. Donahoe pioneered the strategy of avoiding free agency bidding ways in favor of resigning your own players.

Kevin Colbert, unlike Donahoe, welcomed back players who’d departed via free agency, improved performance in the first round while displaying an uncanny knack for finding undrafted rookie free agent gems (you may have heard of Willie Parker, James Harrison and Ramon Foster.)

Omar Khan, Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert

Omar Khan and Kevin Colbert at St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

And while Khan has been more aggressive with trades and free agency, let’s also remember that he has a freedom that Kevin Colbert never enjoyed – roster building without having to manage the salary cap complications of a franchise quarterback.

3. The Steelers are NOT “All In” on Going for a Super Bowl in 2025

Before the smoke even cleared on Fitzpatrick for Ramsey-Smith trade, Everyone and His Brother in football rushed to the same conclusion:

  • The Steelers are All In on a going for a Super Bowl in 2025.

That’s the easy conclusion when you look at the D.K. Metcalf trade, Aaron Rodgers signing and now the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. But as is so often the case in life, the quick and easy conclusion is the wrong one.

  • Yes, these splash personnel moves have generated a lot of Sound and Fury.

But you know what? The Steelers still have a projected 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, they’re only missing a 6th round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and they’re still league leaders in available salary cap space for 2026 and 2027. They’ll lose a little of that leadership after they resign T.J. Watt, but the Steelers salary cap health will remain strong once that deal is done.

  • That’s the opposite of being “All In.”
  • Going “All In” means you’ve bet everything on the risk you’re taking.

For example, the Steelers were “All In” on Ben Roethlisberger’s recovery after trading for Fitzpatrick in 2019. The trade cost them a shot at a franchise quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, and impacted the next several drafts.

In contrast, if these moves result in another “muh” season that ends at about .500 but with no playoff success, the franchise will still enter 2026 with all of its options open.

If the Steelers were truly “All In” this would not be the case.

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Smart Move: Steelers Extend DeShon Elliott for 2 More Years

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When it came time to issue the final Steeler Report Card for the 2024 season awarding Unsung Hero honors came down to two players: Elandon Roberts and Deshon Elliott.

  • After a bit of back-and-forth, the honors went to Deshon Elliott.

I’m supremely confident that neither Omar Khan nor Mike Tomlin’s eyes have touched this blog, but when it comes to DeShon Elliott it appears that we think alike, as the Steelers made their first contract extension of the summer, when they resigned DeShon Elliot to a two year extension valued at 15.5 million with 9 million guaranteed.

DeShone Elliott, David Njoku, Steelers vs Browns

DeShone Elliot defends David Njoku. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

DeShon Elliott joined the Steelers last spring after 3 years with Baltimore, one with Detroit, another in Miami.

The question on Steelers fans minds as they watched him during the 2024 season was, “What was it that the Ravens, Lions and Dolphins didn’t see in him?”

DeShon Elliott appeared in 15 games for the Steelers last season and started 14 of those. He logged one interception, deflected 6 passes, forced 2 fumbles, recovered 3 fumbles and logged 108 tackles.

  • Now, as any serious fan understands, tackle totals can be misleading.

And Elliott’s tackle total certainly misleads – because 108 tackles doesn’t do justice to how well he played. Per Pro Football Reference, DeShon Elliott only missed 3 tackles all season. Elliott may not have been a superstar on the Steelers defense, but he was the kind of player who had a knack for finding and stopping the ball carrier.

While doing that, Elliott grew into a leadership role, commenting on the communication problems that plagued the Steelers in Christmas debacle against the Chiefs, “We shouldn’t be having these problems in Week 18. That’s a Week 1 or Week 2 problem.”

The Steelers are wise to ink him to a new deal that will keep in in Pittsburgh, and they’ve done it at a very team-friendly price. Even though Elliott’s extension will give him a significant raise from his previous contract, according to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now he’ll only be the NFL’s 30th highest paid safety.

With Elliott Inked Whose Next?

In his second off season as Steelers General Manager, Omar Khan reverted to form he exhibited during his first off season, when he got deals for Minkah Fitzpatrick and Chris Boswell done early in the summer, as opposed to waiting until shortly before the regular season began, as had been custom of Kevin Colbert.

Last summer, however, extensions for Pat Freiermuth and Cam Heyward came at the end of the summer.

  • With the ink drying on Elliott’s deal, the question is who is next?

Jaylen Warren is playing on a restricted free agent deal and both he, and the Steelers face a choice. The Steelers can lock him for less money now, or risk seeing him cash in on the open market if he has a big year.

Given that the Steelers took Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the smart money says they won’t offer Warren an extension.

  • Calvin Austin is also entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Austin’s overall numbers from 2024 might not impress many Fantasy Football owners, but he showed the ability to step up and make significant plays, and Steelers coaches affirm their belief that Austin can function as a true number 2 alongside D.K. Metcalf.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin hauls in a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Signing Austin now could be a win, win for the Steelers, although the franchise seldom gives second contracts to wide receivers not named Hines Ward or Antonio Brown.

  • And of course, there’s T.J. Watt, who missed OTAs and “mandatory” minicamp.

Everyone expects the Steelers and Watt to reach an agreement, but it still must come to pass.

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Steelers Sign Aaron Rodgers – Bobby Layne 3.0 Arrives in Pittsburgh

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Well… It has happened. Aaron Rodgers has signed a one-year, team-friendly contract to be the Steelers quarterback for the 2025 season. Rodgers per reports will attend Steelers minicamp after missing OTAs.

Aaron Rodgers, Casey Hampton, Steelers vs Packers, Steelers Packer Super Bowl,

Aaron Rodgers celebrates a touchdown in the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images via Bleacher Report

For the record, like most of Steelers Nation, I did not want to see Aaron Rodgers in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

But now that it has happened, it is time to be practical. So let’s define several truths about the Steelers situation:

  1. A long-term quarterback solution was unavailable this spring.
  2. Aaron Rodgers has lost a lot since his time as a Super Bowl and league MVP.
  3. Yet, he still has something left in the tank.
  4. Rodgers offered Pittsburgh its best shot for an upgrade at quarterback.

Number 4 might provoke eye rolls.

To be sure, Chris Ward of Steelers NOW took a detailed look at Rodgers’ games in 2024 and found cause for concern.

Alex Highsmith, Aaron Rodgers

Alex Highsmith pressures Aaron Rodgers. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Rodgers struggles against the blitz largely because age has robbed him of the mobility needed to improvise. Some of his decision making under pressure suggests that perhaps he isn’t able to process at the speed he once could. Finally, Ward found that Rodgers’ famed accuracy is slipping.

However, Ward also maintains that Rodgers’ arm remains strong, terming it as his “superpower.” His timing, ability run RPOs remains sharp, allowing him to function as “a general at the line of scrimmage that is confident in his ability to get his unit in the best play possible.”

Risk of Riding with Rodgers is Real

Even if Rodgers is the best available option the Steelers had to achieve a year-to-year improvement at quarterback, signing him carries both objective and subjective risks.

After 18 years in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin’s fascination with giving fabled athletes a final dance well- documented.

Joey Galloway signed but never saw the field. Ditto William Jackson. Plaxico Burress finished his career in a Steelers uniform by scoring touchdown at Heinz Field. That was great for him but his second stint in Pittsburgh did little to help the team. Michael Vick had one great quarter of football left in him that set up a Monday Night Football win that was a difference-maker when playoff time came.

Rodgers will be 42 by season’s end and is well past the point where age and injury can quickly conspire to end a career.

  • The subjective risks Rodgers brings are perhaps more pertinent.

Mike Tomlin praised first round pick Derrick Harmon for having “Steelers DNA.” Look up and down the members of the Steelers 2025 Draft Class, and you’ll see the words “strong character guy,” “great for the locker room,” and/or “natural leader.” Ditto their 2024 class.

Check out Jim Wexell’s interview with Darius Slay and you’ll see a veteran who oozes a “been there, done that” ethos who embraces his role as mentor for players like Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice and Beanie Bishop.

In contrast, Aaron Rodgers carries a well-earned reputation for forcing an “I” into the word “team.”

He tried to get the coach and GM fired at the end of his time Green Bay. He succeeded in doing that with the Jets. He unhesitatingly points fingers at teammates when things get tough.

Per Over the Cap, Aaron Rodgers has earned $381,692,206 in his career. But that didn’t stop him from whining about having to buy his own plane ticket for his final meeting with the Jets. (Hint for Rodgers – next time splurge on an economy plus upgrade, and enjoy the extra leg room.)

  • Mike Tomlin is no stranger to managing diva locker room personalities.

Perhaps he was at his best in doing that when Ben Roethlisberger was hooking up with Antonio Brown for the Christmas Night Immaculate Extension that set up Pittsburgh’s most recent playoff wins.

antonio brown, steelers christmas win over ravens, steelers vs. ravens

Four Ravens can’t stop Antonio Brown from score the game winning touchdown in Steelers Christmas win over Ravens. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

But Aaron Rodgers could easily put those skills to the test.

Welcome to Pittsburgh Bobby Layne 3.0

Shortly after the smoke cleared following the playoff ridiculing against the Ravens, Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell mused that the Steelers had tried Neil O’Donnell (Mason Rudolph), Mark Malone (Kenny Pickett) and Bobby Layne (Russell Wilson) to no avail.

Once the Rodgers signing became official, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabio took the Steelers brain trust to task for promising not to do the same thing over again and expect different results.

  • DeFabio has the facts on his side.

A year ago, the Steelers brought in an aging Super Bowl champion quarterback at a bargain basement price and suffered yet another embarrassing playoff loss. Now they just signed another, older Super Bowl quarterback.

Ziggy Hood, Aaron Rodgers, LaMarr Woodley, Casey Hampton, Super Bowl XLV

Ziggy Hood sacks Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV. Photo Credit: Tribune-Review

So be it. Unless Seattle proves that “the sixth time is the charm” with Sam Darnold or Justin Fields can mature into Jalen Hurts-lite in New York, finding a bridge quarterback was the best Steelers could have done this spring.

  • So think of Aaron Rodgers as Bobby Layne 3.0.

No, Layne did not bring an NFL Championship to the Steel City, but he give Pittsburgh the best professional football the city had ever seen.

While is far from a certain thing, Aaron Rodgers could bring Pittsburgh the best football its seen since Ben Roethlisberger threw out his arm in the second week of the 2019 season.

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Steelers Trade George Pickens to the Cowboys – Buyer and Seller Beware

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a move screams “Both Buyer and Seller Beware.” The Steelers send George Pickens and a 2027 6th round pick to Dallas, and in exchange the Cowboys send their 2026 3rd rounder and 2027th 5th rounder to Pittsburgh.

Since even before the 2024 season ended, speculation abounded as to whether the Steelers would move on from George Pickens.

Coming out of the NFL combine Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell reported Pickens had soured his trade value in the league, and that a trade would be “next to impossible.”

Yet, prior to the draft, George Pickens reportedly deleted references to the Steelers from his social media accounts, and Omar Khan did field calls about a potential trade but could not get more than a 4th round pick.

With the draft over, Jerry Jones has increased his offer for the ultra-talented, mercurial wide receiver and brought him to Texas.

George Pickens, Nick Cross, Steelers vs Colts

George Pickens fumbles at the 5 yard line. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Steelers Exchange High Short-Term Risk for Long Term Value

George Pickens began tantalizing Steelers fans from the moment he stepped foot on Chuck Noll Field at St. Vincents College.

George Pickens, Steelers 2022 training camp, Cam Sutton

George Pickens making a catch on the first day @ St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

In terms of pure pass-catching capability, Pickens is in the conversation with Lynn Swann and Antonio Brown.

  • Alas, Pickens mimicked Brown’s attitude issues. And then some.

For as unglued as Antonio Brown became in his final year in Pittsburgh, Brown’s self-centered disposition rarely, if ever, reared its head on the field.

  • The same cannot be said for George Pickens.

His immaturity was on display on the sidelines in the Steelers 2022 win over the Atlanta Falcons, prompting Cam Heyward to initiate a “heart-to-heart” on the sidelines. (Heyward, to his credit, said the young wide out simply needed a “Pick me up.”)

The antics continued through his second season, with Pickens declining to block for Jaylen Warren near the goal line, citing injury concerns. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

George Pickens, Noah Igbinoghene, Steelers vs Dolphins

George Pickens with another Lynn Swann like catch. Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Pickens proved, time-and-time again, he could make belief defying catches.

Yet it was almost like he was bent on establishing a 1-1 relationship between those feats and team-destructive incidents, whether it was cutting off routes, showing up late, taking plays off, using his face paint to complain about lack of targets, getting into shoving matches with defensive backs in Hail Mary situations, or needing to be restrained from fighting with fans by Pat Freiermuth.

As he did with Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, Omar Khan began the off season singing Pickett’s praises and talking about his plans to keep in in Pittsburgh.

  • Now Pickens is headed to Dallas.

In football realpolitik the Steelers got a steal. They weren’t going to resign him, they may not have gotten a good compensatory pick for him, and unhappiness over lack of a new contract could have been a season-long disruption.

If the Steelers get four compensatory picks for the 2026 NFL Draft, they’ll have 12 picks at their disposal.

But by playing the long game, Omar Khan has once again exposed the team to short-term risk.

Another Year of Longing for Lockett and Hill?

Last season the Steelers dealt problem child wide receiver Diontae Johnson. It was a wise move. Donte Jackson delivered solid play at cornerback while Johnson got himself cut three times.  However, Omar Khan never filled the gaping hole that Johnson’s departure left on the roster.

Dwight Stone, Dwight Stone Steelers career

Dwight Stone’s Steelers career ran from 1987 to 1994. Photo Credit: Amazon

Early in the season, this scribe opined that the lack of a number two wide out opposite Pickens was enough to make Gen X Steelers fans long for the days of Charles Lockett, Derek Hill and Dwight Stone.

The Steelers of course added D.K. Metcalf in the off season, and Calvin Austin improved noticeably last year, but outside of that they’ve got a wide receiver room filled with roster bubble players or unproven youth, such as Roman Wilson, with Robert Woods taking Van Jefferson’s place.

When the Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson word was he excelled in running against stacked boxes at Iowa.

Good thing he’s already used to playing in Black and Gold, because he’s going to see plenty of other familiar sights in Pittsburgh. Seller be wear.

Now Jones and Schottenhimer to Try Their Hand

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stood behind George Pickens for as long as he could. He opted not to air his dirty laundry and instead focus trying to break through to Pickens.

  • At times it appeared to work.

After an awful game against the Colts in December 2023, no one would have criticized Tomlin if he just decided to bench Pickens for the rest of the year. Instead, Tomlin talked to him and Pickens exploded for two break out games on Christmas and New Years. He even showed up as a blocker in the season finale against the Ravens.

Yet, after two senseless personal foul penalties in the road win over the Bengals last year, Tomlin said it was time for Pickens to grow up.

  • Clearly, he feels he’s mentored Pickens as far as he can.

Now Brian Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones will launch a wide receiver reclamation project. Other head coaches have tried and failed with similar endavors with Steelerss cast offs such as Brown, Johnson, Martavis Bryant and Chase Claypool.

Buyer beware.

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