Tag Archives: Heath Miller

Grading the Steelers 2021 Draft Five Years Later: Why Pittsburgh’s Playoff Drought Deepened

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The picks are in and we’re in the thick of OTAs. Now it’s time to grade the Steelers draft class.

The Steelers 2021 Draft Class.

Yes, 5 years is a long time to wait to grade a draft class, but if a 5-year wait was right for Chuck Noll, then it’s right for me.

The Steelers 2021 Draft Class was Kevin Colbert’s penultimate one and while this draft wasn’t as bad as some of ones that sandwiched it, that isn’t entirely a good thing. Let’s dive into why.

Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris represent the yin and yang of the Steelers 2021 Draft Class. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Round 1 Najee Harris – Another Rookie Tease

Critics condemned Colbert and Mike Tomlin for “Wasting a first rounder on a running back” as soon they drafted Najee Harris.

After holding his draft party at a Bay Area homeless shelter, his rookie season suggested Harris could prove the critics wrong. And then some.

Harris played his rookie year behind an offensive line built with spit, duct tape and bubble gum, yet he still rushed for 1200 yards, scored 7 touchdowns and caught 74 passes for 467 yards.

  • Unfortunately, he failed to build on his rookie success.

Yes, he played well in fits and spurts. Yet at other times he subjected us to “Sludge Ball,” resulting in 3rd and longs which the offense couldn’t convert.

Najee Harris, Steelers vs Chargers

Najee Harris breaks one in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

That inconsistency makes it easy to forget his 4 consecutive 1000 yard seasons, his additional 1000 yards receiving, 34 touchdowns and 68 consecutive starts. Those numbers show that the Steelers did get some value out of Najee Harris even if his overall draft grade is Disappointment.

steelers, draft, grades, evaluations, bust, Kevin Colbert

True NFL Draft grades only come with years of hindsight

Round 2 Pat Freiermuth – Muuth!

If Najee Harris spent his rookie season teasing that he might live up to his first-round status, Steelers fans watched 2nd round pick Pat Freiermuth during his rookie year and asked if he might be the next Heath Miller.

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

Truthfully, Pat Freiermuth hasn’t and will likely never reach that level. Instead, at a time when the Steelers have fielded some outright JV offenses, Freiermuth has always been a consistent Varsity player. Grade: Over Performer

Round 3 Kendrick Green – It Isn’t Easy Being Green

Anyone who ever needs a reminder of why you never want to enter an NFL draft with an absolute need to pick a starter, look no further than Kendrick Green.

Thanks to Maurkice Pouncey’s surprise retirement while the Steelers were in Salary Cap Armageddon the Steelers were forced to draft a starting center in the 2021 NFL draft. So they drafted Kendrick Green.

Kendrick Green struggled until Mike Tomlin benched him for J.C. Hassenauer in week 16. Green made the roster in 2022, but never earned a game day helmet.

The Steelers gave him some work at fullback at St. Vincents in the summer of 2023. But he couldn’t do enough to prove he needed a roster spot, so they traded Green to the Houston Texans where he’s started four games. Grade: Bust

Round 4 Dan Moore – More Than Expected

The Steelers didn’t only need to draft a starting-capable center in the 2021 NFL Draft, they also needed a tackle. So they drafted Dan Moore Jr. in the 4th round. Dan Moore won the left tackle starting job in training camp, and then proceeded to start all but one game for the next four years.

  • Moore suffered growing pains, and could never make the shift to playing right tackle.

But he improved with each passing year, although not enough to deter the Steelers from drafting Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. But drafting an offensive tackle in the 4th round who becomes an immediate starter and then proceeds to start 66 games is an outstanding success by any measure. Grade: Over Performer

Round 4: Buddy Johnson — The 4th Round Throw Away

As a non-draftnic all Steelers draft picks start with a clean slate. I do listen to experts, but take their wisdom with a grain of salt. Still, the eye rolls that accompanied Buddy Johnson’s pick perked up my ears.

  • And it didn’t take long to understand the eye rolls.

Buddy Johnson appeared in 4 games for the Steelers as a rookie, played 6 defensive snaps and 59 special teams snaps. The Steelers cut him the next summer. So fellow 4th rounder Dan Moore made 66 starts whereas Buddy Johnson played 65 total snaps. Grade: Bust

Round 5: Isaiahh Loudermilk – The Rookie Tease

With no 5th round pick, the Steelers traded their 2022 4th rounder to grab Isaiahh Loudermilk. The Steelers drafted Isaiahh Loudermilk counting on having both Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu.

  • Tuitt never played a down and Alualu was lost after just 6 quarters.

Thanks to those injuries, Loudermilk got playing time immediately. And in hindsight, it is easy to forget that Loudermilk actually had a fairly promising rookie year, batting down 3 passes, and recording a sack while playing 29% of the defensive snaps.

  • But like Najee Harris, Loudermilk failed to build on his rookie year.

He averaged about 19% of the defensive snaps over the next three years, and his career highlight was blocking a field goal in the 2024 Sunday Night Football loss to Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys. The Steelers brought him back for a 5th year, but he got injured after two games. Grade: Disappointment

Round 6: Quincy Roche – The Preseason Flasher

Quincy Roche started the summer off at St. Vincents strong enough for Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell to include him in a group of rookies who were “are rounding out another exceptional draft.”

By summer’s end, the Steelers coaches didn’t quite agree, as they cut Quincy Roche hoping to sneak him on the practice squad.

The New York Giants signed him, and Roche appeared in 14 games, made 3 starts, recording 2.5 sacks.

Alas, he spent his second year bouncing on and off New York’s practice squad and was cut loose in January. The Steelers brought him back to Pittsburgh, but his highlight was getting pancaked during Friday Night Lights by “fullback” Kendrick Green. He got cut 25 days later. Grade: Bust

Round 7a – Tre Norwood – Short-Term Swiss Army Knife

Officially the Steelers drafted Tre Norwood as a safety, but Mike Tomlin immediately labeled him a “Swiss Army Knife” indicating that he’d play both safety and corner. Tre Norwood saw action in all 17 games as a rookie, logging a full third of the defensive snaps.

Tre Norwood tops off Ben Roethlisberger's final game at Heinz Field by intercepting Baker Mayfield's pass after Minkah Fitzpatrick tipped it his way.

Tre Norwood intercepts a Baker Mayfield pass at the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s final game at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Caitlyn Epee, Steelers.com

While no one was suggesting a name change to Donnie Polamalu or Troy Shell the early returns were good, with Norwood deflecting four passes and hauling in an interception to secure Ben Roethlisberger’s final win at Heinz Field.

Like other members of the Steelers 2021 Draft class, Norwood never sustained his rookie momentum, and was gone after 2022. Grade: Serviceable Pickup

Round 7b:  Pressley Harvin III — Mr. Inconsistency

The Steelers used their final pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Pressley Harvin III, a punter out of Georgia Tech, hoping to find a long-term upgrade at the position. Pressley Harvin punted for 3 seasons, was good at times, but he lacked consistency and was gone after 2023. Grade: Disappointment.

Steelers 2021 Draft Class Helps Explain, Extend Playoff Drought

When the 2021 Steelers unexpectedly made the playoffs, Jim Wexell’s initial assessment of “another exceptional draft” looked smart. Everyone, except Kendrick Green and Buddy Johnson had shown concrete reasons for hope – as had Roche with the Giants.

  • Sadly, only Pat Freiermuth and Dan Moore built on their rookie success.

The others did enough to hang on as backups, or even starters, but none developed into anything exceptional. In many ways, his draft class was similar to the Steelers 2018 Draft Class, which set the seeds for stagnation.

For its part, the Steelers 2021 Draft Class deepened the roots of the franchise’s current playoff drought by adding players who, with the exception of Freiermuth, never developed into differnece-makers and who instead excelled at being ordinary. Overall grade: C.

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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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Steelers Key to Success vs Vikings in Dublin? Avoid Jet Lag

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The NFL released its 2025 schedule last week proving once again the league retains its power as a marketing juggernaut.

A generation ago baseball, the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals would have driven North America’s sports talk. By transforming the schedule release into a media event, the NFL has shifted the focus to football.

The Steelers  finally learned the date and opponent of their long-awaited game in Dublin.

This will be the first regular season NFL game played in Ireland, but it will be the Steelers second trip to the Emerald Isle and their second international game. Prior to the 1997 season, the Steelers played a preseason game in Ireland against the Bears, and in 2013 the Steelers played the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The Steelers’ London date with the Vikings came was on September 29th in the 4th game of the season. The Steelers will face the Vikings in Dublin on September 28th in week four of the season.

So things are lining up nicely for history symmetry buffs…. Perhaps a little too nicely.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings London, Mike Adams

1 of 5 Minnesota Vikings sacks of Ben Roethlisberger in London. Photo Credit: Matt Dunham, AP via NY Daily News

When asked by Missi Matthews if the Steelers planned on doing anything differently for its second international trip, Art Rooney II told her he didn’t expect it and that the Steelers travel plans would probably remain the same.

That’s a problem.

Because the Steelers left Pittsburgh the Thursday before the game, arrived on Friday, practiced on Saturday, and then promptly lost the battle of 0-3 teams in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the 34-27 final score suggested.

Before that game, Dejan Kovacevic, then with the Tribune Review sounded the alarm about jet lag. In his podcast this week, he confirmed that several players, including LaMarr Woodley, looked completely out of it in their Friday pre-game press conference.

For those of you who’ve never made a trans-Atlantic flight, I can assure you it typically takes 2 if not 3 days to acclimate. The Vikings, wise to this reality, came in early.

Was it just the jet lag?

It is hard to say. The 2013 Steelers were in salary cap purgatory. They arrived at St. Vincents that summer with precarious depth. Attrition forced four players on injured reserve before the Steelers even played their 4th preseason game.

They started their season opener with RB Number 1 (Le’Veon Bell) in street clothes. RB Number 2, Isaac Redman was starting with a career-ending injury. RB Number 3 Jonathan Dwyer, had been cut. TE’s Number 3 and 4, David Johnson and David Paulson, were TE number 1 and TE number 2 thanks to injuries to Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth.

That’s how the 2013 Steelers began game 1. They then promptly went about proving Murphy’s law:

Starting center lost. Backup tackle doing double duty as tight end shifts over to play center. For the first time in his life. All within 8 plays of the season. 3 players lost for the year on opening day. Some guy named Kion Wilson manning the inside linebacker position and, get this, calling the defensive plays.

Oh, yeah, and Cortez Allen also got injured in the 2013 season opener (although he was back for London) but by the time Kion Wilson had played his last NFL snaps on defense and was got cut season’s end.

By week 3 in a road game against Chicago the Steelers offensive line was so bad that it prompted Dale Lolley, then with the Observer-Reporter, to make the tweet of the year:

The offensive line managed to get worse on the other side of the Atlantic – that was perhaps the only game when I saw Ben Roethlisberger look lost in the face of a fierce pass rush.

  • So maybe it wasn’t just the jet lag.

But the bottom line is, the NFL is hyper competitive, and teams need every edge they can get. Or at least avoid yielding opponents an edge by giving yourself jet lag.

Moral of the story?

Mike Tomlin would do well to get the Steelers to Dublin early as he can.

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Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Tight End – Can the Depth Chart be Beefed Up?

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Tight ends in threes. The Steelers have carried three tight ends, no more or no less, on their roster seemingly forever.

As the 2023 NFL Draft approaches, the Steelers have 3 tight ends under contract for coming season. Yet, this draft is said to be deep at tight end. Does that mean the Steelers can ignore the position?

Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward

Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry at Acrisure Stadium. Photo Credit: USA Today Sports via Bestodds.com

 

Steelers Depth Cart at: The Starter

How do you know where the Steelers stand at Tight End? How about this: Moouth!

That’s the sound that Steelers fans have been waiting to chat and hear since Heath Miller retired. Watching Pat Freiermuth’s play over the first two years of his it is easy to see why.

Pat Freiermuth immediately established himself as a starter, a reliable “Go To” target in the over the middle and a leader on the field. Thus far he’s caught 123 passes on 177 targets for a 69.5% catch rate, while hauling in 9 touchdowns. If his catch percentage dropped, his yards per reception (or target) and his first down catches increased.

You can’t quite say “Pat Freiermuth is unquestionability the Steelers long-term answer at tight end” however, because he has had 3 concussions in two years. Freiermuth insists he’s not worried about it, but the Steelers would be foolish not to be concerned.

Steelers Tight End Depth Chart: The Backups

The Steelers drafted Zach Gentry as a project with their fifth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Injuries and his learning curve kept him from doing much in 2019 and 2020, but in 2021 Gentry emerged with a respectable season, showing signs that he could be a legitimate number 2 NFL tight end.

He really didn’t do much to build on that in 2022 but the Steelers still resigned him, although that second contract comes with a bit “but” (see below.)

The Steelers added Connor Heyward to the mix with their 6th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Mike Tomlin’s love for NFL blood lines doesn’t always work out (see Devin Bush, and to a lesser extent Terrell Edmunds), but Connor Heyward’s rookie year vindicates Tomlin’s family fetish.

Heyward only touched the ball 14 times, but he made those count, delivering big plays that helped break open the games against the Buccaneers, Falcons and Browns and helping seal the win over the Raiders.

Steelers Draft, Steelers Draft Needs scale

Steelers Draft Needs Scale 2023

The Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Tight End

The 2023 NFL Draft is said to be deep in tight ends. But the Steelers really don’t have the luxury of drafting a tight end early.

But be clear about one thing, everything about Zach Gentry’s contract, from its one year length, its meager $152,000 signing bonus and the fact that it’s a hair over the veteran minimum salary, says “You can be cut at St. Vincents without a second thought.”

However, the Steelers don’t have a 5th or a 6th round pick, which is where you’d typically find a backup tight end.

But just because Pittsburgh’s draft capital might not allow them to draft a tight end, doesn’t change the fact that going in to the 2023 NFL Draft the Steelers need at tight end must be considered as Moderate.

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Good Enough? Does Zach Gentry Deserve a 2nd Contract from the Steelers?

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The Steelers struggle to replace Heath Miller has been well-known. Fortunately, with Pat Freiermuth’s arrival in Pittsburgh the Steelers have found their TE No. 1.

However, they’ve also been searching legit new TE No. 2 since Matt Spaeth was let go in 2016.

During 2021 Zach Gentry looked like he could be that man. However, he’s played 17 more games since then and he’s about to become a free agent. Has he done enough to earn a second contract?

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Zach Gentry catching one of Ben Roethlisberger’s last passes. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Zach Gentry Career with the Steelers

The Steelers drafted Zach Gentry in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of University of Michigan after beginning with the Wolverines as a quarterback before converting to tight end.

Gentry’s developmental status and injuries limited him to six games and 69 snaps over his first two years in Pittsburgh (he had 13 special teams snaps, if you really need to know.) In his third year Gentry appeared in all 17 games and formally started 12 as the number 2 tight end.

Gentry’s 19 catches on 25 targets didn’t provoke any Fantasy Football bidding wars, but 11 of those did go for 1st downs and he 76% catch rate. However, Gentry didn’t make the proverbial “second year leap” in 2022. He made 19 catches on another 25 targets, which boosted his catch rate but the number of first downs he earned were nearly cut in half.

And while I don’t presume to have analyzed his blocking skills, both Steel City Insider’s Matt C. Steel and Pro Football Reference have and their evaluation has not been positive.

If nothing else, Zach Gentry will always be the player who caught Ben Roethlisberger’s last pass in the 21′ Steelers playoff loss to the Chiefs.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Zach Gentry

The Steelers drafted Zach Gentry as a project. Both Gentry and the Steelers stuck with the project through a series of injuries. While he may not have made much of a leap in his second year as a starter, he’s a 6’8” tight end.

The Steelers should be able easily keep him in Pittsburgh at a very cap-friendly cost.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Zach Gentry

Who would you rather have as your TE number 2? Connor Heyward? Or Zach Gentry? Enough said.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Zach Gentry

Zach Gentry’s future in Pittsburgh likely comes down to how the draft and the rest of free agency pans out. The Steelers have needs on both lines, the secondary, at linebacker and arguably receiver that are far more urgent than tight end.

On top of that, the Steelers have neither a 5th nor a 6th round pick, which is where you’d normally draft a backup tight end. It is possible that when the dust settles, the Steelers will decide to bring Zach Gentry back in Pittsburgh, but don’t expect to see him at the podium with Omar Khan any time soon.

But if the Steelers have a chance to upgrade the position, they should by all means take it.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2023 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2023 free agent focus articles.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 Draft Needs Matrix

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The big day has arrived. The 2022 NFL Draft is here.

A generation from now, will we remember Kevin Colbert’s final draft as the night the Pittsburgh Steelers found their franchise quarterback? Will this be the evening where he tried to go out with a bang and flopped instead? Or will we recall how Kevin Colbert convinced Mike Tomlin not to force things and instead drafted a future Hall of Famer at another position?

Those questions will take years to answer.

As of now, the pundits and tea leaf readers argue that the Steelers brain trust is sold on picking Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder should one be on the board when the clock strikes 20.

steelers press conference,

That may be the case. Mike Tomlin has never been coy about pre-draft crushes. His love for Lawrence Timmons, Maurkice Pouncey, Jarvis Jones (ugh), and Najee Harris was well-known long before their names reached commissioner’s desk.

Would picking Pickett, Willis, Corral or Ridder at 20 and/or trading up to get him violate rule number 3 on the Steelers Road Map for Return to the Super Bowl i.e. don’t force finding a franchise quarterback?

  • Honestly, says the guy who thought picking Ben Roethlisberger was a mistake, I don’t know.

But I can opine on what the Steelers needs are in this draft.

Over the past few weeks, with Tony Defeo’s help, we’ve broken down the Steelers needs at each position. Using the Steelers Draft Needs, we’ve clustered their needs into four tiers.steelers, draft, needs, priority, 2022 NFL Draft

Wide Receiver and Defensive Line clock in at High-Moderate. In other words, a guy Pittsburgh picks there could very well end up starting.

Below that we have a log jam, with Quarterback, Running Back, Inside Linebacker, Outside Linebacker and Cornerback all coming in at Moderate High. In other words, the Steelers aren’t looking for a 2021 starter here, but that could change fast.

Next, we have Offensive Tackle and Safety. The Steelers should be OK here, but could go looking for a future starter.

Finally, we have Tight End and Center/Guard aka “interior lineman,” where the Steelers really are looking for depth.

So how to sort out the pecking order, given that we’ve got apparent ties at several positions?

That’s the Steelers 2022 Draft Needs Matrix comes in.

Steelers 2022 Draft Needs Matrix

Here is how I see the Steelers needs playing out:

Steelers 2022 Draft Needs Matrix

Defensive line gets the nod over wide receiver simply because the Steelers two starters there are younger. But that’s close, as the Steelers do have some depth on defensive line with upside on defensive line (Isaiahh Loudermilk), whereas the cupboard is empty at wide out.

The same rational holds at running back over receiver. The Steelers need more at running back than Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland, but they’re superior to any backup wide outs.

The fact that the Steelers have Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph and only one Najee Harris is why running back is edges out quarterback. Quarterback comes in over outside linebacker because that’s a more important position, but frankly that’s close because the drop off in proven talent behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith is steep.

Likewise, the Steelers have appear to have 3 starter caliber cornerbacks, plus James Pierre, but they have more bodies at inside linebacker, even if there are long term questions about Devin Bush and no “starter in waiting” behind him and Myles Jack.

Inside linebacker is a higher priority over Offensive Tackle because the Steelers have two starters under team control for at least 3 years, and Joe Haeg can provide depth. But again, this is close.

Tackle edges out safety because both Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds are far more proven commodities than any of the tackles, and Tre Norwood has far more “upside” than Haeg.

  • Safety edges out interior line, because the Steelers four players for 2 positions.

Center-Guard comes out as a higher priority than tight end simply because Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry are better, more known commodities than any of the interior lineman.

No, Steelers Mustn’t Draft for Need

With that said, the Steelers Draft Needs Matrix is anything but a call for Pittsburgh to pick based on need. When you draft for need, Artie Burns happens.

In other words, if the Steelers can grab a play making outside linebacker who could push Alex Highsmith to the bench, by all means they should grab him. Nor should they pass on picking the next Heath Miller let alone a Gronk clone just because Gentry looked good last year.

No, the Draft Needs Matrix seeks to show where the Steelers roster needs the most help and whom they should pick if all other things are equal.

  • Which of course they never are, because success in the NFL draft is a mix of science, art and luck.

The 2022 NFL Draft will be no different, and to the young men who will hear their names called in next three days, we congratulate them on their chance to live the dream that each of us had from the first moment we touched a Nerf football and barked out a snap count!

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Steelers 2022 Draft Needs @ Tight End – Pittsburgh Should Stand Pat

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In contrast to running back, tight end is one positions whose importance and role in the modern offense has grown significantly in the 21st century.

But like running back, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves far stronger at tight end in April 2022 than they did in April 2021. But how much stronger are they and how should that impact Pittsburgh’s plans for the 2022 NFL Draft? Let’s find out.

Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris celebrate in the end zone. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Depth Cart at Tight End: The Starter

For six long years the Steelers have struggled to find and fill their roster with Health Miller’s replacement. A year after picking Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft, it appears that the Steelers finally have their man.

Pat Freiermuth started 9 games for the Steelers and made 60 catches on 79 targets for a 76% catch rate. He also had 7 catches for touchdowns proving his value as a weapon in the Red Zone. He also caught a 2 point conversion with 1:48 left to play in the Steelers 20-19 Heinz Field win over the Baltimore Ravens.

While Freiermuth did suffer 2 concussions during the 2021 season, assuming he remains healthy the kid from Penn State shows every sign of being a keeper.

Steelers Tight End Depth Chart: The Backups

Behind Pat Freiermuth the Steelers have Zach Gentry and Kevin Radar. Both players saw extended action in 2021 after joining the team as developmental projects. The Steelers drafted Gentry in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Gentry was a converted quarterback who was drafted as a project, and injuries limited him to 6 appearances in 2019 and 2020. However, Gentry appeared in all 17 games for the Steelers in 2021 and started in 12 of those playing 40% of offensive snaps while he caught 19 passes on 25 targets for a 76% catch rate.

  • Zach Gentry will also always hold the honor of catching the very last pass ever thrown by Ben Roethlisberger.

Behind Zach Gentry the Steelers have Kevin Radar who joined the Steelers practice squad in 2019 and appeared in one game in 2020 and returned for 6 more in 2021 including one start. During 2021 he caught 2 balls on 3 targets for 8 yards.

The Steelers 2022 Tight End Draft Needs

2021 was not a good year for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, but tight end emerged as one of the only clear-cut areas of improvement. Based on their 2021 performance, in Pat Freiermuth the Steelers have appear to have found a long-term starter at tight end and a solid number 2 back up in Zach Gentry.steelers, draft, needs, priority, 2022 NFL Draft

Kevin Radar isn’t going to provoke any bidding wars among fantasy football owners nor will he keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.

  • But he appears to be a solid number 3 tight end.

Could the Steelers find someone to bolster their depth at tight end or even challenge Gentry for the number 2 slot? Sure they could.

But relative to their other needs on the roster, this is one of the few areas where the Steelers could stand pat, and their draft need at tight end going into the 2022 NFL Draft should be considered Moderate-Low.

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Be Gone: Time for Steelers to Move On from Free Agent Tight End Eric Ebron

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Since February 19th, 2016 the Pittsburgh Steelers have pursued a single goal at tight end: Replace Heath Miller. They’ve signed big-ticket free agents (Ladarius Green.) They’ve let home grown talent develop (Jesse James.) They’ve made both late off season and in-season trades (Vance McDonald, Nick Vannett).

  • Some of them have worked out better than others.
  • All have had their moments of praise-worth play.

But none of them have proven themselves to be even remotely worthy of the title “Heath Miller’s replacement.”

That changed in 2021. That’s bad news for Eric Ebron.

Eric Ebron, Saivion Smith, Steelers vs Cowboys

Eric Ebron leaps over Saivion Smith for six. Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images via Arizona Sports

Capsule Profile of Eric Ebron’s Career with the Steelers

In minds many, the narrative on Eric Ebron is that he’s a failed free agent. His record is more complex.

Mike Tomlin likes exceptional athletes and never hesitates to bring one to Pittsburgh, even if he has some baggage (think Mike Vick). Eric Ebron fit the bill, as a 6’4” 253 tight end.

  • Both of those tendencies were in display during 2020.

Ebron caught 56 passes for 558 yards including 5 touchdowns. And if even at his best he wasn’t a transformational player, he was effective in the Red Zone where he caught all 5 of his touchdown passes in addition to a 2-point conversion.

  • Yet despite his 61.5% catch rate, he had a 7.7% drop rate and is a unmitigated liability as a blocker.

When Vance McDonald retired, the Steelers opted to bring Eric Ebron back in 2021. Eric Ebron generally did what the Steelers asked of him – he caught another Red Zone touchdown, but his role decreased and he then missed 9 games due to injury.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Eric Ebron

The Steelers offense is young and can use a veteran presence and that will be true even if JuJu Smith-Schuster makes another surprise return. Ebron’s athletic talent is real, and he’s a stud the Red Zone. At age 29, this former first round draft pick has already made 3 stops in the NFL and isn’t likely to have many suitors – It won’t break the bank to bring him back.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Eric Ebron

The Steelers can get the post-Ben Roethlisberger era off to the right start by establishing a physical presence on offense. You don’t do that with Eric Ebron. Moreover, if there was one spot on the depth chart that finished 2021 on a decided up note, it was tight end.

Eric Ebron’s athletic talents are real, but they’re a luxury that the Steelers neither need nor should want.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Eric Ebron

Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris celebrate in the end zone. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Muuuth! The cry is now spontaneous anytime number 88 Pat Freiermuth makes a catch. Its easiest to hear at Heinz Field, but also audible on the road. The Steelers of course picked Pat Freiermuth in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft and the rookie quickly established himself as the starting tight end.

In addition, 2021 was also the year where the team’s investment in Zach Gentry began to pay off, as Gentry proved to be a capable number 2 tight end. Fantasy football owners won’t soon get into fights over who has the rights to draft Number 3 tight end Kevin Rader, but Radar’s shown he’s a good blocker.

Suffice to say, the Steelers in good shape at tight end, and while they can certainly get stronger there, bringing back Eric Ebron isn’t one of the ways that happens.

Follow Steelers free agency. Visit our Steelers 2022 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2022 free agent focus articles.

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A 4 Point Roadmap Steelers Should Follow to Return to The Super Bowl

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Super Bowl LVI is today. And again, the Pittsburgh Steelers will watch from home. Worse, the franchise hasn’t been farther away from a Super Bowl since their God-awful 1999 season.

  • This reality is generating untold angst within Steelers Nation.

Social media is full of solutions for returning the Steelers the Big Dance. First, there are the “Make Buddy Parker Proud” plans that involve trading a pirate’s ransom of draft picks to get Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.

On the flip side, there are demands to trade T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward because, “We’re never going to contend during their careers, so why not?” In between, you see calls for sticking with Mason Rudolph and/or Dwayne Haskins — but not to explore their potential — but because they’re Pittsburgh’s best shot at a top 5 draft pick.

No, nothing is easy, is it? Now you understand why Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin agreed to take a final, longest of long shots with Ben Roethlisberger.

If the Steelers road to Lombardi Number 7 certainly isn’t easy, the map they need to follow isn’t complicated because it involves focusing on the fundamentals that got the franchise their first 6 Super Bowls. Here is a four point roadmap.

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

1. Embrace the Suck

Jim Wexell quoted Tammy Duckworth’s “Embrace the suck” mantra following Martavis Bryant’s second substance abuse suspension. Duckworth of course lost both her legs in Iraq rebounded to become a US Senator.

In this context, the Steelers “Embracing the suck” means accepting that they are neither a quarterback nor a handful of key players away from contending again. A big part of this site’s Steelers 2021 season review hinged on who the Steelers thought they had after the 2021 NFL Draft and who actually made (or stayed) on the field in the early fall.

  • That perspective was useful for reviewing 2021, but is irrelevant for 2022.

Take Tyson Alualu. The Steelers run defense certainly would have been better with Alualu. Alualu can probably help in 2022. But Alualu will be 35 and has only played in 17 of a potential 33 games over the last two seasons. He’s not a long-term answer. The Steelers need long term answers.

Fans can fantasize all they want, but it is important that Rooney, Tomlin, Colbert and his successor are honest with each other and with the men in the mirror about where this team stands.

2. Prioritize Winning Big Over Winning Fast

After Dan Rooney hired Chuck Noll in 1969, Chuck Noll told him that he could win quickly by beefing up the roster with a few trades. But Noll and Rooney agreed on winning big instead of winning fast.

  • In this light, the idea of trading away 3 or 4 premium draft picks for a blue chip quarterback is pure folly.
Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris celebrate in the end zone. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Fortunately, the Steelers are in a much better place today than in 1969. In Watt, Fitzpatrick, Heyward, Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Dan Moore and a few others the Steelers have foundational players.

  • But they need to find more foundational pieces, and they need to take them where they can find them.

Outside of perhaps safety and running back, there’s not a spot on the Steelers depth chart that should be off of the board on Days 1 and 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft. As Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell has argued repeatedly, good things happen when your best player is your hardest worker (and if possible) is the biggest guy in your locker room.

If ever there was a year for the Steelers to deprioritize need in favor of talent in the draft, it is 2022. That could leave some painful holes in the 2022 roster but will deliver long-term dividends.

3. Don’t Try to Force Finding a Franchise Quarterback

Finding a franchise quarterback requires 3 things:

1. Luck
2. Patience
3. Instincts

The importance of luck should be obvious, but it’s not. To understand luck’s role, think of how the Steelers found their first franchise quarterback. Despite drafting Joe Greene, Jon Kolb and L.C. Greenwood in the 1969 NFL Draft, Chuck Noll went 1-13 that season.

The Steelers tied the Bears for the worst record, and they tossed a coin for the first pick in the 1970 NFL Draft.

  • Pittsburgh won the toss and drafted Terry Bradshaw. The rest is history.

Patience is just as critical as luck. The Steelers whiffed in 1983, drafting Gabe Rivera instead of Dan Marino. Fans and press pundits panned the team for trying to get by with Mark Malone, David Woodley and Bubby Brister – didn’t Rooney and Noll know how important the quarterback position was?

They did.

And they also knew that franchise quarterbacks few and far between. Outside of Steve Young in the 1984 Supplemental draft and Brett Favre in the 1991 NFL Draft the Steelers didn’t have a shot at a true franchise quarterback until they passed on Drew Brees in 2001. (Ok, they should have taken Tom Brady instead of Tee Martin in 2000. 29 other NFL teams should have too.)

Bill Cowher, Kevin Colbert

Bill Cowher sits beside Kevin Colbert. Photo Credit: The Toledo Blade

Reaching for a quarterback and missing is more costly than it is at any other position. Just ask the people who picked Andre Ware, Cabe McNown and JaMarcus Russell. That’s why Bill Cowher and Kevin Colbert were wise to resist any temptation to draft Chad Pennington in 2000.

  • The Steelers must exercise the same prudence today.

And that’s where instincts come in. Dan Rooney lived through the mistake of passing on Marino and ensured that history didn’t repeat. So if and when the Steelers brain trust really does think they’ve found a franchise quarterback, they must take him.

4. Strive to Be Great, But Build to Win with Good

I took a lot of grief in high school, college and later sports bars defending Bubby, Neil O’Donnell and Kordell Stewart. After all, the Steelers continued to make playoff runs while teams like the Bengals wasted first round picks on busts like David Klingler and Akili Smith.

  • And besides, you didn’t need a great quarterback to win a Super Bowl, you only needed a good one.

Then I saw Ben Roethlisberger go 9 of 12 while throwing laser like touchdown strikes to Antwaan Randle El and Heath Miller to open the 2005 AFC Divisional win over the Colts. That’s when I understood why teams threw first round picks at quarterbacks. Neither Bubby, nor Neil nor Kordell could have done what Roethlisberger did that day.

  • The game has changed a lot since 2005 and much more since the 1990s.

Today conventional wisdom holds: You can’t win with a “Good” quarterback anymore, you can only win with a Great one. If you look at the names of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in the 21st century, it is hard to argue against that.

Hard, but not impossible.

There’s no doubt that without a franchise quarterback, a team must be virtually error-free in the draft, have depth everywhere, and reach the playoffs in excellent health. But non-franchise quarterback do lead their teams to Super Bowls.

Nick Foles did it in 2017. In 2015 the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl with excellent defense, a strong running game and a Peyton Manning who was a glorified game manager at that point in his career. Many would put the Joe Flacco-led Ravens Super Bowl in 2012 into that same boat.

Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward

Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward. Photo Credit: Michael J. LeBrecht II, 1Deuce3 Photography via SI.com

The Steelers of course tried to win a Super Bowl with a good quarterback in the 1990’s and the early ‘00’s, only to come up short with losses in Super Bowl XXX and 3 AFC Championship games.

But because they were built to win with good while seeking to be great, when luck, patience and instinct combined to start the Ben Roethlisberger Era in 2004 the Steelers as an organization were ready. And 3 Super Bowl appearances and victories in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII followed in the next 7 years.

Today, Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin must follow the same formula.

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