Tag Archives: Jerome Bettis

The Mike McCarthy Era Begins as Steelers Beat Falcons 20-13 at Acrisure Stadium

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The Mike McCarthy era began as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 at Acrisure Stadium to open the 2026 season.

In securing victory, Mike McCarthy now joins his three immediate predecessors, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin in winning his first game as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But, in an ironic nod to continuity, we can explain McCarthy’s first win by leaning into a time-tested Tomlinism: “Players play, coaches coach.”

T.J. Watt intercepts Cooper Rush and Jawaan Taylor cannot stop him.

T.J. Watt intercepts Cooper Rush in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Taylor Ollason, Steelers.com

Meet the New Steelers Offense, Same as the Old Steelers Offense?

Pittsburgh has fielded “pedestrian” offenses, put generously, since Ben Roethlisberger threw out his arm against Seattle in 2019.

And the consensus remedy for all that ailed the Steelers offense according to fans, podcasters and professional commentators alike has been to replace Mike Tomlin with an offensive-minded head coach.

That’s what Art Rooney II did when he hired Mike McCarthy. And, with one game out of 17 in the books, we can say that the new Steelers offense looks an awful lot like the old.

  • Steelers running backs couldn’t crack 60 yards total rushing
  • Its leading wide receiver caught 3 balls for 58 yards
  • The unit went 3 of 13 on third downs
  • It scored one touchdown and put up the same number of points as Atlanta’s offense

There were positives. Aaron Rodgers was only sacked twice – although he was hit a total of 6 times. Pat Freiermuth had the type of afternoon that eluded him last season, scoring the team’s only touchdown.

Michael Pittman Jr. caught 3 of 3 balls thrown his way and looked better than any other Steelers WR No. 2 has had in years.

  • The same can’t really be said for WR No. 1, D.K. Metcalf.

Aaron Rodgers looked to him early and often, yet Metcalf only came down with 4 balls that came his way. To be fair to Metcalf, Rodgers hit him perfectly on a deep, sideline route that most certainly should have been called as pass interference.

But, in one of those coveted “passes over the middle” at the tail end of the third quarter, Rodgers delivered the ball perfectly, and Metcalf couldn’t hold on. Had he caught the ball, it is possible that none of the defense’s 4th quarter fireworks would have been necessary.

A.J. Terrell breaks up a long pass intended for D.K. Metcalf in the Steelers 2026 opening day win over the Falcons.

D.K. Metcalf can’t quite hold on as A.J. Terrell interferes. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Roman Wilson got his most extensive, non-garbage time play of his career thus far, and the results were mixed. He did come away with 3 catches for 26 yards, which is OK, but he dropped a touchdown in the end zone.

To be fair, a flag could have been thrown on that pass too, but like Metcalf, Wilson must start finding ways to win these combat catches.

The deep shots that Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio took down the middle indicate that the coaching duo was trying to do something different on offense. But the execution left a lot to be desired.

  • How did it go again? “Players play, coaches coach?”

There were a few other hopeful signs at the tail end of the game, as we shall see.

The “Other” 10 on the Steelers Defense

Given what we saw in the 4th quarter, one could be forgiven for forgetting that there were 10 other players at any given moment whose name did not start and end with a “T.”

  • But it was far from a one-man show for the Steelers defense.

Much has been made of the “most expensive defense in the NFL” for the last several seasons. Football historians can debate that at their convenience, against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2026 opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense earned their money:

  • Payton Wilson led in tackles, including 2 for losses and was all over the field
  • Jalen Ramsey stepped up and broke up a pass, negating a long gain early on
  • Alex Highsmith wrecked Atlanta’s opening and closing drives with sacks
  • Newcomer Jaquan Brisker set up the Steelers only touchdown with a late 2nd quarter interception

And Cam Heyward, the legendary defensive lineman who seems to be making a parallel late career case to do double duty as a defensive back, led the team with 3 passes defensed, and as usual was a force up front at all other times.

Jalen Ramsey breaks up what would have been a long one to Kyle Pitts in the Steelers 2026 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Jalen Ramsey breaks up a pass to Kyle Pitts. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

It is true, the Steelers were facing second-string quarterback Cooper Rush, who himself had injury issues going into the game. But Atlanta has weapons on offense. Bijan Robinson is one of the NFL’s most dangerous rushers. Robinson had a respectable day, but never threatened to take over the game.

And while the Steelers offense only converted three third downs, that was 50% more than the Falcons, who converted two. Patrick Graham is already earning accolades from the social media chorus for calling a much better game than Mike Tomlin or Teryl Austin would have.

  • And Graham does deserve credit.

But, the entire Steelers defense was firing on all cylinders. And if they hadn’t been, it may not have mattered. Because the 11th player on the field was performing on a different level.

T.J. Watt Grounds the Falcons

Neither 2024 nor 2025 were kind to T.J. Watt. In 2024 Watt started off strong, but an undisclosed injury hampered him late in the season, just as the Steelers entered their critical late-season stretch.

Watt’s lightning quick tackles of Derrick Henry, when in fact Lamar Jackson had the ball, seemed emblematic of everything wrong with the Steelers defense during the 2024 season’s playoff ridiculing suffered at the hands of the Ravens.

Watt had his moments in 2025 and played better than his 7 sacks suggest, but he still appeared to be a player in decline.

His name wasn’t called much early in the game against the Falcons, aside from a sack late in the first half. And late in the 3rd quarter, Joe Davis and Greg Olsen got to talking about Watt’s decline in play.

T.J. Watt with one of two sacks of Cooper Rush in the Steelers 2026 opening day win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Watt breaks a hold to sack Cooper Rush. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

If you didn’t know better, you’d have thought Watt was listening.

Because on the next play he stopped Robinson for a loss. Then, despite being blatantly held, he sacked Cooper Rush, helping to force Atlanta to settle for a field goal.

  • Unfortunately for the Falcons, Watt was only getting warmed up.

The field goal gave Atlanta 10 points, putting them within three of Pittsburgh. The fourth quarter was just starting. The Steelers offense followed with one of those three-and-outs that looked way too familiar to the fare the Fitchner, Canada and Smith offenses treated fans to.

Atlanta ended the 3rd quarter with a 20-yard Bijan Robinson run: The Falcons appeared to be taking flight as the 4th quarter began.

T.J. Watt thought otherwise.

Watt opened the 4th quarter by stoning Robinson for no gain on first down. On second down, after Patrick Graham radioed in the play, Patrick Queen looked at Watt and told him, “Bro, go get me one.” This was Watt’s response:

There are 3 things to take away from this play:

  1. It took incredible concentration for Watt to intercept that ball
  2. Watt’s commitment to playing to the whistle drives him to get up and finish the play
  3. Notice how Benton, Ramsey and Wilson rally to ensure Watt makes it to the end zone

Yes it is a long season. Yes, Watt will have to sustain this level.

But I have pretty good feeling pushing the “Watt’s Washed Up” storyline in the Atlanta Falcons locker room this morning would be a pretty hard sell.

A Finish the Steelers Offense Can Build On?

The Steelers offensive performance did feature a different, hopeful wrinkle. After Highsmith ended the Falcons’ final drive, the Steelers got the ball back with 4:16 remaining.

In just about any similar situation during the post-Roethlisberger era, it would have been nail-biting time. Not against the Falcons. Rodgers opened with passes to Metcalf, Pittman and Darnell Washington.

From there Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren banged out 4 and 9 yard runs respectively, allowing Mike McCarthy to deploy the victory formation.

This wasn’t exactly the type of attrition football that we witnessed in the days when Jerome Bettis or Le’Veon Bell salted away games. But seeing the Steelers spend the final minute of the game taking a knee as opposed to watching their DBs scramble around playing prevent defense was a welcome change.

Perhaps that’s something that Mike McCarthy can build on.

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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 2026 Draft Class Emphasizes Offense and Versatility

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The 2026 NFL Draft is in the history books.

Record crowds came to Pittsburgh. We saw a veritable parade of Steelers Hall of Famers strut the stage, from Jerome Bettis, to Mel Blount, to Lynn Swann & John Stallworth to Hines Ward. Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger embraced.

Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy selected 10 players to form the Steelers 2026 Draft Class. Khan traded up twice, traded down once, made one rather infamous phone call, and closed the draft with a hometown hero story that Barry Levinson couldn’t have scripted better. (Hum, could Levinson, a Baltimore native, have had a hand in scripting the Lemon trade….?)

Steelers 2026 draft picks Germie Bernard, Daylen Everette, Drew Allar and Gennings Dunker.

Germie Bernard, Daylen Everette, Drew Allar and Gennings Dunker. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com

Before we can unpack what it all means, let’s take a look at the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers 2026 Draft Class at a Glance:

Round 1: Max Iheanachor, Offensive Tackle, Arizona State
Round 2: Germie Bernard, Wide Receiver, Alabama
Round 3: Drew Allar, Quarterback, Penn State
Round 3: Daylen Everette, Cornerback, Georgia
Round 3: Gennings Dunker, Guard, Iowa
Round 4: Kaden Wetjen, Return Specialist/WR, Iowa
Round 5: Riley Nowakowski, Fullback, Indiana
Round 6: Gabriel Rubio, Defensive End, Notre Dame
Round 7: Robert Spears-Jennings, Safety, Oklahoma
Round 7: Eli Heidenreich, Running Back-Wide Receiver, Navy

So what grade do Khan and McCarthy get for this draft?

Ask me in 5 years.

Seriously. Chuck Noll waited 5 years to judge draft classes, and if that was good enough for him, it is good enough for me. With that said the Steelers 2026 draft class has already given us a few early lessons.

The obvious one is that Khan and McCarthy leaned in heavily on offense. Given the JVness of the Steelers offenses in 2023, 2024 and 2025 that’s logical. But there are other, deeper lessons to be found.

Putting the Malik Lemon Draft-Day Miss in Historical Perspective

As everyone knows, Omar Khan was on the phone with Malik Lemon while Dallas was on the clock, only to have the Eagles trade up and draft Lemon, leaving the Steelers to scramble and draft Max Iheanachor instead.

The social media general managers in Steelers Nation pounced, torching Omar Khan for mishandling the situation.

Let’s put this phone call and the draft day “miss” with Malik Lemon into perspective…

…Once upon a time the NFL had an 800 pound gorilla that dominated the draft. This gorilla used the draft to transform a team that won 4 games in two seasons into a team that won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years with only 3-year ramp. The gorilla’s name was Jimmy Johnson

During the 1992 NFL Draft, Johnson sent an assistant coach, contract in hand, to Leon Searcy’s home. The idea was to draft Searcy, sign him and get him on a plane before the ink dried.

Alas Jimmy Johnson ran into a little problem.

Tom Donahoe and Bill Cowher drafted Leon Searcy before he could. This was long before the digital age, yet the story dominated draft coverage on Big 3, CNN and especially ESPN….

…Except it didn’t.

The world had to wait for Jim Wexell’s On the Clock to tell that story.

Leon Searcy was an excellent tackle and, in the Heinz Field era, likely would have been a life-long Steeler. But after missing out on Searcy, Jimmy Johnson traded down and drafted Kevin Smith.

Emmit Smith, Levon Kirkland, Greg Lloyd, Carnell Lake, Steelers vs Cowboys, Super Bowl XXX, Super Bowl 30

Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd tackle Emmitt Smith in Super Bowl XXX. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Kevin Smith played 103 games for the Dallas Cowboys, started 93 of them, made 19 interceptions, forced 7 fumbles and made UPI’s 2nd team All-Conference squad in 1996. He retired with 3 Super Bowl rings, including one for the Cowboys win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

The moral of the story is this: Judge not by who you missed, but who you picked after pivoting.

Why Versatility Defines the Steelers 2026 Draft Class

“Versatile.” “We won’t know exactly how he fits until we see him work with the group as a whole.” In some form or fashion, we heard those words from the Steelers coaching staff throughout the 2026 NFL Draft.

  • Yet, many Steelers commentators acted as if that’s a bad thing.

This started with the Eagles swooping in to draft Malik Lemon, forcing the Steelers to go back to their board and draft Max Iheanachor instead. Judging by his non-verbal behavior, Mike McCarthy was: 1. Glad to get Ihenachor and 2: Had little idea of how he’d fit into the Steelers line up.

  • Let’s embrace the elephant in the room.

Watching a beaming head coach or general manager explain exactly how a first round pick fits into their system breeds confidence.

But let’s acknowledge the flip side: The NFL Draft is a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get.

The point is that one of the worst things an NFL coaching staff can do is try to force players into a system that’s not suited for them. Bill Parcells drafted James Farrior as an outside linebacker where he was OK. Kevin Colbert brought him to Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher moved him inside, and he’s one of the best Steelers free agent signings ever.

By and large, forcing guys into systems they were unsuited for wasn’t a major issue during the Tomlin era.

But those who remember Joe Walton and Kevin Gilbride stints as offensive coordinator know just how caustic coaches trying to force square pegs into round holes can be.

Based on the post-draft press conferences, this won’t be an issue under Mike McCarthy.

The Draft = NFL’s Land of Hope and Dreams

It is fitting that the Steelers book-ended 2026 NFL Draft with Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw hugging and drafting Mt. Lebanon native Eli Heidenreich because the draft is all about reconciling hopes with dreams.

Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw hug at the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw hug at the 2026 NFL Draft. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com

It will be a while before we know how strong the Steelers 2026 Draft Class is. If 5 of the 10 newest Steelers “make it” as pro football players then that will make this draft an outstanding success.

Some guys won’t make the cut. Injuries will fell others. At least one will be a numbers game causality. That’s just the harsh reality of the NFL.

  • But let’s worry about that another day.

The NFL draft is a veritable “Land of Hopes and Dreams” (yes, that’s an intentional shout out to Springsteen.) Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy gave 10 men legitimate hope of realizing their NFL dream. Let’s let them enjoy that for a time, and as they continue to strive to be the best they can be.

And best of all? They’ll do it in Black and Gold.

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Will the Steelers Re-Sign MVP Kenneth Gainwell in Free Agency?

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In 2025 the Steelers “took a flyer” on free agent running back Kenneth Gainwell giving him a one-year, veteran minimum contract. Gainwell took that opportunity and ran with it well enough to win the Steelers 2025 MVP award.

So if a guy reaches free agency and has just won the MVP award, re-signing him is a no-brainer, Right?

That hasn’t always been so in Pittsburgh, so Steelers Kenneth Gainwell free agency decision promises to be an interesting one.

Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Steelers vs Bears

Kenneth Gainwell runs for 55 yards. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Kenneth Gainwell’s Career with the Steelers

In December 2024 the Steelers traveled to Philadelphia and got their teeth kicked in by the eventual Super Bowl Champion. While all eyes were on the Eagles starting running back Saquon Barkley, Mike Tomlin’s were on Kenneth Gainwell.

Gainwell only managed about 20 yards on the ground and another 40 through the air, but that was enough for him to do his damage to the Steeelers defense.

Enough for Mike Tomlin to bring him to Pittsburgh to play alongside Jaylen Warren. The Steelers gave Warren a 2-year contract extension last summer, signaling he might finally become the “feature back” after watching three years of “Sludge Ball” behind Najee Harris.

  • What followed next presents an interesting study in the contrast between perception and reality.

As the Steelers offense struggled to find its footing, fans complained, with increasing intensity, about Kenneth Gainwell gaining snaps at Warren’s expense.

  • Alas the numbers tell a different story.
  • Gainwell averaged 6.7 carries per game to Warren’s 13.

Had the Steelers won consistently, no one would have complained, validating Chuck Noll’s, assertion that questions like “Why don’t you throw to the tight end?” translate to “Why don’t you win?”

Kenneth Gainwell acted as a jack of all trades in Arthur Smith’s 2025 Steelers offense, playing as sort of a modern-day Rodney Carter, a name Generation X Steelers fans might recall.

Need to fake the Tush Push on 4th and 1? Feign like you’re giving it to Connor Heyward and toss it to Gainwell instead who’ll run it for 55 yards.

 

Players generally win MVP wards because they dominate so thoroughly, their performance is indispensable to the team’s success. Think back to Franco Harris’, Jerome Bettis’ or Le’Veon Bell’s MVP seasons for clear examples.

  • Kenneth Gainwell authored a different kind of MVP campaign.

He made slow, steady contributions to the offense that grew as the season progressed.

His efforts, 537 yards rushing and 486 yards receiving with 8 total touchdowns, aren’t best measured in quantity, but rather quality.

Gainwell was the most consistent player on a struggling offense. He delivered when coaches called his number, and those little contributions more often than not had a big part defining the difference between wins and losses.

The Case for the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

There are a lot of reasons why the Steelers Killer Bees era disappointed, but one that many miss is that piss-poor backfield depth sabotaged Mike Tomlin’s teams in the playoffs for 3 straight years.

Kenneth Gainwell brought the Steelers something they’ve struggled to find: A true number 2 running back who complements the starter, steps in when needed, and makes a difference when he has the ball in his hands.

Spencer Anderson, Kenneth Gainwell, Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings Dublin, Ireland

Spencer Anderson celebrates with Kenneth Gainwell. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

His best play of the season illustrates this. He ran 55 yards on the fake tush push in Chicago, but didn’t score. Jaylen Warren did one play later, highlighting the 1-2 punch the tandem brings Pittsburgh.

Mike McCarthy’s offense will differ in important ways, but the value a true RB No. 2 provides remains indespensable.

Other NFL teams certainly took note of Gainwell’s MVP season and he won’t be an under the radar signing. But he’s also not the type of back that anyone thinks will or should “reset the market.”

He’s someone the Steelers can and should resign.

The Case Against the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

Yes, Kenneth Gainwell was the best and most consistent player on the Steelers offense. And that says a lot more about how bad that offense was than it does about how good Gainwell is.

Gainwell is a “nice to have” and was a great pickup on a veteran minimum contract, but are you really going to give a legit 2nd contract, one with real guaranteed money, to a backup running back who didn’t even crack 900 all-purpose yards?

Please.

Aaron Rodgers was right when he said that the Steelers offense sort of resembled the Island of Misfit toys. Gainwell was one of those. Yes, he’s a legit role player in a productive, varsity NFL offense – but the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t fielded one of those since what? 2018?

Sure the Steelers have salary cap space to spare, but they doesn’t mean they should waste it on a guy like Gainwell when they’ve got Kaleb Johnson waiting in the wings.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Kenneth Gainwell

Just because Kenneth Gainwell was the MVP last year doesn’t mean the Steelers will bend over backwards to bring him back.

  • There’s precedent in Pittsburgh for doing the exact opposite.

Quarterback Neil O’Donnell MVP honors during the Steelers 1995 season. When O’Donnell became a free agent after Super Bowl XXX, Pittsburgh made him an offer, but he declined to get into a bidding war with the New York Jets. Seven years later, Kordell Stewart won the team MVP award in 2001, yet found himself benched permanently in favor of Tommy Maddox in 2002.

At the NFL Scouting Combine Omar Khan confirmed that the Steelers have started negotiations with Gainwell, but if they haven’t signed him by this point, they won’t before free agency starts.

The Steelers will make him an offer they think is fair, allow him to gauge interest from the rest of the NFL, and won’t go beyond their original number. The Steelers value Gainwell’s services. We’ll soon find out if the rest of the NFL values them more.

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The Pros and Cons of the Steelers Re-signing Aaron Rodgers in 2026

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Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide if he wants to play in 2026, but if are Mike McCarthy, Omar Khan and Art Rooney II right to welcome him back?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have no long-term answer at quarterback and haven’t since Ben Roethlisberger threw out his arm in 2019.

  • That’s not for lack of trying.

They’ve attempted quarterback-reclamation projects, signing not one but three former first-round picks. Two flamed out and Dwayne Haskins, God rest his soul, passed way. They’ve tried investing a first-round pick and, if nothing else, proved Pittsburgh can embrace the “fail fast principle” when warranted.

They’ve also tried what Jim Wexell termed as the Bobby Layne approach, signing an aging franchise QB. Twice. Results have been a bit better, but neither veteran has improved the Steelers post-season prospects.

With that backstory in mind, we look at the Pros and Cons of resigning Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Dolphins, Steelers vs Dolphins MNF

Aaron Rodgers flicks it as Minkah Fitzpatrick can only watch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Capsule Profile of Aaron Rodgers’ Career with the Steelers

IF Pittsburgh Magazine did a “Person of the Year” award for the city of Pittsburgh then Aaron Rodgers would have won hands down. He dominated Steelers storylines for months – even before he made his covert stop at the South Side in April.

When he signed in June, the narrative on the off season shifted from “the franchise is in intentional tank” mode to “We’re All In!”

Neither proved to be true, but Rodgers did mesh well with the team, and proceeded to start 16 of 17 games for the Steelers in the regular season. His record was 10-6, he threw498 passes for 327 completions on 498 attempts, for 3322 yards with 24 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

He was 0-1 in the playoffs, where he barely completed 50% of his passes and had 2 defensive scores.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Aaron Rodgers in 2026

The case for the Steelers resigning Aaron Rodgers in 2026 proceeds from the speicifc to the general.

Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen (you forgot about him, didn’t you?), Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have all thrown passes for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Everyone but Allen has started multiple games for the franchise.

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.)

Aaron Rodgers gave the Steelers their best quarterbacking they’ve enjoyed since Roethlisberger retired. And its not even close.

Yes, you can quibble as Joe Starkey did that Russell Wilson had a better passer rating by a hair. Yeah, and Walter Abercrombie had a better career rushing average then Jerome Bettis….

Seriously, the reason why the Steelers closed the season strong in 2025 while sputtering in 2024 was because Aaron Rodgers elevated his play and the team in ways that Wilson tried and failed to do.

Beyond that, there is also the inconvenient truth that, the Steelers long term answer at quarterback probably isn’t out there to be found in the 2026 off season. Even if he is out there in the draft or already on the roster in the form of Will Howard, Rodgers would serve as a mentor.

Then, there’s the question of cost. Assuming Rodgers is open to playing at the salary level he played at in 2025, the Steelers will never get that level of play at quarterback for that salary cap from another NFL veteran.

  • Finally, there’s the question of Aaron Rodgers and his relationship with Mike McCarthy.

The last time the Steelers had a new head coach, Twitter did not even exist and Facebook’s biggest competitor was probably “MySpace.” Mike Tomlin’s thumbprint is deeply engrained on the fabric of the franchise.

Mike McCarthy is going to do things differently. And even if those changes will be for the better, they’re bound to create tension. Having Aaron Rodgers in the locker room can ensure that that tension is directed constructively.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Aaron Rodgers in 2026

Going from general to specific, the case against the Steelers resigning Aaron Rodgers in 2026 starts with the fact that the team continues to kick the quarterback can down the road.

The Steelers have had at least three chances for a “clean” reset since Ben Roethlisberger’s injury in 2019, and each time they’ve focused on the here and now. How many more band aids can the franchise apply?

Aaron Rodgers safety, Khalil Mack, Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs Chargers, Steelers vs Chargers SNF,

Khalil Mack sacks Aaron Rogers for a safety. Photo Credit: IMAGN Images, via Tribune-Review

And while Aaron Rodgers may have been a “good” quarterback and played “well” at times in 2025 there’s a harsh reality hiding behind some of those numbers: Rodgers struggled against defenses with elite pass rushes. Worse than struggling, he looked skittish, kinda like a 42 year old man who was rapidly tiring of getting hit by 250 to 300 pound 20 somethings.

Sure, the offensive line can mature and build on the improvements it showed during the course of 2025. But overall that’s not a tendency that will improve.

The Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers in 2026

The ball is in Aaron Rodgers’ court. Art Rooney, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy all say that Aaron Rodgers wants back.

  • When he was in New York, Rodgers said he’d be open to playing for McCarthy again.

By all accounts Rodgers liked the team and the city. Assuming Rodgers is willing to play for the same type of salary he played at in 2026 there’s every reason why the Steelers should and will welcome him back.

Regardless, Rodgers has to make a choice and he must do it before free agency. Neal Coolong has suggested that Rodgers may wait to see if Minnesota is interested – that’s his prerogative, but the Steelers cannot wait.

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Rebound! Steelers Defeat Colts 27-20 with 6 Turnovers

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Reeling from successive, humiliating losses, the Pittsburgh Steelers rebounded to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 at Acisure Stadium. And folks, the game wasn’t as close as that final score suggests.

  • Now raise your hand if you DIDN’T see that coming. [Mine’s raised.]

Winning this one was about more than just getting back into the W column for the Steelers. The Indianapolis Colts have been the class of the NFL this season. They’ve haven’t simply been good. They’ve been unstoppable. For the last two weeks, the Steelers defense hasn’t stopped anyone.

The 6 turnovers that the Steelers secured will hog the headlines for this win. And yes, those turnovers were critical. But it was the focused, sound fundamental football the Steelers played that laid the foundation for those turnovers and the victory.

Payton Wilson, Segun Olubi, Steelers vs Colts

Payton Wilson intercepts Daniel Jones. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Strong Focus = Sound Fundamentals

Football is an emotional game.

Emotions carry teams to heights they never expected to reach. Emotions come with costs. As legendary Washington, DC sports radio journalist Ken Beatrice repeatedly reminded listeners, teams motivated primarily by emotions are subject to both “tremendous highs and tremendous lows.” (Think Jerry Glanville’s Oilers or Buddy Ryan’s Eagles.)

Cincinnati and Green Bay’s offenses had devastated Pittsburgh’s defense. It was Mike Tomlin’s duty to ensure devastation of defense didn’t debilitate the entire team.

  • A handful of early plays show how he was successful in doing that.

After forcing a Steelers three-and-out, the Colts offense went immediately to work, marching down the field reaching Pittsburgh’s 7 in just three minutes. Tight ends have tortured the Steelers defense this season, and on 3rd and 2, Daniel Jones targeted Colts tight end Tyler Warren.

Jalen Ramsey having none of that, Jalen Warren laid in the wood:

Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Warren, Steelers vs Colts

Jalen Ramsey lays in the wood on Tyler Warren. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

Warren only got 1 of the 2 yards he needed.

22 plays, 11 minutes and 2 possessions later, a similar scene unfolded. On third and 8 Jones targeted wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Brandon Echols hit him immediately. Mitchell neither moved nor went down. Darius Slay joined him. Mitchell remained standing. Kyle Dugger hit him next. At that point it was clear that Mitchell was going down, but Patrick Queen added his push to make sure the pile fell backwards. It did.

Darius Slay, Brandon Echols, Kyle Dugger, Adonai, Patrick Queen, Steelers vs Colts

Darius Slay, Brandon Echols and Kyle Dugger gang tackle Adonai. Photo Credit: Alysia Rubin, Steelers.come

Mitchell only got 7 of the 8 yards he needed.

Context is critical here.

After Ramsey’s hit, the Colts converted a 4th down, ran several plays, then converted another 4th down to score. The Steelers offense sputtered (again), but Brandon Echols recovered a muffed punt. But the Steelers offense couldn’t punch it in on their own 4th down try.

  • None of that deterred the Steelers defense.

After the Echols, Slay, Dugger, Queen gang tackle, the Colts converted another 4th down. Nine plays later after the Colts had reached Pittsburgh’s 38, T.J. Watt strip-sacked Daniel Jones for the game’s second turnover.

This time and the Steelers offense hit pay dirt. Aaron Rodgers marched them down the field smartly, on a drive that included a Connor Heyward tush push and a finished with a one-yard Jaylen Warren touchdown.

The Steelers defense had given up an opening drive touchdown. Allowed 3 4th down conversions. The offense had punted twice. It had failed to convert a special teams turnover into a touchdown.

  • Yet, with 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, the Steelers had tied the game 7-7.

And there’s a reason why they’d never be behind again….

Teryl Austin’s Defense Tames Taylor

Jonathan Taylor has attacked the NFL this year like a franchise running back from yesteryear. “What’s a ‘Franchise Running Back’?” you ask? Google names like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, or if you want to prioritize Pittsburgh Franco Harris or Jerome Bettis.

The concept of a “Franchise Running Back” has faded over the last 15 years as NFL teams and fantasy football fans have focused on the passing game. But as Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry did in 2024, Jonathan Taylor is threatening to revive the concept in 2025.

In just 9 games he’s scored 14 touchdowns, or 1 more than Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis scored in all of 2004. He’s also already rushed for 895 yards, just 45 fewer than Bettis rushed for in all of ’04.

But that 45 yard figures 45 carries a touch of irony, as that’s Taylor’s total yardage against the Steelers. Here’s how his first set of carries against the Steelers went:

  • Tackled for a 1-yard loss on 1st and 10 by Alex Highsmith
  • Tackled by Keeanu Benton after gaining 2 yards on 4th and 1
  • Gained 4 yards on 2nd and 5 only to be tackled by T.J. Watt

Down 10 to 7 at the half, the Colts wisely tried to begin the 2nd half by putting the game into Taylor’s hands. On their second play from scrimmage on 2nd and 2, they handed it to Taylor – Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton stopped him for a gain of one. The Colts immediately went back to him on 3rd and 1. Benton and Payton Wilson stopped him for no gain.

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Jonathan Taylor, Steelers vs Colts

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith tame Jonathan Taylor. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Taylor’s best series came late in the third quarter. He pounded out 5 and 7 yard runs on successive carries. Then he got stopped for no gain. Daniel Jones threw and incomplete pass and then converted a 4th and 3 with a 16 yard pass. Taylor then ripped of a 9 yard run.

On the next play, Payton Wilson deflected a pass which rookie Jack Sawyer hauled in. Six plays later the offense was finding the end zone for a third time.

Yes, it was that kind of a day for the Indianapolis Colts.

Opportunistic Offense

Fantasy Football owners who focused on starting Pittsburgh Steelers this week likely came away disappointed.

Jonathan Taylor actually out rushed the Steelers entire offense with 7 more yards, with Jaylen Warren getting 31 of those on 16 carries.

D.K. Metcalf had two catches for 6 yards. The only time the Steelers offense went the length of the field on its own was at the tail end of the first half, and on that drive they were forced to settle for a Chris Boswell Field goal.

But, as it so often does, winning in the NFL hinges on capitalizing on your opponent’s mistakes.

Calvin Austin, Steelers vs Colts

Calvin Austin hauls one in. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Steelers.com

And that’s something that Arthur Smith’s offense did with tremendous efficiency. The Steelers offense transformed 4 of Indianapolis’ 6 turnovers into points, three of which were touchdowns. IN truth, there were no superstars on offense for the Steelers.

Yet, Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Calvin Austin, and Pat Freiermuth all came up with critical plays when their numbers were called.

Steelers Must Maintain Focus Moving Forward

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed this win. But it’s even more true that the defense needed this kind of win. The unit hadn’t just suffered figurative knockouts at the hands of the Bengals and Packers, the secondary was hemorrhaging safeties so badly that new arrival Kyle Dugger had to start.

But by focusing on fundamentals, the Steelers set themselves up to secure 5 turnovers and delivered a shut down performance against the NFL’s offensive juggernaut.

  • Credit last week’s whipping boys Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin for the turnaround.

Now they must see that the team sustains that. When asked if his team had turned a corner Mike Tomlin retorted:

“We keep writing that story. We responded today. See you next week.”

That’s exactly attitude the Steelers need to take away from the win over the Colts.

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Was the Steelers 2025 Offseason Really That Unprecedented?

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The Steelers 2025 off season will soon end as the team converges at St. Vincents for training camp.

  • My, what a long strange trip it’s been.

Yes, the trip has been strange enough at times that the conventional wisdom heading into Latrobe is “These are not your father’s Pittsburgh Steelers” or “The Steelers Way as we know it is over.”

  • But should we accept the conventional wisdom at face value?

To be sure, there has been no shortage of personnel turnover since the Ravens ridiculed the Steelers in the playoffs. That’s certain.

But strip away the hyperbole and the social media-induced hype and you’ll see much of change we’ve seen is firmly grounded in franchise precedent.

Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Steelers training camp, St. Vincents

The Steelers Brain Trust @ St. Vincents. Photo Credit:Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, via Yahoo! Sports

Stripping Down the D.K. Metcalf Trade

Strip the Situation to the Studs – Pittsburgh invests a premium pick in a skill player. He plays well. He makes an expensive veteran expendable. Alas, he has issues. So the Steelers send a 2nd round to the NFC and bring in a pedigreed player while shipping the former premium pick out.

Sounds familiar, right?

Good. Because it should. Except we’re not talking about how D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens came and went to Pittsburgh, but about the Bam Morris to Jerome Bettis switch out in the spring of 1996.

Jerome Bettis, Alan Faneca, Dewayne Robertson, Steelers vs Jets, Steelers history vs Jets

Jerome Bettis hurdles guard Alan Faneca evading Dewayne Robertson in the Steelers 2004 AFC Divisional playoff win. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

Yes, there are differences. Morris had legal problems; Pickens has maturity issues. The Steelers cut Morris. They traded George Pickens. They also didn’t fork over a ton of money to Bettis until after the 1996 season, whereas they handed Metcalf a check as he walked through the door.

Fair enough. But the template Omar Khan followed looks a lot like the one Tom Donahoe left behind.

Distilling the “Sleep Walking Through the 2025 Draft” Ditty

Distilling this Ditty Down to Its Core Details – Despite a desperate need at quarterback, Pittsburgh passed on multiple signal callers, waiting until day three to address the position, and opting instead to double-dip on defensive line.

OK. The heckles from the peanut gallery condemning the Steelers blueprint for their 2025 Draft class have largely come from the national media. But it serves to debunk the myth that this off-season was somehow “unSteelers-like.”

In January the Baltimore Ravens knee-capped a once-proud defense with 299 yards on the ground.

And Omar Khan responded in his third draft just as Kevin Colbert did in his second draft after the 2000 Steelers had similarly been embarrassed on Sunday Night Football by Fred Taylor: By beefing the defensive line.

Colbert passed on Drew Brees and drafted Casey Hampton (and Kendrell Bell) instead. Khan took Derrick Harmon.

Yes, a long-term solution at quarterback remains a glaring need for the Steelers. But in refusing to reach, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan stuck with franchise precedent.

After passing on Dan Marino in 1983, the Steelers really didn’t have a shot at another franchise quarterback until Brees in 2001*  But more importantly, they always resisted the urge to reach for one (see the non-draft of Chad Pennington in 2000.)

*Unless you count passing on Steve Young in the 1985 Supplemental Draft or maybe Brett Favre in the 1991 Draft.)

Oh, And About the Steelers Quarterback Situation… 

Breaking the Story Down to Its Bare Bones: The Steelers had a young signal caller who was reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time. They wanted him back. They made him an offer. The New York Jets offered more. The Steelers declined to begin a bidding war.  Instead, they opted to go with a quarterback room that consisted of a veteran journeyman, a 6th round pick and a Wild Card nearing one of the endpoints of his career timeline.

That about describes what happened, doesn’t it?

Neil O'Donnell, Barry Foster

Yes it does. It is exactly how the Steelers quarterback situation unfolded in 1996 after Super Bowl XXX. They made Neil O’Donnell an offer. The Jets offered him more. The Steelers let him walk and instead turned to Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller (a 6th round pick) and Kordell Stewart.

  • Of course the analogy’s imperfect.

Tomzack, Miller and Stewart were part of the 1995 Steelers. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Aaron Rodgers were not Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. While the Tomzack-Rudolph comparison holds water pretty well, Miller had 2 years and appearances in 3 NFL games, whereas Howard’s a rookie.

  • But the Kordell-Rodgers parallel holds up better than you think.

Kordell knew how to make headlines. So does Rodgers. Kordell had just played his first year. Rodgers has basically said this is his last. Kordell was a wild card that could go either way for the Steelers in 1996, just as Rodgers is now.

“Oh, but none of the QBs in 1996 caused the angst that Rodgers caused,” the chorus protests!

Angst for who?

Did Pittsburgh panic when Justin Fields priority boarded for New York? Did start a bidding war? Did they throw a contract at Russell Wilson after he visited the Browns and the Giants? Did they sacrifice future drafts to get Jaxson Dart? Did they reach for Shedeur Sanders?

No, they didn’t.

The Steelers had a plan at quarterback. And when that plan didn’t unfold as expected, they remained patient, refused to panic and, arguably, got the best quarterback available this off-season. And they’ll pay him 21.8 million less than the Browns are paying Deshaun Watson this year.

Its almost hard not to picture Mike Tomlin laughing to himself as he watched the social media outbursts that erupted as each day pass without Aaron Rodgers signing.

Putting the Steelers 2025 Off Season in Perspective

The Steelers 2025 off-season certainly had its share of surprises. And it is certain that neither Omar Khan nor anyone else on the South Side had a WWTDD? (as in What Would Tom Donahoe Do?) moment this spring.

But if you look at the principles that guided the Steelers braintrust through it all, you’ll see that they’re the same ones that the franchise has followed since Dan Rooney assumed control in the mid-60s: Try to field the best team possible for the coming season without sacrificing their ability to compete in future seasons.

  • Now, will their strategy succeed?

Its almost time to hit the blocking sleds and St. Vincents and start finding out!

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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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Steelers Draft Kaleb Johnson in 3rd Round of 2025 NFL Draft

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The wait on Day 2 was long, but the Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

We’ll have to wait to see if Kaleb Johnson can live up to the Steelers legacy of excellence at running back, but this pick galvanizes Omar Khan and Andy Weidl’s vision for building a roster. During their first two drafts they focused on building their offensive line, with Johnson in the fold they’ve now shifted to putting someone behind the line.

  • And just who are they putting behind the line?

Here’s where it gets interesting. The Steelers hosted 9 running backs at the South Side for pre-draft visits. And based on those visits, commentators concluded that the Steelers were focusing on speed over size.

Kaleb Johnson, Kaleb Johnson Steelers 2nd round pick 2025

Kaleb Johnson rushes for the Hawkeyes. Photo Credit: Ryan Sun AP, via YourEire.com

But, like with the feint towards Shedeur Sanders, the Steelers had something else in mind, as Kaleb Johnson stands 6-1, and weighs 224. As Jim Wexell points out, this makes him a veritable clone of Le’Veon Bell, who was 3/8s of an inch taller and 6 pounds heavier, although Johnson ran the 40 three hundredth’s of a second faster than Bell

When asked to explain the pick, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s comments were very insightful, offering:

One of the more instinctive backs that I’ve watched in a couple of years coming out of the draft. Perfect fit regardless of whatever run scheme you’re running. He ran multiple (schemes) at Iowa. Really impressive as a volume runner as the game went on, and one of the more impressive stats you’ve seen in the fourth quarter — what he averaged in the fourth quarter. I believe it was over 5 yards per carry. Might have been closer to 6.

Playing his college ball at Iowa, Johnson faced a lot of stacked boxes and did exceptionally well at it. That’s a skill that could serve him well in Pittsburgh, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to drive a truck and the Steelers go with Mason Rudolph for 2025.

  • But Smith’s comment about Johnson’s ability to wear down defenses is particularly enticing.

The ability to take over games is what distinguishes great running backs from merely good ones. Franco Harris had that ability, as did Jerome Bettis. So did Barry Foster and Le’Veon Bell. Najee Harris was a better back than a lot of scribes give him credit for.

But Harris never really took over a game. Yes, there were times when Harris wore teams down. But those were the exception, not the rule, and if you need further evidence of that, just look to how the Steelers deployed Justin Fields to close out the home win over the Ravens and the road win over the Bengals.

Kaleb Johnson Video Highlights

Here’s a quick clip of some of Johnson’s best work for the Hawkeyes.

https://youtu.be/XwadVKig-js?si=RobvtzmLD3Shm1RM

You can see why Steel City Insider’s Roy Countryman rated him as a 2nd round value pick, and while Dave Bugler rated him as the number 3 running back in the draft.

Johnson will have to win the starting job from Jaylen Warren training camp, and Smith has indicated that Warren could very well retain his third down back role. But this clearly looks like a kid who can play.

Kenneth Gainwell’s roster is certainly secure although he’ll have earn his snaps and, assuming Cordarrelle Patterson doesn’t get a visit from The Turk Monday morning, he’d be wise not to sign a long-term lease in Pittsburgh.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Kaleb Johnson.

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Ravens: NO More Health Room Passes Edition

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Taken from the desk of a teacher who is tired of writing passes to the health room, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2024 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Derrick Henry, Steelers vs Ravens

Minkah Fitzpatrick slows down Derrick Henry. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
Russell Wilson went 22 of 33 for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. In many ways, he is the reason the Steelers were in this game for 3 quarters. But his fumble took at least 3 points off of the board. And his pick-six effectively ended the game. Grade: DSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Collectively the Steelers running backs only totaled 90 yards rushing, which on the surface appears anemic. However, Najee Harris had his best night in several weeks. He hit holes with authority and made piles fall forward. Cordarrelle Patterson caught his only pass – after bobbling it. Connor Heyward worked effectively as a blocker and caught one pass. The Steelers lost to the Ravens for many reasons. The running backs weren’t one of them. Grade: C+

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 3 passes for 16 yards. MyCole Pruitt caught 1 pass for one yard and a touchdown, although he was the target on the pick six. Grade: C

Wide Receivers
With each passing game, Calvin Austin seems to do a little more to step up. On his sideline catch he showed incredible concentration and ball skills to bring in a very low percentage pass. Still, there was a breakdown on the 4th down conversion attempt and that could have been a game-changer. Van Jefferson caught 2 passes for 27 yards and Mike Williams caught 3 for 24. Both men look like they could be effective number 3 or 4 wide outs — this team needs a number 1. Flying under the radar is Ben Skowronek who had 2 catches for 25. Grade: D+

Offensive Line
Russell Wilson was sacked 3 times, hit a total of 6 times and had to take off and run 3 more times. Run blocking was a little better, but overall the Steelers needed the line to dominate up front. It did not. Grade: D

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward led the unit in tackles and had one for a loss. But it was a bad night for the defensive line as it neither mounted pass pressure nor stopped the run. Grade: F

Linebackers
Alex Highsmith had a strip sack and Elandon Roberts had a nice tackle behind the line of scrimmage. And Patrick Queen was the team’s leading tackler. But Derrick Henry ran where he wanted, when he wanted, and Lamar Jackson litterally was untouched beyond the sack (per ESPN’s stats.) Grade: F

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Ravens, Minka Fitzpatrick interception Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts Lamar Jackson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick had what should have been a game-changing interception and he was also stoudt against the run. Damontae Kazee led the team in tackles, but along with James Pierre and Cory Trice, this look like a secondary missing 3 out of 4 starters. Grade: D

Special Teams
James Pierre forced a fumble but the Steelers were unable to recover. Chris Boswell made all of his kicks, but he shanked a kickoff which gave Baltimore 10 more yards on a drive a touchdown drive. In a game like this, the last thing you can do is give Baltimore extra yards. Grade: D

Coaching
Arthur Smith does not have a lot to work with at this point. He’s got a young line with 2 rookies. He’s missing he’s got an offense that’s missing its WR number 1 and really doesn’t have a WR number 2. Yet he found ways to use players at the bottom of his depth chat and make just enough plays that, had it not been for two turnovers, would have been competitive.

  • Teryl Austin had a bad night.

Derrick Henry dominated at a level that the Steelers strived, but failed to attain during Jerome Bettis‘ tenure. Lamar Jackson likewise had a very good night, picking apart the Steelers pass coverage with relative ease.

The Steelers entered this game with fire and fight after a tough loss to the Eagles, and that’s to Mike Tomlin’s credit. Further to Tomlin’s credit, he refused to use the fact that his defense is missing 4 starters as an excuse.

Jaylen Warren, Marion Humphrey, Steelers vs Ravens

Jaylen Warren drags Marion Humphrey. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

If the Steelers are to have any chance against Kansas City, Tomlin must either find a heal his players Mr. Miyagi style or mind-meld Mr. Spock style with his backup secondary get them to fully but into the “Standard is the Standard.” Grade: C

Unsung Hero Award
Nights like this require players to dig deep. They must bring a little something extra to the field. One player who ran decisively, fought for every extra yard and even made a minor splash as a kick returner was Jaylen Warren, who wins the Unsung Hero Award for the 2024 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

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