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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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If Art Rooney II Is Keeping Tomlin, He Must Lean into His Father’s Example

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The embers of the Ravens ridiculing of the Steelers in the 2024 Wild Card game continue to burn brightly. But Art Rooney II has already made it clear he’s not parting with Mike Tomlin.

  • The wisdom, or lack thereof, of that decision is not today’s focus.

No one should really be surprised by Rooney’s decision. His father was faced with a similar situation with Chuck Noll after the 1988 Steelers finished 5-11, and Dan Rooney opted to stick with his head coach.

Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, Mike Tomlin contract

Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin. Photo Credit: Chuck Cook, USA Today via 93.7 the Fan

But if Art is going to imitate Dan in deed, then he must also follow his father’s form. Dan forced Noll to fire assistants and Art II will likely follow suit. Forcing the firing of assistants is easy. As Dick Hoak boasted as his retirement press conference, “You’re hired to be fired, so I guess I beat the system.”

If Art Rooney really wants to set up Tomlin for success, he needs to lean into his father’s example, and pair Mike Tomlin with his own Tom Donahoe.

The Days of Dan, Tom and Chuck

Dan Rooney made headlines during the 1988 season when he decried “stupid plays” that contributed to the Steelers 2-10 record at Thanksgiving. Rooney promised changes after the season. Chuck Noll resisted and almost resigned.

But the two came to an agreement, Noll got a contract extension and even saved a few assistant’s jobs. Rooney’s announcement came with a surprise, Tom Donahoe had been promoted to Director of Pro Personnel and Development.

Donahoe was charged with scouting both opposing teams and even the Steelers themselves. And there was more as Ed Bouchette explains in Dawn of a New Steel Age:

Rooney gave Donahoe one more important duty. He was to assist Noll in hiring his coaches, another first….
Donahoe fervently approached the task of finding the new assistants. He compiled a list with Noll, then arranged interviews between the candidates and the head coach….
Donahoe wanted Noll to interview [Rod] Rust. Noll said he could not, because Rust was still employed by the Chiefs. Donahoe explained the situation to him, and Noll agreed to talk to Rust. The interview was arranged for the week of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

This was the first time Noll had ever had anyone charged with helping him hire assistants. And Noll needed the help. Noll’s early staffs boasted legends such as Bud Carson, George Perles, Dan Radakovich and Tom Moore.

But by the 80’s Noll, never one to gossip, was out of the NFL’s coach loop and stumbled from one-lack-luster coaching hire to the next (Tony Dungy excepted.) So Dan had Tom help Chuck replace the coaches he’d just fired.

Art Rooney now must do the same with Mike Tomlin.

Apple Never Falls From the Tree?

If Mike Tomlin belongs on any coaching tree, it is the Chuck Noll coaching tree, as Dungy was a disciple of Noll, and Dungy hired and mentored Tomlin in his early NFL years.

But Noll’s “tree” didn’t grow far beyond that. His contemporaries Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells had true coaching trees. At best Noll has a bush.

And so it is with Mike Tomlin. As his playoff losing streak grows, fans seldom tire of pointing out that after 18 years in the NFL, Tomlin hasn’t spawned much in the way of coaching off spring. Whether that’s relevant to his legacy is besides the point.

  • The blunt truth is, Tomlin does poor job of identifying and grooming assistant coaches.

He’s done a fairly good job of hiring seasoned assistants. Mike Munchak, Danny Smith, Al Everest, Brian Flores, Karl Dunbar stand as examples. But Tomlin’s attempts to cultivate innovative, young coaching minds have flopped miserably.

  • Offensive line assistants Adrian Klemm and Jack Bicknell were disasters.

As secondary coach Carnell Lake helped resurrect Keenan Lewis’ career and William Gay became “Big Play Willie Gay” under Lake’s tutelage.

But Lake also oversaw Cortez Allen’s flame out. Sean Davis had a spectacular rookie year, then faded. Artie Burns had a solid rookie year, before becoming a bust. Lake, by all appearances, pushed for the Steelers to trade up for Shamarko Thomas – ouch!

And we won’t even begin to discuss the Matt Canada disaster.

Can Coaching on Coaching Hires Work?

Chuck Noll, who refused consider using the shotgun until 1989, was in, a word, set in his ways. So whether having Donahoe help him screen coaching candidates would work was an open question.

But it worked.

One of the first candidates Donahoe lined up for Noll to interview was Dave Wannstedt, who later became a successful defensive coordinator. (Don Shula hired Wannstedt before Noll could, and then Jimmy Johnson hired his first defensive coordinator in Dallas.) Noll hired Rod Rust and Dave Brazil. Rod Woodson credits Rust for teaching him how to dissect film and Dave Brazil presided over the 1990 Steelers number 1 defense.

Donahoe also steered Noll to George Stewart, who transformed the special teams from a glaring lability to an asset.

And he also recruited John Fox as the Steelers new secondary coach, who went on to be a successful defensive coordinator and NFC Champion head coach.

  • Who should Art II tap to help Tomlin find better assistants?

Andy Weidl would seem like a good resource but its just a guess. But Art II should give it a shot. The only thing he has to lose is another playoff game.

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Steelers 2024 Thanksgiving Honors: Russell Wilson

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Thanksgiving is upon is which makes it time for Steel Curtain Rising to bestow our annual Steelers Thanksgiving Honors. And this year the honoree is none other that starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson, Steelers vs Commanders.

Russell Wilson launches a pass in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: AP, Chaz Palla, via Tribune-Review

Russell Wilson New, But Already a True Pittsburgh Steeler

This is Russell Wilson’s first and perhaps only year in Pittsburgh, but he has fit in to a T. The Pittsburgh Steelers actually have time-honored tradition of quarterback reclamation projects, but you have to go back to Bobby Layne to find a quarterback who has made such an instant impact.

Mike Tomlin said it best, when explaining his decision to bench Justin Fields who at the time was 4-2 as a starter:

Justin has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times — but not to be confused with great. This is a competitive league, man. We’re trying to position ourselves to be that team and we got a player with talent who hasn’t had an opportunity to play.

With Russell Wilson as quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to be great.

There are a lot of ways to look at why. You can find any number of metrics that show how the Steelers offense is more dynamic with Wilson at the helm. Wilson’s “moonballs” to George Pickens, Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson and Mike Williams are works of art.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

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

While the offense remains a work in progress, Wilson has brought the deep ball back to Pittsburgh in a way we haven’t seen since Ben Roethlisberger began his Life’s Work. And when things are going as planned, that threat of a deep ball has reinvigorated the running game for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Those are all positives, but they’re not the real reason why Russell Wilson is winning Thanksgiving Honors.

Russell Wilson – Leading with Class

What really sets Wilson apart is that he’s become an automatic leader of the team, both on the field and off the field. He exudes class. He brings a “been there, done that” mentality yet he does it with grace and humility.

When the Steelers fell behind against the Commanders, there was never a hint of panic from Wilson.

  • The stage is never too big for him.

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Wilson has done his best to integrate himself into the community of Pittsburgh – he is a regular at Children’s Hospital, he’s made a point of attending and supporting a multitude of community events.

He’s also been a consummate teammate, doing what he could to support Justin Fields when he started, taking the entire offense out to dinner each week and by all accounts has installed himself as a locker room leader.

To understand why, just look at Wilson’s comments after the Steelers Red Zone woes following the win against the Ravens:

You can’t let one game — I’ve told you guys this before — every game has a history of its own. I think that you focus on trying to be a little bit crisper, making a couple plays.

This perspective is so fundamentally healthy. It acknowledges the challenges that the team faces, but instead of focusing on past failures, it focuses on the future. There are a lot of reasons to find fault with the offense’s performance in the loss to the Browns, but the team did score twice in the Red Zone.

Wilson Fitting into the Steelers Thanksgiving Honors Tradition

In a word, Russell Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh under unique circumstances. You don’t often sign a Super Bowl winner for a veteran minimum contract. You would think that the Steelers would want him back, but one never knows.

  • Why bestow Thanksgiving honors on a potential short timer you ask?

It is simple. Thanksgiving Honors speak to why Steelers fans should be thankful now.

The tradition was born in the middle of 2009’s 5 game losing streak, when Rashard Mendenhall, having a breakout season, showed tremendous hustle in running down a defender who was making an interception return in the loss to Kansas City.

Larry Ogunjobi, Leonard Fournette, Steelers vs Bucaneers

Larry Ogunjobi stuffs Leonard Fournette. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Two years later, we honored Kennan Lewis, who was doing a tremendous job in his first and only season as a starting Steelers cornerback. The same sentiment guided 2022’s decision to honor Larry Ogunjobi – it was his first year in Pittsburgh and he was only playing on a one year deal, but it was a different offensive line with Larry Ogunjobi playing alongside Cam Heyward than it had been in 2021.

  • And of course Ogunjobi has been in Pittsburgh since.

Will the same thing happen with Wilson? Can Wilson bring back Lombardi Number 7 or even Art Rooney II’s coveted playoff win?

Time will tell, but today there’s every reason to be glad he’s a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Past Steelers Thanksgiving Honors Winners

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

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours

Today marks the 23rd Thanksgiving I’ve celebrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina. But it remains my favorite US holiday because, the specter of Black Friday not withstanding, it remain a tradition founded upon faith, family and friends.

While we’re happy to continue our football-centered Thanksgiving Honors tradition here, we do so with the understanding that football is just a diversion.

In that sense, we hope that all of you reading this have plenty of non-football reasons to be thankful, and we also hope that you can celebrate those with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation!

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 Thanksgiving Honors: Chris Boswell

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When the Steelers got the ball in Cleveland twice during the last five minutes in a tie game, did you ever have a doubt that Chris Boswell would boot it in if the offense could get him close enough?

No. Neither did I.

That’s because Chris Boswell has redefined what it means to be “Mr. Automatic.” And for that Chris Boswell wins 2023 Thanksgiving Honors.

Chris Boswell, Steelers vs Bengals,

Chris Boswell boots in a 29 yard field goal against the Bengals. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger

Crisis Opens the Door to Opportunity

The NFL lexicon is littered with clichés. Not For Long. You’re hired to be fired (ask Matt Canada about that one.) Another is that one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.

  • In Chris Boswell’s case, 3 men’s misfortunes combined to open his door to opportunity.

The Steelers started the 2015 preseason thinking they were set at place kicker, behind the trusty leg of Shaun Suisham. But Suisham injured himself on the terrible truf in the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio.

So the Steelers signed Garrett Hartley. Perhaps it’s fitting that the Rooney family is known for their Catholicism, because Garrett Hartley is kind of the Pope John Paul I in the Steelers kicking Parthenon. We never got to know him, because he got injured at the end of free agency.

Kevin Colbert sprung into action and traded for Josh Scobee. Scobee started out OK, but missed an extra point in week 2 against San Francisco. He was OK in week two, but in week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens he missed two field goals in the last 2 and half minutes of regulation of a tie game.

The Steeler won the toss in over time, but on 4th and 2 from the Ravens 39, Mike Tomlin opted to run it with Mike Vick. The Steelers got the ball back, but again on 4th and won Tomlin opted to let Vick try to hook up with Antonio Brown.

  • The two failed to connect and 8 plays later Justin Tucker won it for the Ravens.

The Steelers sign Chris Boswell a few days later, and haven’t looked back since.

Boswell Best in Long Line of Excellent Steelers Place Kickers

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was recently asked about Chris Boswell, and responded:

Its automatic. I’ve been really blessed here in the time that I’ve been here. I’ve been here a long time and essentially had three kickers. That continuity, that ability to deliver with a high level of consistency, we don’t talk about it enough, but its appreciated.

The only issue with Mike Tomlin’s statement is that it isn’t inclusive enough.

Gary Anderson, Harry Newsome, Steelers vs Oilers, 1989 Steelers overtime upset of Oilers at Astrodome

Gary Anderson splits the uprights in overtime at the Astrodome. Photo credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been blessed with excellent place kickers since the 1980s. In his day, Gary Anderson was known as “Mr. Automatic,” and Jerry Glanville can tell you just what that means. Norm Johnson succeeded Anderson, and his role in Steelers place kicking lineage is under rated. After an interregnum covered by Kris Brown and Todd Peterson, Jeff Reed took the mantel in the middle of 2002 and remained with the team until the middle of 2010.

  • But if you compare the numbers it wouldn’t take long to see that Chris Boswell is best of all.

Bob Labriola provided the stats on the Steelers elite place kickers and Boswell just about leads them all almost every key metric. Suisham’s career field goal percentage is still a hair higher than Boswell’s, but Boswell has improved in the 3 weeks since Labriola published his numbers.

More importantly, Boswell’s been perfect in the playoffs. Indeed, he kicked the game winner on a ucky, rainy night in Cincinnati following some late game heroics from Ryan Shazier and Ben Roethlisberger. And it was Boswell’s boot that put the Steelers into the AFC Championship in 2016.

Yes, Steelers fans really should give thanks for Chris Boswell.

A Word on Steelers Thanksgiving Honors

“Steelers Thanksgiving Honors” is a home-grown award here at Steel Curtain Rising. The tradition began during 2009’s five game losing streak and the first award winner was Rashard Mendenhall, who’d picked himself up off the turf and ran nearly the length of the field to prevent an interception and a pick six.

And we’ve continued this each since. Here are previous winners:

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

As always we close with a reminder that it is our hope that everyone reading this has many, many reasons to be thankful that have nothing to do with the Steelers or football.

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation.

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Omar Khan’s Right: Steelers Must Resign Cam Sutton. But Can They Keep the Cornerback in Pittsburgh?

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I was fortunate enough to be in Pittsburgh during the summer of 1989 when Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. My mom happened to be walking through the room when they were finishing a news segment on the ceremonies and asked, “What? Were Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount BOTH quarterbacks?”

“No mom, Terry Bradshaw was the ‘quarterback,’ Mel Blount was a ‘cornerback’” I explained.

It is easy to see how the casual listener could confuse “quarterback” and “cornerback.” And while “cornerback” might not be as hard to play as “quarterback,” good cornerbacks can be pretty damn hard to find.

  • The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had a lot of success in finding cornerbacks via the NFL Draft.

They found one in Cam Sutton who is now set to become a free agent for the second time. Has he done enough for the Steelers to give him a third contract?

Cam Sutton, Mark Andrews, Steelers vs Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger final regular season game

Cam Sutton intercepts a pass to Mark Andrews. Photo Credit: Ravens.com

Capsule Profile of Cam Sutton Career with the Steelers

Some players simply take time to develop. Cam Sutton is one of them as the Steelers drafted him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft yet didn’t see him become a full time starter until 2021.

  • But if you’re thinking that Cam Sutton looked like a disappointment in that interregnum you’re wrong.

The Steelers activated Sutton going into the 2017 road game against Cincinnati to bolster a secondary that was reeling without Joe Haden and with Artie Burns struggling. How much Sutton contributed is open to question as the Steelers lost Ryan Shazier that night, sending the defense into an total tailspin.

Cam Sutton, Cam Sutton onsides kick recovery, Steelers vs Chargers

Cameron Sutton recovers the onside. Photo Credit: Jake Roth, USA Today

For the next three seasons, Cam Sutton appeared in all but one game, playing extensively on special teams and working in as a slot cornerback.

  • At a glance, Sutton’s numbers from those three years fail to impress.

However, Sutton showed and ability to make plays at pivotal such as his interception which stopped a Browns drive and forced overtime in the ’18 opener. Or his on-sides kick recovery AND interception all within 37 seconds to  end a Charger’s rally in 2019 or his interception that helped the Steelers go up 24 to zero against the Browns in 2020.

When the Steelers entered salary cap hell thanks to COVID, one of Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin’s first moves was to cut Steven Nelson and resign Cam Sutton, and he’s started 31 of a possible 34 games since then.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton

The Steelers have invested heavily in Cam Sutton’s development who has made steady improvement since his rookie year. In 2022 he made 3 interceptions and defended a record 15 passes. Is this some guy you want to let walk? The Steelers have struggled to draft and develop cornerbacks but Cam Sutton is a success story here.

10 years ago the Steelers saw Keenan Lewis develop slowly until finally establishing himself as a starter. But the Steelers let Lewis walk due salary cap complications and because they believed that they had Cortez Allen waiting in the wings.

  • Lewis walked and Allen floundered settling the franchise back immeasurably.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan must not make the same mistake with Sutton.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton

Yes, Cam Sutton is a good cornerback. But is he a great one? More importantly, does he deserve to be paid like one? According to Over the Cap Cam Sutton’s annual salary ranked him as 48th in the NFL last year.

A third contract will almost certainly need to put him in the top 32. They average about 7 million dollars a year in salary, 31 million in contract guarantees and 24 million in total guaranteed money.

Are you really ready to double Cam Sutton’s salary and guarantee him an 8 figure sum?

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Cam Sutton

Omar Khan said “We love and think very highly of Cam,” and indicated that negotiations have already started. Good. Because resigning Cam Sutton should be the Pittsburgh Steelers number one free agent priority in 2023. Sutton’s not a super star. He’s not a “shut down corner.” He’ll never be one. But he is a solid number 2 cornerback.

Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell compared him to Deshea Townsend. Townsend was another mid-round cornerback who took 4 or 5 season to work himself into a starting job as the number two corner. From there he helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

  • The only real question mark here is Omar Khan.

Khan was decisive in getting extensions inked with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Chris Boswell last summer and then got creative with Diontae Johnson. He could have done the same with Sutton, but declined. He says he wants him back, and when Kevin Colbert made similar statements the player returned.

So let’s see if Khan follows suit.

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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End of an Era: John Mitchell Retires after 29 Years as a Steelers Assistant Coach

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Little did he know, but Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was about to start the “John Mitchell” era.

The day was Tuesday January 11th, 1993. The site was Three Rivers Stadium and the 1993 Steelers season had ended in with a bang. Literally.

The Steelers reached the end of 4th quarter clinging to a 7-point lead in a Wild Card game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. A failed attempt on third down sent Mark Royals out to punt. Steelers cast off Keith Cash blocked it, giving the Chiefs the ball deep in Pittsburgh territory. Worse yet, Cash gave Joe Montana what you absolutely could not give him – a 2nd chance.

Montana tied the game in regulation and Nick Lowery won it on overtime. Bill Cowher reacted decisively.

He fired Special Teams coach John Guy. Everyone expected this. The blocked punt culminated a season of special team’s disaster. He also fired wide receivers coach Bob Harrison. And Cowher made one more move: He sacked defensive line coach Steve Furness.

Cowher surprised everyone with the Furness firing. Not only was Steve Furness a Steel Curtain Veteran sporting 4 Super Bowl rings, but the arrow seemed to be pointing up on Steelers defensive line.

Indeed. Instead of mouthing the obligatory “Thanks to the Rooneys for the opportunity” words, Furness made no attempt to hide his bitterness and the firing apparently haunted him for the rest of his life.

  • But as so often is the case in the NFL, when a door closes for one person, it creates an opportunity for another.
John Mitchell, Steelers Assistant Coach 29 years

John Mitchell, 29 years a Steelers Assistant coach. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Bill Cowher hired John Mitchell to coach the defensive line. John Mitchell didn’t so much as take advantage of that opportunity, but rather he molded it, transformed it and remade it as his own.

  • Mitchell retired last week after 29 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In stepping away, Mitchell ends an era for the Pittsburgh Steelers that was as remarkable as it was understated.

To understand just how understated the “Mitchell Era” was try this test: Strip a Steelers fan of his or her smart phone and ask – “Who was the longest tenured Steelers defensive coach?” Most would probably answer “Dick LeBeau.” Some will probably say “Bud Carson” or “George Perles.” “Tony Dungy” might earn an honorable mention. I guarantee you that few would answer “John Mitchell” even though with 29 years of service as defensive line and then assistant head coach that is the right answer.

To understand how remarkable Mitchell’s tenure has been, consider the fate of his opposite number on offensive line. When the Steelers hired Karl Dunbar to replace Mitchell as defensive line coach in 2018, we observed that since Dunbar’s rookie training camp at St. Vincents in 1991, the only other coaches the title of “Defensive line coach” for the Pittsburgh Steelers were Joe Greene and Furness.

Since Dunbar’s return in 2018, the Steelers have cycled through Mike Munchak, Shaun Saurett, Adrian Klemm and Pat Meyer as offensive line coaches.

As Dick Hoak observed when he retired as Steelers running backs coach “You’re hired to be fired. I guess I beat the system.” So did John Mitchell.

And he beat the system by remolding and reforming the young defensive lineman in his own image. This fact has been well known and evident in the fact that very few defensive lineman started for John Mitchell as rookies.

Mitchell explained this system to Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell,

Aaron Smith’s first two years, he didn’t like me because I never called him by his name. I called him ninety-one. Aaron Smith came from a small school, Northern Colorado, and they only had about three or four coaches on the staff, so Aaron Smith didn’t know any fine points about football. When he got here, he had to play technique football. The first year and a half was pretty tough on him.

Aaron Smith agrees, sharing with Ron Lippock from Steelers Takeaways: “We laugh about it now. I thought he hated me and I hated him. But now, there’s no greater person.”

  • For a quarter century Mitchell put the Steelers defensive line through similar paces.
Johnny Mitchell, Steelers defensive line coach Johnny Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell's Steelers coaching career

Steelers defensive line coach Johnny Mitchell at his best – teaching in the trenches. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Even the most educated fan has a difficult, if not impossible time assessing a position coach. Do you judge Carnell Lake on the disappointing careers that Cortez Allen and Shamarko Thomas authored? Or do you measure the “Lake Effect” on William Gay’s maturation following his return to Pittsburgh and rejuvenation of Kennan Lewis under Lake’s tutelage?

But when a truly great assistant coach comes along no such intellectual gymnastics are necessary. John Mitchell is one of those assistant coaches. What to understand his impact? The just look at these players: Joel Steed, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Chris Hoke, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave.

Thank you John Mitchell to your contributions to the “Steelers Way.” We wish you the best in retirement.

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Keeping Cam Sutton in Free Agency is a Challenge Steelers Must Meet

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The “story” on the Pittsburgh Steelers since they lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV has been, “Can Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin rebuild the defense while Ben Roethlisberger remains in his prime?”

  • And no position has been more challenging for the Steelers than cornerback.

Keenan Lewis developed slowly and by the time he got good, he was gone. The Steelers thought they had “the answer” in Cortez Allen, until injuries and mystery conspired to sabotage his career. Joe Haden‘s arrival in 2017 changed things at cornerback for the better, but then fate dealt a mortal blow to the Steelers defensive rebuild:  Ryan Shazier suffered a career ending injury.

But on of the unmentioned ironies accompanying Ryan Shazier’s tragic injury is that the night also marked the NFL debut of another promising cornerback for Pittsburgh, Cam Sutton who is in the spot light today.

Cam Sutton, Cam Sutton onsides kick recovery, Steelers vs Chargers

Cameron Sutton recovers the onside. Photo Credit: Jake Roth, USA Today

Capsule Profile of Cam Sutton’s Career with the Steelers in 2021

As part of such a high-profile Steelers 2017 draft class that included T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner, Cam Sutton, a third-round pick out of Tennessee, was a bit of a forgot man, even if he did play a position — cornerback — that was still considered to be problematic for Pittsburgh.

Perhaps it would have been different had the Steelers not signed Joe Haden that summer. Furthermore, Mike Hilton, an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss, came out of nowhere that same year and took the Steelers secondary by storm as a very productive slot corner. Sutton spent his first few seasons increasing his position flexibility at the corner position, the slot corner position and even at safety.

However, it was in 2020 that Sutton finally had a bit of a breakthrough, appearing in 16 games and starting six at cornerback. Sutton recorded one interception, eight passes defended and 30 tackles a season ago. That he did this in the final year of his rookie deal certainly makes him much more attractive in free agency.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton in 2021

Again, Sutton has position flexibility, something that has always been a valuable commodity to head coach Mike Tomlin. Of course, the position the Steelers would likely need Sutton to fill in 2021 is slot corner, and that is because it seems highly unlikely that they’ll be able to retain the services of Hilton, who is considered one of the best in the business.

Mike Hilton is going to command big money on the open market. Sutton will certainly get a raise, but if the Steelers can retain him at a reasonable price, he could fill a huge void in 2021.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton in 2021

Honestly, the only negative would be the fact that Sutton put himself on the map in 2020 and could really cash in on the open market. Life is all about timing, and if some team presents Cam Sutton with an offer that he simply can’t refuse, the Steelers probably wouldn’t have the cap space to compete.

Curtain’s Call on Cam Sutton in 2021

I think the Steelers should do whatever they can within reason to retain Sutton. They spent years trying to rebuild their secondary, and I can’t imagine how much weaker it could be if their top two slot corners from a year ago exited via free agency.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2021 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2021 free agency focus articles.

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Streaming Moneyball + Trading Places = Steelers Chris Wormley-Javon Hargrave Swap

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First, wherever you’re reading this, it is our sincere wish that you and your family are both healthy and safe. That is far more important than anything and everything else that appears on this blog.

Clearly, the inability to make timely updates to a Steelers blog ranks pretty low when it comes to the disruptions caused by the Coronavirus. Which brings us to Chris Wormley’s addition to the Steelers defensive line.

  • And with Steelers Nation spending its time streaming while on quarantine, a little cinematic twist to the headline only seemed appropriate.

Javon Hargrave, Blake Bortles, Cam Heyward, Steelers vs Jaguars

Javon Hargrave deflects a Blake Bortles pass while Cam Heyward is blatantly held. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

To no one’s surprise, the Steelers lost Javon Hargrave in free agency. Hargrave will move to the other side of the state after having signed a $39 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles that includes $26 million of fully guaranteed money.

The Steelers could have put together a competitive deal along those lines, but only at the expense of losing Bud Dupree.

Since Bud Dupree is on the field for 90% of the Steelers snaps and Javon Hargrave is on for only 63%, you can see why Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin chose Dupree over Hargrave.

Nonetheless, the move left a rather important hole in the middle of the Steelers defensive line. Hargrave had made 52 starts, recorded 10 sacks over the last two years and was clearly a peer alongside Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.

The Steelers declined to stand pat with Tyson Alualu and Isaiah Buggs and traded their 5th round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens for Chris Wormley.

In 3 years with the NFL, Chris Wormely has made just 15 starts and recorded just 2.5 sacks. He’s also made 9 QB hits, or one more than Javon Hargrave made in his 3rd year in the NFL.

  • Considering that both men were 3rd round draft picks, the Steelers certainly seem to come out poorer for the swap.

And if the only movie we were watching here was Trading Places, there’s no question the Steelers would come out on the short end of the stick. But Kevin Colbert is also streaming MoneyBall in tandem, and that pulls two other numbers into this equation: $3,450,000 and $2,133,000.

  • The former is Javon Hargrave’s cap number for 2020, the latter is Chris Wormley’s.

And this of course ignores the fact that the Eagles have already cut Hargrave a check for 11 million and change. Clearly, Javon Hargrave is a better defensive lineman than Chris Wormley.

  • Kevin Colbert, however, is betting that he can get more bang for his salary cap buck out from Chris Wormley than he could out of Hargrave.

Colbert makes these gambles every spring. One of the best examples came in the spring of 2013 when Colbert reasoned that dollar-for-play, he could get more out of William Gay than Keenan Lewis. (He was also expecting big things from Cortez Allen, but that’s another story.)

Lewis had budded into a pass-defending machine in his 4th year in Pittsburgh, and seemed to offer an oasis for a team starved for quality cornerback play. William Gay had gone to Arizona and, like Bryant McFadden before him, was back in Pittsburgh a year later.

  • McFadden’s 2nd stint in the Steel City barely registers on the memory-radar.

Yet, William Gay’s return to Pittsburgh heralded the days of Big Play Willie Gay, where he notched 8 interceptions and 5 pick sixes in 5 seasons. Keenan Allen got paid a lot more money in New Orleans, but only had 1 strong season before injuries derailed his career.

Of course, these MoneyBall gambles don’t always work. The Steelers essentially swapped Al Woods for Cam Thomas in 2013 and their defensive line suffered because of it.

However, if Craig Wolfley assessment of Chris Wormley is on the mark, expect Kevin Colbert to win this bet.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2020 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2020 free agency focus articles.

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Can the Steelers Salvage Something from Artie Burns? Perhaps There’s Hope in Pittsburgh.

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If the Steelers and Artie Burns were an actual romantic couple, one might say the two sides have moved on — if not physically, certainly mentally and emotionally.

  • Or, perhaps more accurately, the Steelers have moved on.

After making Artie Burns a bit of a controversial first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft (25th, overall), the rookie cornerback worked his way into the line-up in the second half of the season, starting nine games and intercepting three passes.

Artie Burns started all 16 games in 2017, and even though he often showed lapses in performance — including an inability to play zone coverage on a consistent basis — Burns still seemed to have legitimate “upside.”

That was especially the case during the 2018 training camp, when the third-year man out of Miami reportedly more than held his own against the legendary Antonio Brown.

Artie Burns, Antonio Brown, Steelers 2018 Training Camp

Artie Burns intercepts a pass intended for Antonio Brown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

But Artie Burns’ inconsistency in 2017 mushroomed into downright consistent poor play at the start of the regular season. After starting six games, Burns was eventually replaced in the lineup by veteran journeyman Coty Sensabaugh.

  • Artie Burns was a non-factor down the stretch and contributed nothing in the secondary for a team that missed the playoffs by a mere half of a game.

At a time when Artie Burns should have been coming into his own as an NFL cornerback — there were some who said he had the potential to be the best cornerback from the 2016  NFL Draft — Burns was justifiably labeled a bust by many at season’s end.

The Steelers certainly acted like the label was apt, as their first big free agent move was to ink veteran cornerback Steven Nelson to a fairly lucrative three-year contract.

Fast-forward to the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Steelers doubled-down on the cornerback position by picking Michigan State’s Justin Layne in the third round. Perhaps the final nail for Artie Burns came shortly after that when Pittsburgh announced that it would not be picking up Burns’ fifth-year option, meaning 2019 will be his final one before he hits free agency.

Is Artie Burns a Lost Cause?

Truth be told, while nothing the Steelers have done at the cornerback position should give Artie Burns confidence that they have, well, confidence in him, this doesn’t mean he can’t win back their trust by reviving a career that has already had a few shovels of dirt thrown on it.

William Gay, a 2007 fifth-round pick out of Louisville, once struggled so much at the cornerback position, it didn’t seem like his career would last much beyond the 2010 season.

But in 2011, William Gay suddenly “got it,” and was so effective, he parlayed his uptick in performance into a decent free agent contract with the Cardinals in 2012. William Gay returned to the Steelers one year later, following his release from Arizona, and soon became Pittsburgh’s number one corner, starting a combined 40 games between 2013-2015.

Keenan Lewis, a third-round pick out of Oregan State in the 2009 NFL Draft, did next to nothing during his first three seasons, before suddenly putting it all together in 2012. In fact, Keenan Lewis was arguably Pittsburgh’s best cornerback that year, and the timing couldn’t have been better for him, as he was a much-sought after free agent who signed a huge deal with the Saints.

Point is, the Steelers could have very easily parted ways with both William Gay and Keenan Lewis during the lowest points of their respective careers, yet they were each allowed one more chance to prove their worth–and they were successful in doing so.

Artie Burns may not know who he will be playing for in 2020 (or even 2019, for that matter), but that doesn’t mean it still can’t be Pittsburgh. Joe Haden is scheduled to hit free agency next spring, and I’m sure the Steelers wouldn’t mind finding a younger replacement who is just as effective.

Notice how I didn’t throw “cheaper” into the mix, and that’s because Artie Burns can still pull a William Gay or Keenan Lewis and suddenly “get it” just in time to cash in. And if he doesn’t do that in Pittsburgh, well, there will be plenty of teams looking to throw money at the cornerback position next spring.

Artie Burns may have been left for dead by many — including his employers–but that doesn’t mean he’s buried…not yet.

 

 

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The Wild Ride of William Gay’s Steelers Career Comes to an End. Thank You Big Play Willie Gay!

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In a long anticipated move, the Steelers cut William Gay the veteran cornerback who has served as a pillar of stability in Pittsburgh’s secondary for the last decade. In doing so they severed ties with the final draft pick from the 2007 NFL Draft, the Steelers first draft with Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin at the helm.

Defensive back is a young man’s game, and William Gay will be 4 months shy of his 34th birthday on the Steelers opening day in 2018. He also carries a $1,750,000 salary that the Steeler figure to use more constructively elsewhere.

Judging by his Instagram post, he isn’t ready to being “Life’s Work” but with his time in Pittsburgh over, we now look back at the wild ride that was William Gay’s Steelers career and take a moment to say “Thank you Big Play Willie Gay.”

William Gay, William Gay Pick Six, William Gay interception, Big play Willie Gay, Steelers vs Falcons

William Gay’s 52 yard pick six vs Falcons in 2014. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

2007-’08 – William Gay Goes from “Trying to Survive” to Starter

With Ike Taylor, Deshea Townsend and Bryant McFadden topping the depth chart, cornerback didn’t figure to be a priority for Pittsburgh in the 2007 NFL Draft. After going (almost) all-in on defense by drafting Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and Ryan McBean with their first, second and fourth picks the Steelers went back to defense in the 5th round, drafting William Gay out of Louisville.

As Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell pointed out, when questioned about an impressive preseason outing Mike Tomlin responded “William Gay’s just trying to survive!” William Gay not only survived but contributed in his rookie year, but his efforts were confined to special teams and spot duty in the secondary.

  • But it was in in 2008 William Gay began to turn heads.

Due to injuries, Gay made 4 starts at cornerback and effectively alternated with Bryant McFadden at other times. The Steelers 2008 defense was a special unit, and Gay’s played a small, yet important role in their success that culminated in Super Bowl XLIII.

William Gay played so well in 20018 that made Bryant McFadden expendable as he departed for Pittsburgh West aka Arizona.

2009 – William Gay Not Ready for Prime Time

Unfortunately, William Gay wasn’t quite ready for Prime Time.

  • 2009 proved to be a rough year not only for Gay, but for the entire Steelers secondary.

Troy Polamalu got injured in the season opener, and the Future Hall of Famer only played 4 more games that season. The rest of the Steelers defensive backfield struggled in his absence. By late November Steelers 2009 secondary was shell-shocked, and William Gay was in far enough in over his head that Mike Tomlin rotated Joe Burnett with him in the Steelers infamous ’09 loss to Cleveland.

William Gay seemed destined to become a footnote in Steelers secondary history.

2010- ’11 – Moving to the Slot Rejuvenates William Gay’s Steelers Career

Bryant McFadden’s return to Pittsburgh seemed to spell doom for Gay as it forced him into the role of slot corner. Instead the move probably rejuvenated his career. During the 2010 season, Gay led the Steelers in passes defensed and also recorded two sacks.

Going into 2011 Bryant McFadden remained the starter nod, but injuries led to Gay starting most of the season, where he defensed another 13 passes, and recorded two interceptions, including a game-clincher against Cincinnati in November.

However, with Cortez Allen on the rise (or so we thought) and Keenan Lewis showing signs of development, the Steelers opted to let Gay sign with Pittsburgh West and, once again, William Gay’s Steelers career seemed to have come to and end.

2013-’17 – “Big Play Willie Gay” Shines in His Second Steelers Act

…And like Bryant McFadden before him, William Gay’s stay with the Cardinals would only last one season. The Cardinals cut him, and the Steelers wasted little time in resigning him. Second acts with the Steelers have become a stable of the Colbert-Tomlin era, as Larry Foote, Antwaan Randle El, Byron Leftwich, Will Allen and Matt Spaeth all departed Pittsburgh as free agents only to return.

  • But Big Play Willie Gay probably had the brightest second act of any Steeler.

When the Steelers resigned William Gay in March of 2013, it was rightly interpreted as a Moneyball type move made in an effort to sort of secure a compensation prize for franchise too salary cap strapped to resign Keenan Lewis.

That may have been the case, but it was Moneyball at its best. The Steelers brought William Gay into man the slot, but Ike Taylor’s decline and Cortez Allen’s implosion led to Gay starting 52 games between 2013 and 2017.

A dispassionate analysis of William Gay’s contributions during this time would likely credit him with providing stability to a secondary staffed by plugins and accidental starters (see Antwon Blake and Brice McCain). But it was his penchant for explosive plays that earned him the love of Steelers Nation:

William Gay also had another interception returned for a touchdown negated by a penality in the Steelers 2016 win over the Bills. While he didn’t add any more pick sixes, Gay did intercept a pass against the Colts on Thanksgiving and again in 2017 in the Steelers home win against the Bengals.

As it happens to all great athletes, Father Time began gaining in the footrace with William Gay in 2016, as Artie Burns displaced him as the starter by the middle of the season, and rookie Mike Hilton took over the slot role in 2017.

There’d been talk of moving Gay to safety, and while Gay did play in a little bit of a hybrid safety-linebacker in 2017, the role never really emerged.

William Gay’s Place Among Steelers Corners + Thank You

When history ranks great Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Rod Woodson and Jack Butler will come first followed by Ike Taylor and then probably Dwayne Woodruff. That gives Steelers Nation an undisputed top 5.

  • Should the work William Gay put on tape for the Steelers earn him a spot some where in the top 10?

Steel Curtain Rising will leave that for others to debate and decide. But there’s no disputing the fact that from 2013 until 2017 William Gay was most consistent contributor to the Steelers secondary.

He was also class act in the lockeroom and pillar of the community, and someone Steelers Nation should be proud to have had as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thank you on behalf Steelers Nation and Good luck and God Speed Big Play Willie Gay!

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2018 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2018 free agency focus articles.

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