Tag Archives: Kenny Pickett

No More Keeping Up with The Joneses: Steelers Trade Broderick Jones to Dallas Cowboys

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys, making their first critical roster decision with the NFL’s final 53 man roster cut down deadline looms.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the  Steelers are sending Jones along with their 2027 4th round pick to Dallas, and getting the Cowboys’ 2027 3rd and 6th round picks.

Broderick Jones

Broderick Jones decked out in color rush. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Broderick Jones was the first, first-round draft pick of the Omar Khan Andy Weidl era, whom Khan traded up for in the 2023 NFL Draft. When the Steelers drafted Jones, the decision was almost universally praised.

Writing in Steel City Insider, analyst Matt C. Steel lauded the class of 2023 as a “near-perfect draft.” He praised Jones for his “athleticism and physicality [that] are unique.” Steel further explained his enthusiasm for Jones:

Jones might struggle with pass protection early; however, with his strength and movement skills Jones’ impact on the run game should be significant. Couple that with the knowledge that [Christian] Gonzalez’s interviews were said to be uninspiring, moving up to get Jones was the best choice the Steelers could have made with their draft position.

Talk about a draft analyst being prophetic. The Steelers drafted Jones on measurables rather than experience, as Jones had not been a long-term starter in college and was seen as somewhat of a project.

While the Steelers didn’t start Jones on opening day 2023, he did crack the starting lineup in the middle of the season against Tennessee after Chukwuma Okorafor got benched. And with that move the Steelers running game finally began getting some traction.

  • However, Jones’ “sophomore” year was shaky at best.

As Steel predicted, he struggled in pass blocking and the Steelers running game got a slow start – although that was a trademark of Pat Meyer’s offensive lines. Left tackle had always been seen as Jones’ natural position and he played on the right during the Steelers 2024 season, in large part because Dan Moore could not make the switch from left tackle to right tackle.

The hope was that by shifting Jones would begin to fully realize his potential during the Steelers 2025 season. Nonetheless, outside of Pittsburgh Jim Wexell reported from the 2025 NFL scouting combine that Jones was perceived as a “coach killer.”

  • The reality is that results were mixed.

While Broderick Jones might not have been an early-season outright liability at left tackle, the Steelers pass protection left a lot to be desired.

Arthur Smith needed to tailor play calling sequences to ensure Aaron Rodgers got rid of the ball quickly. Smith also generously used his “Jumbo Package” bringing in reserve offensive lineman Spencer Anderson as a tight end.

Still, while no one would confuse him with a modern-day John Jackson or Marvel Smith, Jones did seem to improve as the season wore on. Unfortunately, he suffered a neck stinger in the Steelers loss to Chicago, ending his season.

  • Word was the Steelers would have issued Jones a 5th year tender had it not been for his neck injury.

Not only did they not do that, but they used their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. With 2024’s first round pick Troy Fautanu already on the team, Jones’ days with the Steelers appeared to be limited.

  • The expectation was that he would begin training camp and the season on the PUP list.

Surprisingly, Jones was active through training camp, and got extensive work in all three of the Steelers 2026 preseason contests.

And that sealed his fate with the team, as Jones struggled in pass protection in all three contests, most notably getting beaten badly in the 4th quarter in the shutout loss to the Jets.

Although the Steelers deemed Jones physically fit to participate and play in camp, he was visibly smaller following his injury. So, there’s certainly a chance that his recovery can continue and that he can salvage something of his career.

But he won’t be doing it in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform, and Omar Khan has likely recouped more value with this trade than he could have hoped to get as a compensatory pick had he kept Jones in the Steel City.

Khan Continues to Embrace the “Fail Fast” Principle

Dispatching Jones to Dallas marks the second time that Omar Khan has dealt away a first-round draft pick who is playing on a rookie contract. The first time came when he sent Kenny Pickett down the Turnpike in 2024.

  • Clearly, Khan is not averse to embracing the “Fail Fast” principle.

Although Jones clearly qualifies as a disappointment, the Steelers 2023 Draft Class is shaping up to be a strong group. Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington and Keeanu Benton have already signed second contracts with Joey Porter Jr., hopefully, soon to get his. Spencer Anderson will also begin the year as a starter.

 

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5 (Not So) Random Takes from the Steelers 28-9 Preseason Win Over the Packers

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Mike McCarthy’s Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Green Bay Packers 28-9 to open their 2026 preseason campaign on a hot and steamy night at Acrisure Stadium.

The win gave fans their long-awaited look at quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar as well as wide receivers Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen along with cornerback Daylen Everette.

  • After watching a game chocked full of ESPN-worthy highlights, what are hard takeaways?

How about Mike McCarthy now has one more thing in common with Mike Tomlin than he does with Bill Cowher or Chuck Noll because McCarthy, like Tomlin, won his preseason debut whereas Cowher and Noll lost theirs….

Now that you’re prepared for a “Steelers Preseason” Final Jeopardy, let’s acknowledge that injuries are about the only hard truths that come out of the first preseason game of the summer. And fortunately the Steelers appeared to emerge relatively clean on that front.

But it was an exciting win, and it did leave commentators with a lot to comment on. So let’s comment.

Mason Rudolph evades Warren Brinson in the Steelers 2026 preseason opener vs the Packers.

Who doesn’t like a quarterback who knocks the helmet off of a defender? Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review.

1. Front and Center Focus Gives Us a Mixed Bag

The most important thing for the Steelers to get right this summer is to solidify their offensive line and strengthen their defensive spine.

  • The Packers game gave them their first test and results were mixed.

Pass protection was erratic. Mason Rudolph was only in for a handful of series and he was still sacked twice. Both Dylan Cook and Troy Fautanu got beat in critical snaps. The Steelers also averaged 2.6 yards on the ground, so the offensive line wasn’t exactly road-grading either.

Still, with that understood, the offensive line did give Rudolph enough protection to complete 10 of 11 passes and march the team to the one yard line.

On the flip side, the Steelers defense had a strong night overall, keeping the Packers out of the end zone for the entire game. Although Keeanu Benton got the start at nose tackle, both Yahya Black and Gabriel Rubio saw extended time and both men looked good, with Rubio logging six tackles.

2. Rudolph, Howard, Allar and the Quarterback Derby

Both Will Howard and Drew Allar made their NFL debuts and both men played very well.

Howard impressively ran the two-minute drill to set up Lew Nichols touchdown just before the end of the first half. Allar relieved him at the end of the third quarter, throwing two touchdown passes while running one in on his own.

Allar went 10 of 13 for 2 TDs and 163 yards with no sacks, while Howard went 10 of 11 for 93 yards and one sack. That’s about as good as anyone could have hoped for or expected.

But if you were to judge their performance by reactions on social media, you’d think the Steelers suddenly had a Joe Montana-Steve Young situation on their hands. OK, perhaps that exaggerates things slightly, but it is amazing to see the number of people who are ready to cut Mason Rudolph after watching Howard and Allar.

Yes, both Howard and Allar looked good, but they did most of their work playing against guys who, in a month’s time, will count themselves lucky if they land a tryout with the Brooklyn Pharaohs.

In contrast, the vast majority of the men Mason Rudolph played against will make the Packers’ opening day roster, and many will start. What really stuck out about Rudolph was his poise.

He didn’t have great pass protection, and Travis Homer wasn’t exactly “pounding the rock.” Yet he remained in command of the offense at all times to the point where his best pass of the night was officially an incomplete one:

Yes, we can and should be pleased to see Howard and Allar get off to good starts. But if Aaron Rodgers should become unavailable, this is the kind of quarterback I want taking his place.

3. Reclamation ROI in Real Time?

The Steelers defense put up a lot of stats, and several players made eye-catching plays. But the one man who really stood out was cornerback Asante Samuel Jr..

When Joey Porter Jr.’s hold-in began, someone on social media speculated that he might be in the process of Wally Pipping himself. That’s a bit extreme. But Asante Samuel Jr. played extremely well, and at this point looks to be a real asset in the secondary.

Rookie safety and 7th round draft pick Robert Spears-Jennings also looked good.

4. Wetjen Strikes Just When You Least Expect It

The only real eyebrow raising choice in the Steelers 2026 draft class was using a fourth-rounder on Kaden Wetjen. The Steelers drafted him as a kick returner, as he had a total of 13 catches in his college career.

And throughout training camp wise scribes such as Jim Wexell and Roy Countryman have been telling us that Wetjen’s been looking extremely sharp as a return man, but didn’t figure to be a factor in the passing game.

Against the Packers, Wetjen got to return 3 kicks and 2 punts and, while he didn’t do anything to look bad, he also did nothing special. No sooner did that thought occur to me than Drew Allar found him on this slant route:

  • Quite impressive, even if a stumble cost him a touchdown.

Yet, Allar found him later in the end zone, and the evening ended with Wetjen leading the Steelers in receiving yards and catching a touchdown.

Kaden Wetjet catches a touchdown from Drew Allar during the Steelers 2026 preseason win over the Packers

Kaden Wetjet catches a Drew Allar touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The odds favor Wetjet’s 79-yard streaking reception to be more of a Matthew Thomas type play (name ring a bell but can’t quite place this one? Then click here) than Franco Harris taking it to the house in his preseason debut, but he did show us that we shouldn’t sleep on him being a part of the wide receiving room.

5. A Word About the Offense

The Steelers offense scored four touchdowns, had 17 first downs, converted 7 of 13 third downs and had a slight edge in time of possession. The numbers alone, of course, in a preseason game tell us next to nothing.

  • But the unit passed “the eye test.”

In the heyday of Kenny Pickett’s preseason glory days the Steelers offense put together some nice drives, but they had a video game feel too them dissipated immediately once the games counted for real.

In the booth during the game Art Rooney II described Mike McCarthy as “meticulous” and this is how his offense felt. Even when you control for the quality of competition, the Steelers offense played like a unit that knew what it wanted to do, and was going out and doing it. And the maintained that same “look and feel” with three separate quarterbacks.

Finally, seeing rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski lining up in a Power-I Formation early in the game? That was a true cherry on top.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is only preseason. Let’s keep it real. But it’s far better to look good than to look bad.

 

 

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Steelers-Packers Preseason Priorities: Focus on the Offensive Line and Defensive Spine

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When the Steelers begin their 2026 preseason campaign at Acrisure Stadium tonight against the Packers, all eyes will be on the two extremes of the offense, with the focus on answering two questions:

Mike McCarthy and his staff must gain clarity on both questions during preseason.

Finding out whether Howard and/or Allar has legit long-term potential as a starting quarterback is essential. And if the Steelers 2024 and 2025 seasons taught us anything, it is that a varsity offense requires varsity wide receivers.

Keeanu Benton, Steelers vs Packers

Kennau Benton tackles Aaron Jones. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

But if you really want to understand what will define the Steelers’ ability to not only reach but compete in the playoffs this year, you should keep your focus on the front and center.

  • The “front” being the offensive line, and the “center” being the middle of the defense.

To understand why, let’s look back the Steelers playoff debacle against the Texans and then peer further back into the bowels of Pittsburgh’s famed 3-4 defense.

The Offensive Line’s Eyesore Performance vs. the Texans

Watching the Steelers-Texans game in the cold at outside of Hibernia Bar in Manhattan, my gut reaction was simple:

  • This offensive line just isn’t ready.

The game reminded me of the 2014 playoff loss to the Ravens at Heinz Field. During the 2014 regular season Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin’s commitment to rebuilding the offensive line, after years of “plug and patch,” began to pay dividends.

That year, under Mike Munchak’s tutelage, the offensive line had transformed itself into an asset. But in the playoffs, the Ravens defense revealed that Pittsburgh’s offensive line still needed to mature more.

And so it was in 2025.

The Steelers line started the season a little shaky, and while they never dominated, they clearly improved as the year progressed. But in the playoffs they withered under the Texans’ pass rush, showing that more maturity was needed.

  • With the unit returning four out of five starters everyone expects improvement. But there’s a “but.”

Of the four returning starters, only Zach Frazier will play in the same spot. Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick will move to the left side, Dylan Cook will move to the right and Spencer Anderson, who played primarily on the left, also moves to the right.

Steelers reserve center Ryan McCollum with Aaron Rodgers during the Steelers 2025 win over the Colts.

Ryan McCollum and Aaron Rodgers. Photo Credit: Ed Thompson, SteelersNow

That may not be the opening-day lineup, particularly with Broderick Jones back in the mix, but the coaching staff has established a clear pecking order.

Mike McCarthy, Brian Angelichio and James Campen have enthusiastically moved around the pieces. While nothing about the performance against the Texans screamed, “This isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” moving so many players into new positions still carries a bit of risk.

  • But it also carries potential upside.

My friend and Steel City Insider analyst Matt C. Steel has written extensively about the disservice that NFL coaches can do by moving offensive linemen away from their natural positions, pointing to neuroscience and citing Kevin Dotson as an example, who is playing much better at right guard in Los Angeles than he played on the left in Pittsburgh. (It should be noted that Alan Faneca switched sides in the pros, and his a Hall of Famer.)

But if reshuffling the offensive line deck is what allows the unit to take the next step forward, this decision will pay dividends both this season and beyond. Tonight against the Packers we’ll get our first taste of what’s to come.|

Steelers Piss-Poor Run Defense Hiding in Plain Sight

The ugly nature of the 30-6 home playoff loss to the Texans made it easy to forget an interesting factoid: the Steelers were still within one point early in the 4th quarter until Houston hustled the game away with two defensive scores.

The Steelers defense kept the team in the game while their offense didn’t look like it belonged on the field.

  • But there’s an unpleasant surprise hiding in the stat sheet.

Yes, the Steelers defense earned their stripes, keeping Pittsburgh in the game with turnovers by Brandin Echols, T.J. Watt, and Yahya Black. Sacks by Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton and Jack Sawyer made C.J. Stroud look lost.

  • But one player who found a groove was rookie Texas running back Woody Marks.

Marks ran for 112 yards – his previous best had been 69 yards. Nick Chubb added another 48 yards on 10 carries.

This is important, because Mike McCarthy made no bones about sticking with the 3-4 upon his return to Pittsburgh.

And to understand how alarming those run defense stats are, we need to go back to something former defensive coordinator Tim Lewis once told Jim Wexell: The strength of the Steelers 3-4 defense runs through its spine.

To visualize that, simply remember the days of Casey Hampton, James Farrior and Troy Polamalu and the (6) Super Bowl rings they own.

And the Steelers have questions to answer across the spine of their defense.

  • Can Benton, in a new system, show he’s a true run-stopping nose tackle?
  • If not, is Yahya Black that man, or perhaps even Gabriel Rubio?
  • Are Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson strong enough to man the middle?
  • And who will emerge at safety?

This last question is perhaps the most critical, because Omar Khan has already made several moves at safety.

After watching Kenny Pickett and Company look All World just three Augusts ago, Steelers fans need no reminder that preseason can be deceiving.

But preseason can still offer decent looks at individual position groups. And against the Packers, my focus will be on the spine of the Steelers defense.

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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 Needs at Tight End: Time to Tighten Up Depth

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Tight end was supposed to be a position of strength in the Steelers 2025 offense.

Instead it was a source of frustration, for the most part. Two of the four tight ends from the Steelers 2025 roster are gone – Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington remain while Connor Heyward left in free agency and Jonnu Smith got his walking papers.

So Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy will have to add someone, but how urgent of a need is tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers going into the 2026 NFL Draft?

This is the latest article in our Steelers 2026 Draft series.

Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward during the Steelers 2025 win over the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium.

Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward celebrate a touchdown. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images via A to Z Sports.

The Steelers Tight End Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters

We will not remember Kevin Colbert’s final drafts fondly. But he clearly made the right pick when he drafted Pat Freiermuth in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Pat Freiermuth won the starting job as a rookie and has appeared in all but five games since then. Far more importantly, Pat Freiermuth has been the most consistent player on the Pittsburgh Steelers offense during that entire span.

When Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers have absolutely needed to complete a pass, they’ve looked Pat Freiermuth’s way. Hence, the frustration in 2025 when Arthur Smith gave playing time to Jonnu Smith at Freiermuth’s expense.

One player who the Steelers did look to involve whenever possible was Darnell Washington. You can see for yourself:

The Steelers drafted Darnell Washington in the 4th round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the prospect of a 6’7” 264 pound (that’s his weight listed in Pro Football Reference. Yeah, right) tight end captivated the imagination of Steelers Nation.

Washington’s overall numbers as a pass catcher are not terribly impressive, but his role has grown on the offense every year, and he continues to improve. More importantly, as the clip above reveals, Washington has potential as a weapon in the passing game that goes well beyond what’s stats measure.

Oh, and Washington enough of an asset as a blocker that veteran Steelers scribe Jim Wexell thinks he may one day follow in Larry Brown’s footsteps and transition to tackle.

Larry Brown, Super Bowl IX

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

Pat Freiermuth already has 5 years of experience under his belt and is just 28 years and remains under contract through the 2028 season.

Darnell Washington is 24, and although he’s only got one year remaining on his rookie contract, the Steelers have already indicated that re-upping him is one of this summer’s priorities.

The Steelers Tight End Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backup

If the Steelers have two solid starters at tight end, the cupboard behind them is pretty bare. The only other tight end they have is JJ Galbreath. JJ Galbreath played at South Dakota was part of the Steelers 2025 undrafted rookie free agent class.

At the time, Steel City Insider’s Roy Coutryman described him this way:

He possesses an enticing build (6-3, 231) with solid length (32 arms) that needs more bulk to withstand the rigors of the next level. However, his athletic testing speaks for itself with a 4.67 40, 38 inch vertical, and agility times (4.20 short shuttle and 6.82 3-cone) that put him on par with some of the best in the league.

Galbreath is an ideal candidate to squirrel away on the practice squad for a year while he adds the necessary strength and bulk to contribute in the run game. His athleticism and prowess as a pass-catcher alone make him enough of a talent that deserves monitoring during training camp.

The Steelers did cut him at the end of the summer and put him on the practice squad, but his stint there was short, as they released him on mid-September, but did sign him to a futures contract in January.

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Tight End

And the Steelers resigned Connor Heyward their draft need at tight end would be Fair and possibly trending towards Low.

But they let Heyward walk, and the only other tight end they have on their roster was a guy who they didn’t deem worthy of a practice squad spot beyond week 2.

The Pittsburgh Steelers draft needs scale

They’re set at starter with Freiermuth and Washington as their starters. And, assuming they can sign Washington and both enjoy good health the Steelers shouldn’t have toe worry about finding starter-capable or future starting tight end for at least a season or two.

By they must add depth behind Freiermuth and Washington, so the Steelers need at tight end going into the 2026 NFL Draft must be considered as Moderate.

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Steelers Free Agency: Should Pittsburgh Re-Sign Connor Heyward?

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“Bloodlines are important to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.”

We heard it when they drafted Terrell Edmunds. A year later we heard it again when Kevin Colbert traded up to get Devin Bush Jr.. The words were ringing in our ears when they signed Derek Watt in free agency yet another year later.

By the time they drafted Connor Heyward in 2022, the phrase had almost become passé.

Yet neither Terrell Edmunds, nor Devin Bush, nor Derek Watt stuck around long-term in Pittsburgh. As Connor Heyward reaches free agency, will he be the exception?

Connor Heyward, Connor Heyward 1st touchdown, Steelers vs Falcons

Connor Heyward scores his first touchdown. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

Capsule Profile of Connor Heyward’s Career with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Kevin Colbert drafted Connor Heyward in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Heyward was a roster-bubble baby to begin with, but made the team officially as a reserve tight end, with the understanding that his role would be as a hybrid tight end/full back.

After seeing spot duty early in the season, Connor Heyward made his first highlight-worthy play when he caught a field-flipping 45 yard pass from Mitch Trubisky at set up Chase Claypool’s touchdown in the Steelers upset of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Six weeks later he scored his first touchdown, on a 17-yard strike from Kenny Pickett, giving the Steelers their only touchdown in a 19-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2023 Heyward’s role grew in the offense, as his nearly doubled his catch and target total from the previous year. He only made 45 catches over his first two years, but 14 of those converted first downs and Heyward appeared to be building a niche for himself in the Steelers’ offense….

….And then Arthur Smith arrived.

At first glance Smith’s hire seemed like it might be a boon for Connor Heyward, as his offense feature tight ends. Indeed, they do. So much that Smith had a hand in bringing MyCole Pruitt and Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh.

  • And both players got playing time at Connor Heyward’s expense.

Heyward got 12 targets and 9 catches in 2024 and 2025, combined – or fewer than his rookie season. During 2024 Connor Heyward did earn role as the ball carrier on the Steel City Shove.

Connor Heyward scores a touchdown during the 2025 Steelers win over the Ravens at Acrisure.

Connor Heyward ties the game on the Steel City Shove. Photo Credit: Taylor Ollason, Steelers.com

He rushed the ball 15 times for 45 yards, 11 first downs and 2 touchdowns, including the Steelers first in Mike Tomlin’s final career win.

The Case for the Steelers Re-Signing Connor Heyward

Connor Heyward has delivered excellent value as a 6th round pick. He’s proven to be versatile, both as a blocker, receiver and rusher. Connor Heyward is never going to be the kind of player that opposing defensive coordinators lose sleep game planning against, nor is he ever going to give defenders 2nd thoughts about tackling him the way Darnell Washington will.

But in four years, Connor Heyward has shown he is the kind of player who you delivers when you call his number.

He’s the kind of player who makes plays that help win football games that don’t always show up in the stat sheet.

The Case Against the Steelers Re-Signing Connor Heyward

In four years has Connor Heyward done anything that an undrafted rookie free agent couldn’t do? Sure, Arthur Smith favored his former players at Heyward’s expense, but contrast Connor Heyward’s contributions with Derek Watt’s, a niche player who did deliver a difference.

Derek Watt, Steelers vs Eagles

Derek Watt catches a touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The Steelers were 7-1 when Derek Watt got a carry. Can anyone look at the last two years and argue:

You know, what the missing link for Steelers offense has been? They never let Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers let it rip to Connor Heyward.

Yeah, right.

Having Connor Heyward as Cam Heyward’s little brother in Pittsburgh has given the franchise a feel good story. But he’s had four years to prove he can be a difference maker and four years later, the Steelers offense is still struggling.

It is unduly harsh to charge Connor Heyward with being part of the problem, but he’s done scant little to suggest he’s earned the right to be part of the solution.

The Curtain’s Call on Connor Heyward and Steelers

Connor Heyward is the type of player you want to have on your team. He’s always going to be one of the guys on the roster bubble, but one of the tricks to making a championship run is to get roster bubble guys who give you a little something extra.

The Steelers have two solid tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Connor Heyward gives them a versatile 3rd option who can line up in the backfield in a pinch. Mike McCarthy once went into a regular season carrying 5 tight ends on his roster.

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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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Mike Tomlin Steelers Legacy: 19 Years of Winning in Pittsburgh

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

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

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

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

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

2007 – 2010: Cementing the Franchise Legacy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

James Harrison’s dramatic interception in Super Bowl XLIII

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

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

And that’s what made them Super Bowl champions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2011 – 2017: The Under Appreciated Rebuild

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

  • Just ask Barry Switzer or Mike Martz.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2018 – 2025 – Doing More with Less

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

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

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

Quarterbacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enough said.

The 2021 Season

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

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

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

The 2025 Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sweet Steelers Symmetry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

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

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

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

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

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

The Steelers Twists and Turns @ Tight End

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

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

Larry Brown, Super Bowl IX

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

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

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

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

Steelers 2025 Thanksgiving Honors: Pat Freiermuth

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

IT is easy to see why.

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

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

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

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

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Browns,

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

A Word about Steelers Thanksgiving Honors

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

Rashard Mendenhall jumped out to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving Steelers Nation.

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Steelers Offense Struggling? Training Camp History Says Chill

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If you’re a Steelers fan you know the story of training camp thus far: The defense has performed exceptionally well while the offense has struggled.

Al Saunders explained that “ defense has taken the “offense’s lunch money whenever it wanted to.”

Jim Wexell quoted Mike Tomlin as calling “’a really big day, kind of the culmination of a big week for us,’ but it was another fizzle by the offense.”

Mike DeFabo laid out 4 overarching concerns about the Steelers offense supported by detailed dissections of Arthur Smith unit’s struggles in “7 on 7 Shots” and on the goal line drill.

How, pray tell, should Steelers navigate this no man’s land between hope for the defense and despair over the offense?

Jack Sawyer, Evan Hull, Malik Harrison, Steelers training camp 2025, Steelers at St. Vincent's 2025

Jack Sawyer and Malik Harrison force an Evan Hull fumble in 7 on 7 shots. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Is it already too early write 2025 off as yet another year when Mike Tomlin “wasted a great defense,” failing to capitalize on T.J. Watt’s prime while cheating Cam Heyward?

Of course it is.

And there’s proof. To find it you need to look back to past summers at St. Vincents. Fear not. There’s no need return Joe Greene doing the Oklahoma Drill in 1969, or Chuck Noll installing the shotgun July 1989, or even Ben Roethlisberger turning heads as a rookie in the summer of 2004.

  • You don’t even need to go back before the pandemic.

You only need look back to this point in the summer of 2023. Of course we all remember how flawless the Steelers looked in preseason that August. This skeptical scribe even allowed himself to nip at the Kool Aid.

Of course preseason was a mirage. But what were they saying before the preseason started?

Everyone’s forgotten. Including me. Fortunately, thanks to the magic of the internet we can look it up.

2023 = 365 Days of Summer @ St. Vincents

Roy Countryman traveled to St. Vincents and had this to say on August 9th, 2023:

* Kenny Pickett is processing his reads quickly, and with the added muscle he put on during the offseason it allows him to uncork passes into tight windows with just a shade more velocity.

*The Steelers offense has a plethora of weaponry, and should have the option to get creative with play-calling, especially in red zone scenarios with versatile players such as Connor Heyward and Kendrick Green. There should be no excuse they are not a top 10 team in red zone efficiency.

Wooh. Roy Countryman is easily one of the best Steelers-focused draft analysts in the business, but those to observations didn’t age well.

But Countryman was in good company. His boss at Steel City Insider, Jim Wexell offered this on August 6th. After detailing his efforts to secure an excellent one-on-one with George Pickens, he widened his focus to the rest of the offense offering this:

…. combined with the precise Diontae Johnson, the receiving corps – with savvy veteran Allen Robinson scoring once again in 7 Shots – is picking up steam with quarterback Kenny Pickett.

The raves began pouring in Friday night, and Saturday afternoon the Steelers’ passing game reached its offseason apex. It might be time to get excited.

For real.

A few days later after the Steelers cleaned Tampa Bay’s clock in preseason, the excitement did start to get real.

And there were reasons for things to be real, one of those was Wexell’s assessment of Broderick Jones:

But there’s more to the excitement, and part of it is the infusion of that freakish Georgia talent. Joining Pickens this season from the ruling kings of college ball is first-round pick Broderick Jones, who looks to one day put a decade-long stranglehold on the very difficult and very important left tackle position.

Now, here comes the part of the article where the author admits to exercising artistic license earlier in the piece: I lied about not remembering the reports from training camp 2023.

I remembered the positive vibes coming out of St. Vincents two summers ago, but I wanted to confirm my memory and find concrete examples to offer as evidence. While that’s part of the craft of any good writer, it also reminds us that research often yields unintended insights.

Wolfley’s View

The late, great Craig Wolfley published his own piece on Steel City Insider on August 8th of 2023. While Wofley’s take was overall positive, he didn’t paint his picture broad strokes that his follow writers at Steel City Insider did.

  • Instead, he honed in on individual players.

Wolfley sang the praises of George Pickens, predicted Keeanu Benton’s strong rookie year, and gave a special shout-out to rookie Nick Herbig. He also was positive on Borderick Jones, but Wofley warned, “he still has a tendency to give away the inside pass rush.”

Wolfley’s observations about each player were pretty close to spot on. And that tells us something important, beyond reminding us of how lucky we were to have Wolf and how much we miss him.

It really just goes to show you that training camp evaluations are as much of an art as they are a science.

Daily battle reports from training camp are since part of it, as they represent hard snapshots taken in real time. The ability to stich those together, that’s where the art lies. And Craig Wolfley had an uncanny knack that surpassed the rest of his peers.

Steelers Yin an Yang

Image credit: Sybildeckerdf via Pin Interest

So yes, the Steelers defense has looked good so far, and yes the offense has taken its time to find its footing. While that might not be encouraging, its hardly surprising as that’s the side of the ball that’s seen the most turnover.

So if you’re feeling bad about the direction of the Steelers offense, just think back to how good you felt about it two summers ago, let the feelings balance out. When you get the that point, remind yourself of Chuck Noll’s credo that “Life is a journey” and enjoy the ride.

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