Tag Archives: Michael Vick

4 Solutions to the Steelers Quarterback Depth Chart “Math” Problem

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If there’s one thing you can say about the internet, it’s that it is predictable. Aaron Rodgers signing ended the daily “Will HE? Or Won’t HE?” “updates” that bombarded us.

But now that Aaron Rodgers is in the fold, fretters still have to fret, so on comes the next “crisis,” namely the Steelers quarterback depth chart math problem.

Aaron Rodgers’ return gives the Steelers four quarterbacks, with veteran backup Mason Rudolph, second year man Will Howard, and 2026 3rd round draft pick Drew Allar.

How in the world will the Steelers manage 4 quarterbacks?

What kind of monster have Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy created for themselves…?

  • OR something like that. And it’s all nonsense.

The Steelers have dealt with this situation before, as recently as 2018, when they had Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph.

The answer to resolving this four quarterback quandary is the same now as it was then: Let reality unfold at its own pace.

With that understood, there are 4 possible outcomes, none of which should force anyone to fret.

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs in the spring of 2026

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

1. Attrition May Make Decisions for Mike McCarthy

Let’s be clear. No NFL coach or General Manager ever wants injuries to make decisions for him. But it happens all the time.

  • Omar Khan alluded to this in his post-draft press conference.

Even though quarterbacks don’t get hit in training camp, the Steelers have seen plenty of quarterbacks injured during the summer.

  • Summer injuries cost Charlie Batch both the 2004 and 2008 seasons.

The Steelers were planning to start Byron Leftwich during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension in 2010, but Leftwich got hurt. Dennis Dixon started the season and got hurt, and up stepped Charlie Batch – So it was a good thing the Steelers had 4 quarterbacks at their disposal, wasn’t it?

A year later, the Steelers brought the same quartet to St. Vincents, only to have Dennis Dixon get injured and lost for the season – again, math problem solved.

Bruce Gradkowski got hurt in camp in 2015, leading Michael Vick’s stint with the Steelers. Depth is a luxury in the NFL, not a liability. Quarterback is no exception.

2. Let the Preseason Play Speak for Itself

Football isn’t like amateur wrestling, you can’t just wrestle off two quarterbacks to see who is better. But quarterback competitions can tell you a lot.

  • And right now, I’d guess that Mike McCarthy really wishes he was playing 4 preseason games.

[Cue the Dana Carvey-like Grumpy Old Man rant about how NFL errs by devaluing preseason.]

The upside to only having 3 preseason games is that Aaron Rodgers probably won’t play in any of  them, so it frees up reps for everyone else. That should be enough for Rudolph to get his feet wet with the McCarthy’s offense while giving the coaches a good look at Howard and Allar in varied situations.

Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs, Steelers 4 quarterbacks

Can the Steelers keep 4 quarterbacks in 2018? Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Mike Tomlin let his 3 quarterbacks duke it out in summer of 2018 and at the end he decided to cut Landry Jones. Given that Jones was the only backup quarterback with NFL experience, the move raised eyebrows.

But Jones never threw another NFL pass, while Dobbs and Mason Rudolph have made a 34 NFL starts between them.

3. Steelers Have Kept 4 Quarterbacks Before. Why Not Again?

Keeping 4 quarterbacks is unorthodox. But it has been done before. The New England Patriots began the 1989 season with 4 quarterbacks on their active roster, and all four made starts.

The Steelers of course kept 4 quarterbacks in 1995, when they had Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart. Less well-remembered is 1999, when they did it again keeping Stewart, Tomczak, Pete Gonzalez, and Anthony Wright,. the Steelers “forgotten 4th quarterback.”

Anthony Wright, Steelers

Anthony Wright the Steelers forgotten 4th String Quarterback. Photo Credit: Peter Diana, Post-Gazette

The roster math behind 4 quarterbacks is certainly complicated here in 2026, but Mike McCarthy will have an easier time today than Bill Cowher and Tom Donahoe did in 1995.

For starters, Bill Cowher kept Rod Woodson on the active roster throughout the Steelers 1995 season. And, unlike today, injured reserve ended a player’s season.

So Bill Cowher kept 4 quarterbacks AND an injured player on the active roster all season long and still made it to Super Bowl XXX. So keeping 4 quarterbacks can be done. And if not…

Speaking of injured reserve….

4. Follow the Washington Redshirts’ Example

In the pre-salary cap of the 1980’s Washington was notorious for stashing players on injured reserve. Joe Gibbs and Bobby Bethard had it down to a science.

One ESPN commentator went so far as to refer to them as the “Washington Redshirts.”

They did this with players at every position, but they excelled at doing it with quarterbacks. Both Mark Rypien and Stan Humphries had “Redshirt seasons” on Washington’s IR before going on to start Super Bowls.

So if both Howard and Allar show promise in the summer well then, one of them could end up pulling a groin in late August, couldn’t he….?

The Pittsburgh Steelers will arrive at St. Vincents with a quarterback math problem. But it is a good problem to have and one with several solutions. Let’s just let reality unfold at its own pace.

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Steelers Sign Aaron Rodgers – Bobby Layne 3.0 Arrives in Pittsburgh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number 4 might provoke eye rolls.

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

Alex Highsmith, Aaron Rodgers

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

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

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

Risk of Riding with Rodgers is Real

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

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

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

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

  • The subjective risks Rodgers brings are perhaps more pertinent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to Pittsburgh Bobby Layne 3.0

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

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

  • DeFabio has the facts on his side.

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

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

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

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

  • So think of Aaron Rodgers as Bobby Layne 3.0.

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

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

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Agree or Disagree, the Steelers Resigning Cam Sutton is No Surprise

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After a one season hiatus, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense will again feature two Cams, as the team came to terms with cornerback Cam Sutton on a one year deal. The Steelers of course drafted Cam Sutton in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He missed the first 12 games of his rookie year with a hamstring injury, but saw his first action on the road against Cincinnati on the same night of Ryan Shazier’s injury. Over the next six years Sutton would appear in 84 games and make 39 starts.

Sutton’s career arch serves as a caution against giving in to knee-jerk reactions to label a player “a bust” if he doesn’t produce immediately.

Cam Sutton, Cameron Sutton, Steelers vs Falcons

Cam Sutton keeps the Falcons from landing in the end zone. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune Review.

Sutton largely flew under the radar in 2018 and 2019 working in mostly in the slot and on special teams while the Steelers experienced difficulty in staffing the cornerback slot opposite of Joe Haden (yes, you’d forgotten about the Coty Sensabaugh experiment, hadn’t you?)

Yet, when the Steelers were facing Salary Cap Armageddon in the spring of 2021 thanks to COVID, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin opted to cut Steven Nelson and extend Cam Sutton. Sutton started 31 games over the next 2 seasons, hauling in 5 interceptions and batting away 21 passes.

Alas, to get Sutton signed under such trying circumstances, the Steelers added a voidable year to his contract, making him a free agent in the spring of 2023. Resigning Sutton seemed like a no-brainer, for the Steelers, but Omar Kahn let him walk, and Sutton departed for Detroit.

AT the time it was thought that, while the Steelers wanted to keep him, Detroit offered beyond their number. And that is probably the case. Detroit did over pay, giving Sutton CB Number 1 money. But last October, Dejan Kovacevic added this piece of insight to the story:

I’m told that Sutton’s primary motivation was that his girlfriend had moved there, along with his two very young daughters, Luna and Eye’Lah. He’d spoken with pride in the past of being a “girl dad” of his love for those two. Family came first.

Talk about an ironic factoid.

The Steelers were able to sign Sutton because the Detroit Lions cut him after he was arrested on a warrant for domestic violence. The fact that he’s been welcomed back to Pittsburgh has ignited a furious debate among the faithful in Steelers Nation.

“…But that’s NOT the Steelers Way.” Or Is It?

For many, the Steelers decision to resign a player who has just been arrested for domestic violence offers yet more evidence that “The Steelers Way” as we know it is no more.

That sentiment is understandable. To a point. the Steelers have shown less tolerance than some other teams for players with off the field issues.

  • But like it or not, the reality is that welcoming back Cam Sutton into the fold isn’t that much out of character.

As this site pointed out when Michael Vick arrived in 2015, the Steelers not only kept James Harrison despite his own domestic violence incident, they offered him one of the largest contracts in team history a little over a year afterwards.

Steelers vs Ravens, Cam Heyward, Cameron Heyward, James Harrison, #Shalieve50

Cam Heyward and James Harrison enter Heinz Field carrying Ryan Shazier’s Jersey. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, PennLive.com

While Ben Roethlisberger was never arrested or criminally charged, the Steelers also gave him a second chance despite the allegations against him from his conduct in Midgeville.

And look further back to the 1970’s and you’ll find the story of Ernie Holmes going on a rampage on the Ohio Turnpike that include him shooting out of a car and aiming a gun and pulling the trigger at a police officer only to have it mercifully misfire. Holmes went on to win two Super Bowls playing next to Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White.

One can agree or disagree with Art Rooney II’s decision here, but both his father Dan Rooney and his grandfather Art Rooney Sr. made similar choices to give second chances to players who’d broken the law.

Football Impact of Sutton’s Return

The Steelers have been aggressive this off season in remaking their team. But Jim Wexell’s count they’ve turned over 15 of the top 30 slots on a roster that made the playoffs but wasn’t good enough to win.

  • Yet the third or slot cornerback along with wide receiver has been a glaring need.

Before making this move the Steelers had Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, several question marks and Patrick Peterson’s number on speed dial at cornerback. With Cam Sutton signed, the Steelers now have three legit cornerbacks and can develop depth behind them without needing to force someone into the line up.

Final Analysis

Let’s repeat something stated here when the Steelers opted to keep James Harrison after cutting Cedrick Wilson back in 2008:

  • There is no excuse for domestic violence.
  • Domestic violence is wrong. Period.
  • Those who are convicted of domestic violence must be punished.

Cam Sutton was initially charged with an ugly felony and evaded the law for several days. Since then he has turned himself in, entered a pre-trial derivation program and, after reviewing the evidence, prosecutors have reduced the charges against him. That neither absolves nor excuses Sutton, but suggests whatever transpired may not have been as severe as first suggested.

In addition to working through his current legal situation, Sutton will likely face a suspension from the league. This isn’t the first time the Steelers have had to make a difficult decision in a case like this. In the Tomlin era alone the Steelers opted to give James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger second chances, while opting to part ways with Wilson and Chris Rainey almost immediately.

The record, both on and off the field, shows that the Steelers made the right decision in all four cases. Let’s hope their choice on Sutton proves to be a fifth.

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Let the Competition Begin! Steelers to Sign Russell Wilson

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Russell Wilson is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both ESPN and the NFL Network are reporting this, while Wilson himself indicated this in a tweet.

Russell Wilson, Devin Bush Jr., Mike Hilton, Steelers vs Seahawks

Russell Wilson at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller, Getty Images via Dawgs by Nature

The conventional wisdom as recently as the NFL Combine was that the Steelers were not interested in bringing any of the big name quarterbacks available to Pittsburgh to provide competition for Kenny Pickett. However, late last week Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Russell Wilson was visiting with the Steelers and that the interest was mutual.

Unlike the various social media “experts” who claimed that Kirk Cousins or Justin Fields to the Steelers was “a done deal” no one rushed to debunk this rumor. Wilson showed up in Pittsburgh as advertised, had a long meeting but left without signing. Even then, other commentators (including this one) floated the possibility that Omar Khan was entertaining Wilson in Pittsburgh to pressure Mason Rudolph into signing.

Then on Sunday night Russell Wilson issued this tweet:

Russell Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl Championship in 2013 in just his second season in the league. Seattle returned the following year, but lost in part due to a goal line interception that Wilson threw scuttling a comeback effort.

Since then Wilson had been a consistent winner in Seattle, but as the 2000 teens came to an end, there were rumblings that he was not happy. Wilson and the team said all of the right things and Wilson had a reasonably strong season in 2021, but the Seahawks traded him to the Broncos.

  • This first season in Denver was a disaster, leading to the firing of head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Under Sean Peyton Wilson’s play improved, but he did play a few very bad games. Peyton benched him late in the the season opening speculation that Wilson would leave by trade or release. The Broncos plan to release Wilson when the league year begins on Wednesday March 11th. The Broncos are on the hook for 38 million to Wilson this season, so conceivably the Steelers could sign him for as little as 1.2 million.

No Risk? + No Rudolph?

On one level this deal is a no brainer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Khan, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II have all expressed their confidence in Kenny Pickett, each man has also said the Steelers would bring him competition.

December and January of last season revealed two things about the Steelers:

1. This team is still a ways away with playing on the level of any of the teams in the conference championships
2. However, competent quarterback play brings them is much closer than anyone would have thought possible on say, December 20th 2023.

So, if the Steelers can land a Super Bowl winning quarterback at the veteran minimum that would almost be a no-brainer. Almost. At age 36 Russell Wilson may “still have something left in the tank,” but he also doesn’t have much “upside.”

That means if neither Pickett nor Wilson pans out in 2024 then the frachise will be starting from zero at quarterback in 2024 because the Steelers signing Wilson almost certainly ends Mason Rudolph’s time in Pittsburgh.

Even before Wilson’s arrival it was clear that Rudolph would return as QB No. 2 with nothing more than a promise that he’d have a shot at moving up the depth chart. Given limitations on training camp practices and the current 3 schedule of 3 preseason games holding a 3-way competition for the starting quarterback slot simply isn’t realistic.

While bringing Wilson to Pittsburgh carries little “risk” conventional risk for the Steelers, the opportunity this presents could also be smaller than meets the eye.

Mike Tomlin’s flirtation with aging athletes in the twilight of their careers – think Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Joey Galloway and perhaps even Patrick Peterson hasn’t yielded much fruit. And if Tommy Maddox did deliver one year of “Tommy Gun” in 2002, previous franchise quarterback reclamation projects with David Woodley, Todd Blackledge and Kent Graham failed.

  • But none of those men wore Super Bowl rings.

Russell Wilson does. Welcome Steelers Nation.

 

 

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Steelers Cut Patrick Peterson, Keanu Neal. To Meet Russell Wilson

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With the clock ticking towards free agency Omar Khan continues to make moves to free salary cap space for the Steelers by cutting Keanu Neal and reportedly Patrick Peterson.

  • And Khan is neither being sentimental nor playing it on the safe side.

Khan began the off season by cutting the Steelers punter, their backup quarterback and their number 3 tackle. For an encore he cut the starting center. Now he’s taking a cleaver to the secondary.

Patrick Peterson, Keanu Neal, Chistan Watson, Steelers vs Packers

Patrick Peterson tips an end zone pass to Keanu Neal. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review.

Keanu Neal’s release was somewhat expected. Neal came to the Steelers with a high pedigree but with a questionable injury history. But the Steelers 3 safety package has become more and more important to the defense and with Terrell Edmunds’ departure that opened a role for Neal.

Neal filled the role well, playing in 66% of the Steelers defensive snaps, making his biggest move with the game-saving interception in the Steelers win over the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately it was his last play with the team as he went on injured reserve the following week

The Steelers gave him a physical this week and when he failed granted him his release.

  • The decision to cut Patrick Peterson is more of a surprise.

Peterson is a potential future Hall of Famer who admittedly was closing in on his “Life’s Work” before the Steelers signed him last spring. Peterson became an immediate starter, logging more snaps than any other starter on the defense.

His performance was checkered. At times he appeared to be slowing a step. But he clearly proved to be an asset in other ways, mentoring Joey Porter Jr. and moving over to safety after injuries decimated the position late in the season.

There was speculation that Peterson would move to safety full time in 2024.

Apparently that won’t happen now, at least not in Pittsburgh.

Oh, Yeah About Wilson

The other BIG news ahead of free agency is the report that the Steelers will meet with Russell Wilson. Yes, none other than Russell Wilson who led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship and how the Broncos gave up the store to bring to Denver.

Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Steelers 2022 Training Camp, Steelers St. Vincents 2022

Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett in 2022 at St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The same Russell Wilson that the Broncos will have to pay nearly 40 million dollars to next year no matter what he does.

All of the reports from credible reporters indicated that the Steelers were not interested in bringing one of the veteran free agent quarterbacks to Pittsburgh. Nonetheless, at the combine Omar Khan did clearly state that all options were on the table for improving the Steelers at quarterback.

Khan, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II have all expressed confidence in Kenny Pickett and they’ve all said they want Mason Rudolph back.

  • But Mike Tomlin also insisted that Kenny Pickett would get “competition.”

Questions abound:

  • Would Wilson agree to come to Pittsburgh on the condition that he compete for the starting job?
  • Would Mike Tomlin stage an open competition?
  • Would Wilson even be a good fit for Arthur Smith’s offense?
  • How doe Mason Rudolph factor in? Is part of the reason behind this to pressure him to sign?
  • Does Wilson have something in the tank?

On the latter note, Mike Tomlin does have a history of bringing high-profile athletes to Pittsburgh late in their careers. Plaxico Burress, Michael Vick, and even Joey Galloway serve as examples. While he didn’t do much in his second act in Pittsburgh, Burress did close his career with a touchdown at Heinz Field. Vick had one quarter of football left in him that put the Steelers over the on top vs San Diego on Monday Night Football. And Galloway never saw the field.

Landing on Their Feet

Two recently released Steelers have landed on their feet. Mitch Trubisky signed a two-year deal to return to Buffalo to backup Josh Allen. And the New England Patriots have signed Chukwuma Okorafor.

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

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

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

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

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

Eric Ebron, Saivion Smith, Steelers vs Cowboys

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

Capsule Profile of Eric Ebron’s Career with the Steelers

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

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

  • Both of those tendencies were in display during 2020.

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

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

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

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Eric Ebron

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

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Eric Ebron

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

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

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Eric Ebron

Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bears

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

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

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

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

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

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5 Observations from My 1st Preseason Football Game in 2 Decades as Steelers Beat Eagles

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The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24 to 16 in their 2nd preseason game of the 2021 season. This game also marked my first game of preseason football 20 years after living aboard for that long.

Here are some quick hits from re-encounter with preseason football.

Anthony McFarland, Steelers vs Eagles preseason

Anthony McFarland scores a touchdown. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune-Review

1. It is Good to See Preseason Again

Some will blanch at this, but the statement should come as no surprise given this site’s annual admonitions that we should all appreciate preseason.

  • But the blunt truth is that after reading about so-and-so player for months, it is finally good to see them with my own eyes.

The NFL could and should do more to improve the presentation of this part of its “product” but those comments will come in a future column.

2. Soft in the Middle?

The Eagles had a lot of success throwing to the middle of the field. And Jaylen Hurts wasted little time setting the tone by picking on Devin Bush who was on coverage and gave up a long gain on the second play of the game.

  • One pass play panic does not cause, as Yoda would remind us.

Fair enough. And let’s also remember that this was Bush’s first action since tearing his ACL. But Robert Spillane also looked to be on the wrong end of a lot of completions. And the Eagles had some success running up the middle. During the game the news broke that the Steelers were trading for inside linebacker Joe Schobert.

While this news has been confirmed yet, one can see why there’s interest.

3. Harris Living Up to the Hype?

One of the adages behind those “Grumpy Old Man” “Eat Your Peas and Carrots and Enjoy Preseason Football” articles is simple: Preseason might not tell us much about how good (or bad) the Steelers will be, but it often gives an excellent look at individual players.

But early in preseason it was clear that Jerome Bettis was the real deal, just as it had been equally clear a year earlier that Bam Morris wasn’t up to the task of replacing Barry Foster.

Aside from the analytics addicts who’ll tell you never to draft a running back in the first round, all we’ve heard about 2021 first round pick Najee Harris has been positive.

  • And seeing him with my own eyes I concur.

Sure, his numbers of 2 carries for 10 yards are pretty plain, but he also had two other nice runs called back on penalties. Along those lines, backup running back Anthony McFarland looks like he’s vindicating those who said, “The kid won’t do much as a rookie, but watch out after that.”

4. The Battle to be QB Number 2

The battle to be Ben Roethlisberger’s backup has been one of the bigger stories of training camp. There’ve been conflicting reports as to whether Dwayne Haskins was gaining on Mason Rudolph or not.

  • Honestly, after watching both men against the Eagles, nothing sticks out.

Yes, this goes against the conventional wisdom that Haskins is gaining

Both men put up good numbers. But neither man was exactly throwing against the ’85 Bears. Of the two, Haskins looked a tad bit more decisive. In contrast, save for his long completion to Diontae Johnson, Mason Rudolph looked like Ben Roethlisberger ’20 edition lite.

  • Nearly all of his passes were quick short high percentage dump offs and check downs.

Haskins wasn’t exactly channeling his inner Dan Fouts, but he was more aggressive, and his mobility was an asset. But then again, he wasn’t facing top-line starters. Neither man was inspiring, but that many not mean much. Mike Vick’s numbers during the 2015 preseason were excellent.

  • When the games counted, it was a different story.

In all fairness to Haskins he has led drives that put 30 points on the boards, as opposed to Rudolph’s 0. But in all fairness to Mason Rudolph, he’s been playing against better competition.

Speaking of doing things when it counts, Joshua Dobbs has to be kicking himself. He started the summer on the outside looking in and his reps will be limited. Which makes his ugly interception all the more unfortunate.

5. Berry, Sammuels and Pierre Stepping It Up

After their Hall of Fame game against the Cowboys, Pressley Harvin III was proclaimed as the next “Josh Miller” largely on the strength of his directional punting. Jordan Berry got his shot, and pinned the Eagles into the 20 yard line on his first opportunity.

  • This isn’t to say he’ll win the competition.

As Jim Wexell has reported at Steel City Insider, Berry was cut in favor of Dustin Colquitt last year on orders from way up high. But it does look like competition is bringing out the best in Berry.

  • The same can be said for Jaylen Samuels.

Outside of his wildcat role and spot duty, Jaylen Samuels has been pretty quiet since lighting up the Patriots for over 100 yards at the tail end of the 2018 season.

  • Jaylen Samuels got 10 carries against the Eagles and was targeted once more.

He ran pretty well on those ten carries and turned his one reception into a 17 yard gain. Samuels knows what’s at stake and is playing like it. James Pierre also realizes the opportunity he has in front of him and is stepping it up.

*Now that I remember, I saw a bit of the Steelers-Eagles 2005 preseason game, and also saw about 2 quaters from the Steelers 2019 preseason game against the Titans.

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Attention Steelers Nation: No Need to Let Ben Roethlisberger’s End Mimic Terry Bradhsaw’s Beginning

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I have to admit, I’m starting to understand the Blond Bomber’s beef with the Steel City.

It is no secret that Pittsburgh’s prodigal son, Terry Bradshaw enjoys a tortuous, love-feeling unloved relationship with the Steelers and Steelers Nation. There’s a reason why Tony Defeo’s piece “Wouldn’t It Be Nice If Terry Bradshaw Made Up with the Steelers. For Good…” is one of this site’s top performing inbound articles.

To be clear, I have always and will always defend Terry Bradshaw as a player against those who charge that he was “Dumb” or “just an average quarterback lucky to be on a good team” (if you really believe that, Google “60 Prevent Slot Hook & Go” and tell me an “average” quarterback could make that throw.)

But Bradshaw’s whining about how Chuck Noll or Steelers fans treated him has always fallen flat with me.

  • That is starting to change, a little at least.

And you can thank Ben Roethlisberger for that. Or more precisely, you can thank Steelers Nation’s reaction to Ben Roethlisberger approaching his “Life’s Work” for that.

Ben Roethlisberger, Terry Bradshaw

Image Credit: 274 Sports Pittsburgh

Steelers Nation Turns on Big Ben

There’s no doubt that Ben Roethlisberger is past his prime. Once his signature, he struggles with the long ball. He’s in decline and the only question is can this decline be managed/slowed long enough for the Steelers to squeeze a seventh Lombardi from Number Seven out of his arm?

  • The answer to that could very well be “No.” I get it.

But what I don’t get is the way some fans have turned on him. This tweet provides a perfect taste of what I’m talking about:

So based on his body of work in 2020 Ben Roethlisberger is now “average” or “below average?” Really? Let’s put that hypothesis through a simple exercise.

Can you imagine, Tommy Maddox, Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones, Michael Vick, Mason Rudolph or Devlin Hodges – or all the other quarterbacks that have thrown a pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2004 — starting a playoff game by throwing 3 interceptions in one quarter?

I can, particularly if Diontae Johnson is bouncing letting catchable balls off of his hands towards waiting defensive backs.

Now, can you imagine any of those players going 38-51-3-1 for 435 yards for the rest of the game? In his prime, Vick might have, but by the time he became a Steeler? No way. Neither could any of the others.

  • This is a statement of fact.

Moreover, this statement of fact references Ben Roethlisberger’s current capabilities, not Big Ben of yesteryear. That that’s the rub with treatment Ben Roethlisberger is getting from wide-swaths of fans in Steelers Nation.

  • The idea that Ben Roetlisberger has completely lost it, frankly isn’t fair.

Nor are arguments that suggest Ben Roethlisberger has and will continue to sabotage the offense. Here’s a perfect “Ben is hostile to the running game” quote for Steel City Insider’s message board:

As long as he is around they will not have a run game he is the reason why we lost the 2 playoffs game.

Le'Veon Bell, Le'Veon Bell ball security, Le'Veon Bell fumble, Steelers vs Titans

Le’Veon Bell in 2017 vs. the Titans. Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports

True, Ben’s turnovers represented critical mistakes in both playoff losses. But Le’Veon Bell logged 16 rushes against Jacksonville, and the Steelers defense was AWOL at turn-key moments in both defeats. So Ben was hardly “the reason why we lost the 2 playoff games.”

This “Ben hates the run” mentality extends to the regular season as well as evidenced by another comment from the same message board:

I’d only be willing to do this if he agreed to run an offense that DOESN’T throw 600 passes a year with at least 350 of them short of the first down line. I don’t want to watch this ridiculous offense he has insisted on running since 2018.

Objectively, he’s got the numbers going for him. But the key phrase above is “offense he has insisted on running since 2018.” Really? If Ben was “insisting” on running a pass-heavy offense, then why was James Conner was on track to have a 378 touch season until it became clear that the Le’Veon Bell holdout would be permanent?

The Steelers abandonment of the run in 2018, 2018 and 2019 for that matter was driven by necessity not desire. Ben Roethlisberger may not have objected to this, but it certainly wasn’t his decision.

No Need to End Big Ben’s Time the Way Bradshaw Began His

This post began by referencing the rift between Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers. That’s a one sided rift if there ever was one. If Terry Bradshaw ever decided to “come home,” fans in Pittsburgh and Steelers Nation at large would embrace him with enough enthusiasm to put the Prodigal Son’s father to shame.

  • But it is also true that early in his career, the fans were brutal on Bradshaw.

That brutal treatment left a scar on Bradshaw’s soul that he’s unable heal because he’s unwilling to heal it. But the scar never should have been made in the first place.

  • In contrast, the team, the city and the fans embraced Ben Roethlisberger from the moment he arrived.
  • His early career isn’t marred by scars, but adulation.

The cross roads that Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at is a difficult one. There’s no need to complicate things with criticisms and characterizations that simply aren’t true. Just as there’s no need to end Ben Roethlisberger’s career by adding the type of scars that marked Terry Bradshaw’s beginning.

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Steelers Signing Dwayne Haskins Isn’t as Strange as it Sounds. In Fact, Its Quite in Character.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers made their first attention catching move of the 2021 off season when they signed former Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins to a reserve/futures contract. Dwayne Haskins played for Ohio State and was the 15th pick of first round pick of Washington in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was the third quarterback taken in the first round that year.

  • While Haskins draft pedigree and his athleticism are tremendous, his NFL resume underwhelms.
Dwayne Haskins, Pittsburgh Steelers

Dwayne Haskins signs his futures contract with the Steelers. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Haskins made 7 starts in 2019 and 6 and 2020 and compiled a 3-10 record, throwing 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. But Haskins was known to be a project coming out of college, and his high draft status was largely a product of pushing for Daniel Snyder for Washington to take the player over his coaches’ objections.

Growing pains are nothing new for rookie NFL quarterbacks (just look up Terry Bradshaw’s early career passing stats) but Haskins created problems for himself off the field.

As the Washington Post’s Les Carpenter detailed, Haskins was chronically late to meetings, refused to study his playbook, had poor practice habits and was seen breaking COVID-19 protocols by partying maskless.

In a nutshell, he’s the type of player the Steelers normally avoid. So why is he in Pittsburgh?

Mike Tomlin’s Fascination with Athletes, Extra “Camp Arm” Nothing New

To put the Dwayne Haskins in context, remember two things about Mike Tomlin:

  • Superior athletes fascinate him
  • He believes in “camp arms” and in keeping 3 quarterbacks

Quick trivia question: Where was Joey Galloway’s NFL home between New England and Washington? If you guessed the Pittsburgh, you guessed right. The Steelers signed him at the tail end of 2009, although Galloway never played a game in Black and Gold.

Plax ultimately joined the Jets, but returned to Pittsburgh in mid-2012, catching a touchdown for his final NFL pass. Word was that when Mike Vick got out of prison Tomlin wanted to do the same but got overruled by the Rooneys.

  • Like Burress, Vick eventually found his way to Pittsburgh.

When Charlie Batch broke is collarbone at St. Vincents in 2008, he brought former first rounders Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich to Pittsburgh for workouts immediately. Lefwich of course stayed.

A year later, when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a concussion against Kansas City and Charlie Batch broke his wrist, the Steelers worked out (but did not sign) former first round pick Patrick Ramsey.

Although he wasn’t a first rounder, with 10 NFL starts to his name Zach Mettenberger served as the Steelers third string quarterback in 2016. One quarterback who first rounder in the 2016 NFL Draft Paxton Lynch, who served as the Steelers 3rd string quarterback in 2019 behind Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges.

Devlin Hodges of course came to Pittsburgh as nothing more than a camp arm, and one who earned his shot via the Steelers rookie mini-camp. As Mark Kabloy suggests in The Athletic, Haskins isn’t anything other than a camp arm.

His arrival likely does spell the end of Devlin Hodges time in Pittsburgh, but signals nothing about the Roethlisberger era, the Steelers plans for Mason Rudolph and the 2021 NFL Draft, nor does it preclude Joshua Dobbs’ return.

Mike Tomlin has taken a flier on a “camp arm” albeit with a bit more upside then most “camp arms,” but he’s still a “camp arm.”

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