Tag Archives: Neil O’Donnell

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 Draft Drew Allar, Quarterback from Penn State in 3rd Round of 2026 NFL Draft

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The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with the first of their 3 third round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

In doing so, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy continued to stick close to the Steelers 2026 Draft Needs Matrix. Wide receiver was the top need, quarterback their second with offensive tackle coming in third.

Drew Allar quarterbacking for Penn State against North Western in his final collegiate game.

Steelers Drew Allar, the Steelers 2026 3rd round pick. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, AP, via the Post-Gazette.

With their first pick the Steelers drafted offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, in the second round they traded up to take wide receiver Germie Bernard and now in the third round they’ve added a quarterback.

  • Just one year ago draft analysist touted Drew Allar as a potential first round prospect.

However, he injured his ankle while scrambling during the 4th quarter of Penn State’s October 11th 22-22 loss to Northwestern. The injury ended his season and cost Allar a chance to make up inconsistent performance which had already caused scouts to question his worthiness of first round status.

Roy Countryman of Big Country Scouting ranked Allar as one of his 4th round value picks, describing him as perhaps “the most enigmatic prospect in this year’s draft class.” Countryman praises Allar’s athletic traits and explains this enigmatic diagnosis this way:

…Is adept between the ears as he can process coverage schemes and reads at a quality rate and is a sturdy presence in the pocket who will stand tall and deliver passes to his receivers….

…What frustrates too often is that you see the flashes of Allar’s high points, but he makes some highly questionable decisions and his accuracy can wane under duress or when he’s out of rhythm. His footwork is a trainwreck, which causes some of his touch issues.

Steelers quarterback’s coach Tom Arth conceded that Allar’s footwork needs attention, while praising the Penn State signal caller as someone with the size and strength for “…playing the physical brand of football that it is in the AFC North.”

Steel City Insider’s Matt C. Steel share with Steel Curtain Rising the he also had Allar pegged as a 4th rounder explaining that he’s “Worth trying to develop his measurables by round four if the rest of these players are off the board.”

Watch Drew Allar Highlights: Steelers 2026 3rd Round Pick

Drew Allar was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions and went 26-9 career in his 35 starts.

Here’s a look at his highlight reel, where you can see Allar’s impressive arm-strength, mobility and pocket presence on display.

Drew Allar’s flashes are easy to see. The question is whether the Mike McCarthy, Brian Angelichio Tom Arth can transform those flashes into consistent NFL quarterback play.

Does Drew Allar Reshape the Steelers’ 2026 Quarterback Room…?

By drafting Drew Allar, the Steelers have added a third quarterback to their roster in addition to Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. The proverbial “Elephant in the room” is of course Aaron Rodgers‘ absence.

Throughout the off season, the Steelers brass, from Art Rooney II to Omar Khan to Mike McCarthy have expressed optimism on the record that Rodgers will sign with the team. They’ve backed this up with obvious off the record assurances to reporters.

And Tom Arth doubled down on this narrative confirming, “I don’t believe that has any impact on Aaron.”

If Arth is right, that gives the Steelers a numbers problem. Before the draft the idea of having Rodgers backed up by a veteran (Rudolph) and a developmental prospect (Howard) was straightforward.

Now the Steelers have two developmental prospects. Mike McCarthy has already said he can manage the development of two young players simultaneously.

  • But keeping 4 quarterbacks present Pittsburgh with a math problem.

Yes, the Steelers have kept 4 quarterbacks twice before. In’95, they kept Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart. The plan worked well, as all four quarterbacks threw passes that season, and the “Slash” phenomenon helped fuel the 1995 Steelers run to Super Bowl XXX.

Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak, 1999 Steelers

Kordell Stewart and Mike Tomlin in the late 1990s.

Moreover, Tomczak, Miller and Stewart all did stints as the Steelers starting QB following O’Donnell’s departure in free agency.

They also kept four quarterbacks at the end of the decade when they carried with Stewart, Tomcazk, Pete Gonzalez and Anthony Wright on their roster for the duration of the 1999 season. But after the ’99 neither Tomcazk, nor Gonzalez nor Wright ever wore a Steelers uniform again.

The Steelers kept 4 quarterbacks in 1995 because of their collective strength, whereas in 1999 it revealed the group’s weakness.

The challenge, for Drew Allar as well as Will Howard isn’t just to force Mike McCarthy into a difficult math problem, but to do so from a position of strength.

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

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

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

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

Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Steelers vs Bears

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

Capsule Profile of Kenneth Gainwell’s Career with the Steelers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

  • Kenneth Gainwell authored a different kind of MVP campaign.

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

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

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

The Case for the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He’s someone the Steelers can and should resign.

The Case Against the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

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

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

Please.

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

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

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Kenneth Gainwell

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

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

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

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

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

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Steelers Shake Up Secondary: Ramsey’s Move to Safety Recalls 2000 Turnaround After Thornhill Cut

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Twin above the line performances against good offenses isn’t about to make Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin complacent when it comes to strengthening a struggling Steelers secondary.

The sting of the loss to the San Dieg er um, Los Angles Chargers was still fresh when the news broke that the Steelers had claimed Sebastian Castro off of waivers.

  • That wasn’t surprising.
  • The Steelers liked Castro and hadn’t wanted to lose him from the practice squad.

But cutting Juan Thornhill to make room for Castro was a bit of a surprise. After all, they’d thought enough of Thornhill in the off season to return Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins.

Sebastian Castro, Garrett Greene, Steelers vs Buccaneers preseason

Sebastian Castro makes a tackle in preseason. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, IMGAN Images via Dearoldgold.com

Prior to cutting Thornhill and claiming Castro off of waivers, Mike Tomlin had already benched him and shifted Jalen Ramsey to safety so the secondary shakeup was already in motion.

This sequence got the grey matter churning back to memories of a similar move at safety a long time ago and to the larger question of how much impact one person can have on the overall performance of a defense.

Echos of the 2000 Turnaround?

Today Steelers Nation remembers the 1999 NFL Draft for bringing Joey Porter Sr. and Aaron Smith to Pittsburgh. Add two players like that in a single draft, and you’ve done well, no bones about it.

  • But the early take on the 1999 wasn’t so good and Scott Shields was one of the main reasons.

Having lost had lost Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake in rapid succession and with Darren Perry aging rapidly, the Steelers went into the 1999 draft needing to bolster safety. And to do that Tom Donahoe and Bill Cowher took Scott Shields in the 2nd round.

Shields came from Weber State, so the move surprised people. Washington, DC radio journalist Ken Beatrice decried the Steelers pick of Shields as “inexplicable.” Still, Shields boasted an uber-athletic profile who even might be able to place kick in a pinch. Somebody at Three Rivers Stadium head Shields in high regard as they issued him Number 47.

Scott Shields, Tony Banks, Steelers vs Ravens

Scott Shields sacks Tony Banks. Photo Credit: Bigskyconf.com

Shields appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and made 4 interceptions, batted away 6 passes and even recorded a sack. Those flashes were one of the few signs of hope during a dismal 6-10 1999 Steelers season.

The 2000 Steelers opened with a brutal loss to Baltimore at home, followed by a last-second loss to Cleveland on the road that featured, among other things, Tim Couch leading his team down the field late in the 4th quarter for a go-ahead score.

Bill Cowher and Tim Lewis relieved Shields of his starting duties after that game.

A week later saw the Steelers lead the Titans for almost an entire game until Jason Gildon knocked out Neil O’Donnell, bringing in Steve McNair, who only needed 3 passes and 2 runs to pull the Titans ahead.

  • Shields, who’d been relegated to playing in the dime, got benched outright after week three.

Week four saw the Steelers travel to Jacksonville, where their dominating defense set the tone for the coming decade by upsetting the Jaguars.

Shortly afterwards, Tim McMillen, perhaps the pioneer of the Steelers blogging community, made an observation along the lines of, “I don’t want to scapegoat anyone, but has anyone noticed how much better the defense has been since Scott Shields started riding the pine full time?”

For his part, Shields would appear on special teams for 7 more games in 2000 before going on IR in November and got cut in 2001. After that he’d spend time on training camp rosters for the Bills, Dolphins and Chiefs, but he never played another down of NFL football.

Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward, Steelers vs Bengals

Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward in the playoff win against the Bengals. Photo Credit: Tony Tribble, AP via Al.com

The 2000 Pittsburgh Steelers continued to improve, but missed the playoffs. At the time, few could read between the 9-7 lines to see that with Alan Faneca, Hines Ward, Deshea Townsend, Smith and Porter Pittsburgh was assembling the core of two Super Bowl teams.

Ramsey as a Difference Maker to be Put to the Test

When the history of the 2025 Steelers season is written, no one will finger Sebastian Castro’s return as the moment the secondary turned a corner.

  • Mike Tomlin’s decision to move Jalen Ramsey to safety may be a different story.

In Juan Thornhill’s last two starts a free safety the Steelers gave up a combined 702 yards to Joe Flacco and Jordan Love. Since Ramsey moved to safety, the Steelers have given up 562 to Daniel Jones and Justin Herbert – with a good chunk of Jones’ yards coming in garbage time.

Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Warren, Steelers vs Colts

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

To paraphrase my old friend Tim McMillen, “…I don’t want to scapegoat Tornhill or anything like that, but with him out and Jalen Ramsey at safety, the defense seems to be better.”

Better it has been. But with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins coming to down, the biggest test of Ramsey moving to safety is yet to come.

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Was the Steelers 2025 Offseason Really That Unprecedented?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stripping Down the D.K. Metcalf Trade

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

Sounds familiar, right?

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

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

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

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

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

Distilling the “Sleep Walking Through the 2025 Draft” Ditty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, And About the Steelers Quarterback Situation… 

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

That about describes what happened, doesn’t it?

Neil O'Donnell, Barry Foster

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

  • Of course the analogy’s imperfect.

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

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

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

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

Angst for who?

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

No, they didn’t.

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

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

Putting the Steelers 2025 Off Season in Perspective

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

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

  • Now, will their strategy succeed?

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

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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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Even a Theoretical Van Jefferson Return to the Steelers Is Hard to See

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New coaches bringing players from their old teams is a time-honored tradition in sports. Steve Spurrier loaded Washington with players who’d starred for him at Florida. Rick Pitino brought so many players from Kentucky to Boston that people quipped about them being “The Boston Wildcats.”

  • Several players that Arthur Smith had worked with in Atlanta followed him to Pittsburgh.

Van Jefferson was the biggest name. Now that his one year deal is almost up, the Steelers need to decide whether there’s anything they saw that gives them a hint of a reason to ask him back.

Van Jefferson, Steelers vs Ravens

Van Jefferson catches a 30 yard touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Profile of Van Jefferson’s Steelers Career

Omar Khan signed Van Jefferson with the hope was that the Steelers would either sign, draft or trade for a wide receiver to replace Diontae Johnson, whom they’d traded 3 days before. Those hopes never came to fruition.

That opened the door for Van Jefferson to realize the potential he’d shown while catching passes as a starting wideout for the 2021 Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams. After all, someone had to take advantage of the double teams that George Pickens was going to draw.

Right?

Van Jefferson started 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2024 season. He caught 24 passes on 40 targets and 2 touchdowns totaling 276 yards.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Van Jefferson

OK. This one’s rough. Even if this is a theoretical exercise.

2024 was a tough year for the Steelers offense. The unit experienced a lot of growing pains in several different spots on the depth chart. Van Jefferson might not have proven himself to be a true number NFL number 2 wideout, but he could be a real asset as a number 3 or 4 receiver.

After all, Jefferson posted the highest catch rate of his career. …Didn’t he?

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Van Jefferson

24 pass receptions in 17 starts.

When it was clear early in 2024 that the Steelers wide receivers would struggle all season long, this Steelers scribe mused about “longing for the days of Charles Lockett, Dwight Stone and Derek Hill.”

IF only we had been so lucky. Number don’t lie. And remember, these stats came from an offense that was hard-wired to run first:

  • In 5 starts for the 1988 Steelers, Lockett hauled in 22 catches and 1 touchdown
  • In 8 starts on the NFL’s worst offense, Hill logged 28 passes for the 1989 Steelers
  • Dwight Stone managed 41 catches starting 15 games for the 1993 Steelers

And it was that 1993 campaign that led coaches to conclude that Stone really wasn’t a viable NFL wide receiver (he caught 8 more passes in the next 7 seasons.)

And unlike those players, Van Jefferson had the benefit of an 11th overall draft pick in Justin Fields and a Super Bowl winner in Russell Wilson throwing to him. Yet he only managed to catch 24 passes. Lockett, Hill and Stone were catching their passes from the likes of Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Todd Blackledge, Steve Bono and Neil O’Donnell.

There is no reason for Van Jefferson ever to don a Black and Gold uniform again. Period.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Van Jefferson

It’s not Van Jefferson’s fault that the Steelers never found a legit number 2 to take heat off of George Pickens, but the experiment certainly gave them a large enough sample size to know that Jefferson is not part of the answer at wideout, even at the veteran minimum.

  • Perhaps he can be another team’s number 3 or 4 pass grabber.

But after what we saw from Van Jefferson in 2024, it is obvious that the Steelers would be better suited using his roster spot to an undrafted rookie free agent who might, say, turn into the next Nate Washington or, dare we say, the next Dwight Stone.

Either would be an upgrade on what they had from Van Jefferson in 2024.

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Steelers Won’t Use Justin Fields as a Modern Day “Slash.” That’s OK.

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What’s next for Justin Fields and the Steelers?

Fields heads into the Cleveland Browns visit to Acrisure Stadium having finally executed a game-changing play with his run and slide to set up the victory formation in the win at Cincinnati.

  • As they say, the third time’s the charm.
Justin Fields, Steelers vs Bengals

Justin Fields slides to seal the win. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

But that’s the second time the Steelers have used Fields in that fashion to close out a game and one has to wonder how successful the Steelers will be if they keep going to that well.

After hearing talk of how rotating Fields in and out with Russell Wilson was disrupting the offense following the loss to the Browns, yours truly had a mind to write something reminding everyone that even Kordell Stewart took time to become “Slash” back in 1995.

That desire only intensified after Ben Roethlisberger’s suggestion that Arthur Smith start using Fields as a wide receiver.

  • Alas, if desire to write abounded, time did not.

So the “Chill Out about Justin Fields Steelers Nation, ‘Slash’ Didn’t Become Slash’ in a Day” article never saw light. And the football universe has reminded me time and time again, sometimes NOT having time to develop an idea into an article can be your best friend.

On December 1st a reader asked why the Steelers weren’t using Justin Fields as a “Slash,” and Labriola explained that Kordell Stewart’s status as a 4th string quarterback is what allowed him to become “Slash” in the first place.

  • That’s a small, but decidedly non-trivial detail.

When the Steelers drafted Stewart in 1995, Neil O’Donnell and Mike Tomczak were entrenched as QB’s 1 and 2, and fans were already referring to Jim Miller as “Our Future” thanks to his play in the 1994 preseason.

Kordell Stewart, Kordell Stewart Slash, Steelers vs Jaguars

Kordell Stewart lines of up his first NFL carry. “Slash” was about to be born. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

A few injuries at St. Vincents that summer created an opening at wide receiver during training camp, with Stewart filing in at wide out. When the 1995 regular season started, the Steelers kept 4 quarterbacks. (What a wise move – in the season opener O’Donnell, Tomcazk AND Miller all saw action – and this was AFTER losing Rod Woodson.)

But Kordell Stewart didn’t dress or play until week 7, when he ran a few plays as a decoy wide out in a Thursday Night Loss to Cincinnati, he got carries the next week in a win over Jacksonville, the following week he got his first catch in Chicago, and then a week later against Cleveland he threw his first pass and the “Slash” phenomenon helped lead the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX kicked into full gear.

After Neil O’Donnell left in free agency the next year Stewart was unable to win the starting job, and began Steelers 1996 season in a toned down “Slash” role. But as the leaves changed colors and the temperature dropped, Stewart passed Miller on the depth chart.

And at that moment, Bill Cowher ended Kordell’s days as Slash, citing his need to be ready to take over the offense at a moment’s notice.

  • Which is the exact same place that Justin Fields finds himself today.

Fields has already shown he be a weapon in this offense. To be truly dynamic, Arthur Smith needs to establish him as a true double threat throwing the ball. But sending Justin Fields out running pass routes just isn’t realistic.

Sending Russell Wilson down field as O’Donnell would occasionally (and humorously) do in 1995 would be outright foolish.

So while Justin Fields can do some damage as a spot QB, he’ll never be a true “Slash” like the one we saw in days of lore. And that’s OK.

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Rumors of the Death of the “Steelers Way” Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

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Sometimes things change fast on the South Side. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are in Pittsburgh, while Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett are in Buffalo, Tennessee and Philadelphia.

In the blink of an eye, Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin have remade the Steelers quarterback room in Nietzschean fashion.

SteelersNOW’s Alan Saunders proclaimed, “These are not your Father’s Pittsburgh Steelers.” On Steel City Insider, Jim Wexell looked back to the Buddy Parker era – the last time the Steelers completely remade the quarterback room year-on and year-out, and reminded us that these might be your grandfather’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

More than one commentator has said that these changes prove that the Steelers have fundamentally changed the way they work.

It may feel that way.

But reports of the death of “The Steelers Way” are greatly exaggerated. Let’s explore why.

Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson’s first Steelers press conference. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

Yes, This IS a Big Change

Let’s embrace the obvious. The Steelers QB depth chart now reads:
1. Russell Wilson
2. Justin Fields
3. TBD

Precisely NO ONE saw this coming. No one.

Even coming out of the NFL combine the safe money was on Kenny Pickett’s “competition” being Ryan Tannehill. Not only did the Steelers reel in two of the bigger fish in the market, they moved on from Kenny Pickett faster than they’ve moved on from any first round draft pick since Huey Richardson in 1992.

  • For a franchise steeped in stability, that’s a lot of change.

But if you look at consider the moves that Omar Khan has made in the larger context of Steelers history, you’ll find plenty of precedent.

The Myth of Steelers Standing Pat @ Quarterback

If you asked GenAI or some other bot to neatly summarize modern era Steelers quarterback history you could easily get an answer like this:

The Steelers drafted Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw in 1970. Despite seeing a series of bad, average and “good” quarterbacks follow Bradshaw, the Pittsburgh Steelers move to get another franchise quarterback until drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.

  • Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Perfect for our world of Twitterized communication. Except its wrong.

Not drafting Dan Marino was a grave mistake. The Steelers also could have tried to get Steve Young’s rights in the 1984 Supplemental Draft and would have been better off with Brett Favre instead of Huey Richardson in 1991.

But after missing on Marino, those basically the Steelers only two chances to draft a franchise quarterback until 2001 when they took Casey Hampton instead of Drew Brees.

  • Meanwhile, Chuck Noll, Tom Donahoe and Kevin Colbert did exactly as Omar Khan has done this past spring.

Despite having invested a first round draft pick in Mark Malone, Chuck Noll traded a third round pick for David Woodley. After dealing Malone for an 8th round pick, Noll traded a 4th to Kansas City to bring Todd Blackledge to Pittsburgh.

Bubby Brister, Chuck Noll, Bubby Brister super tecmo bowl raiting, Steelers 1988

Chuck Noll and Bubby Brister. Photo Credit: Mike Powell, Getty Images

Bubby Brister beat out Blackledge for the starting role in 1988. A year later Brister and 1989 Steelers “shocked the world” by upsetting the Houston Oilers in the playoffs, finishing a bad snap and a dropped pass away from a trip to the AFC Championship.

Yet, Chuck Noll thought that Neil O’Donnell was a first round talent and would have drafted him there in 1990 had Bill Nunn and Dick Haley not assured him O’Donnell would be there in the 3rd.

Get that? The franchise had a 2-year starter at QB who’d just won the franchise’s first playoff game in 5 years, and yet Noll was ready to take another quarterback in the first round.

O’Donnell would of course eventually beat Brister for the starting job, and led the 1994 Steelers to AFC Championship game. Pittsburgh lost in a stunning upset, but people forget O’Donnell broke a few AFC Championship passing records on that dreary day.

  • So what did Tom Donahoe do?

He drafted Kordell Stewart in the 2nd round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Kordell Stewart saw his ups and downs as Steelers quarterback, leading Kevin Colbert to sign Kent Graham to compete with him.

Kordell Stewart, Steelers vs Raiders

Kordell shrugs off injury to lead 2nd half rally. Photo Credit: Getty Images via Twitter

Stewart lost but ultimately re-gained the starting role for the 2000 Steelers leading them to a 9-7 record. Yet, Kevin Colbert still took a flyer on XFL “star” Tommy Maddox. Stewart was voted MVP of the 2001 Steelers and appeared to have finally turned a corner. That didn’t stop Colbert for signing Charlie Batch when the Lions surprisingly cut him in the spring of 2002.

  • The Steelers have been criticized for not having a coherent succession plan for Ben Roethlisberger.

No real argument there. Anyone think that no one on the South Side regrets taking Terrell Edmunds over Lamar Jackson?

But along the way the Steelers did take flyers on Zach Mettenberger, Paxton Lynch and Dwayne Haskins, one former part time starter and two former first round picks.

What IS Different

As you can see, Terry Bradshaw began his “Life’s work” the Steelers actively tried to improve at quarterback. Sometimes this has taken the form of (largely unsuccessful) quarterback reclamation projects.

At other times they’ve invested premium draft picks in quarterbacks despite having an incumbent starter – starters who’d been more successful than Kenny Pickett.

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan, Photo Credit: Nola.com

In contrast, Omar Khan has brought an aging veteran in at the veteran minimum and given up a conditional 6th round draft pick to bring in 2021’s 11th overall pick to Pittsburgh on his rookie contract.

Compared to moves to bring Woodley, Blackledge, O’Donnell and Stewart to Pittsburgh, Khan is downright conservative compared to his predecessors.

  • The critical difference or the “independent variable” if you will is Kenny Pickett.

To be sure, the arrivals of these new quarterbacks to Pittsburgh didn’t spawn Cumbia-like moments at St. Vincents. But all of the signal callers in question handled the prospect of competition with far more professionalism and maturity than did Kenny Pickett.

Which is why he’s in Philadelphia facing at least two years of clipboard holding.

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5 (Not So) Random Reflections on the Final 3 Weeks of the Steelers 2023 Season

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Welcome back! Steel Curtain Rising has been dark since the s loss to the Colts before Christmas.

Although I was in the United States for the last three weeks of the regular season, I only caught ½ of a the Steelers last game. In another point of my life, that would have been unacceptable. But this time, it was OK. I’ll detail the reasons why at the end.

Of course I’ve followed the Steelers on a daily basis, watched highlights from each of their three victories, and the overall experience has left me with 5 insights to share.

Mason Rudolph, Steelers vs. Seahawks, Najee Harris

Mason Rudoph and Najee Harris during the Steelers 2023 win over the Seahawks. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

1. You Should Trust Your Instincts

Instinct informed me that things had taken a bad turn the moment Kenny Pickett got hurt against the Cardinals. And instinct held a lot of truth. The Steelers imploded on both sides of the ball following that failed 4th and one attempt.

  • Worse yet, they suffered a weather delay.

My guts screamed for me to do something else rather than wait out the storm until the game resumed. But I didn’t want to sacrifice time as I wanted to get my article written in time to publish Monday morning.

The Steelers of course found a way to lose against the Patriots. Just as Chuck Noll beat Bill Belichick in his retirement finale, Billy B. leaves the Patriots having owned the Steelers. The Steelers were playing the Colts 3 days before I was set to leave for the States.

My wife had wanted to pack on that Saturday (traveling light is not an art we’ve yet to master), but I begged off, wanting to watch the game in part to ensure I could get the post-game article written. I could have watched the game on delay and perhaps accomplished the same thing.

  • Alas I did not. (Yeah, hindsight is 20/20.)

And the Steelers posted one of their worst efforts of the Tomlin era. What a waste of time. (My wife would agree. Enthusiastically.)

2. You Should Trust Your Instincts. Until You Shouldn’t

The Steelers would play 3 games during the second Christmas I’d spend in the US since 2000. That last year I made a point of trekking to the legendary Purple Goose Saloon on Christmas Eve to watch the 2000 Steelers finale against the San Diego Chargers.

  • I made the right decision.

The Steelers won and then I got to watch Bubby Brister come in for Daunte Culpepper and, in his final game in the NFL, once again keep the Steelers out of the playoffs. But I knew I was headed to Argentina and visits to the Purple Goose would be spare after that (I got to the Goose two more times.) And I made it home in plenty of time for Midnight Mass, where the beloved Fr. Adam Kostic would deliver his final Christmas eve sermon.

Tom Moore, Bubby Brister, 1989 Steelers

Tom Moore and Bubby Brister at Three Rivers Stadium in 1989. Photo Credit: Locallife.com

In 2023, watching the Steelers wasn’t a priority. I’d planned to see the Bengals game. But COVID had other ideas. As I was sitting at the Dr.’s office Patient First in Aspin Hill, Maryland as the Steelers were taking the field against the Bengals.

I couldn’t see the game, but my WhatsApp exploded with commentaries from the Steelers Groups I’m in. It was obvious things were going well.

  • That was welcome. And surprising.

But only to a point. I’d thought back to the December 26th Steelers-Panthers match up, the penultimate game of the 1999 Steelers. The Steelers started slowly, then when the snow hit Jerome Bettis took over Three Rivers Stadium, and the Steelers dominated thereafter.

They lost next week – this was the games that saw Bobby Shaw’s Superman shirt and Levon Kirkland getting muscled out of bounds by Neil O’Donnell on an interception return. So I chalked the win over the Cincinnati Bengals up as a blip.

  • The Steelers New Year’s eve game against the Seahawks didn’t pose much of a quandary.

The Steelers never win in Seattle. I remember the 1993 Steelers post-Christmas game there, where Jon Vaughn (who? That’s the point) gouged a flu stricken, Greg Lloyd-less Steelers for 131 yards (John L. Williams tacked on 86 more, for good measure.)

I was better from COVID and my wife wanted to spend some time in downtown DC. So to the District of Columbia we went.

  • So I thought nothing of missing the game and, viola, the Steelers won.

I was in New York City for the regular season finale. The wife of my good friend from high school was the curator of an art exhibition in Jersey and invited us to the opening. Needless to say we went. We made it back to the hotel in time for me to catch most of the 2nd half against the Ravens.

I was impressed. The previous two weeks hadn’t been a mirage. I’m glad I caught Diontae Johnson’s interception, Eric Rowe’s forced fumble and Markus Golden’s sack.

3. Trust Mike Tomlin, Not the Pundits

Everyone knows that George Pickens had been a lighting rod for criticism. And for good reason. The guy mailed in when he wasn’t featured on a play. His failure to block for Jaylen Warren was inexcusable. His response was worse.

Listening to legends Ed Bouchette and Vic Ketchman on Jim Wexell’s podcast during COVID isolation, I fully agreed that the Steelers needed to cut their losses with Pickens. Indeed, I had the time but not the energy to write an article saying the Steelers should bench him for the balance of the season.

  • Once again, it is a good thing Mike Tomlin doesn’t listen to me.

Mike Tomlin has a way with young men. He’s far from infallible (see Martavis Bryant). But he can often shepherd them on the path to maturity. For now at least, he’s done it with George Pickens. Pickens burned the Bengals, singed the Seahawks, and then delivered some devastating blocks against the Ravens.

Yeah, Mike knew what he was doing.

4. The Steelers 3 Quarterback System Works

Self-styled NFL personnel experts argue that salary cap dynamics dictate that investing in a veteran backup quarterback is a waste. As for the third string quarterback? Most people will tell you he doesn’t matter.

  • Most people are wrong.
steelers 2019 season, T.J. Watt, Mason Rudolph, Maurkice Pouncey, Zach Banner

The Pittsburgh Steelers sharpened their focus on team in 2019. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

Omar Khan opened the 2023 off season saying that the Steelers had, “Left the door open for Mason Rudolph.” Few paid attention. Yet, when the Steelers resigned Mason Rudolph it was treated as a “surprise.”

And Rudolph looked to be nothing more than a clip board holder. Until he wasn’t. The NFL is all about stepping up when you get your opportunity. And Mason stepped up. For the first time since he arrived it Pittsburgh, you could see why Kevin Colbert had a first round grade on him.

Oh, and even before he came on gang busters in his first start since the tie vs the Lions in 2020, Mason Rudolph had already proved something else: The Mike Tomlin has ushered in the Golden Age of Steelers 3rd string quarterbacks.

5. Take a Page for the Rooney’s: Focus on Family

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 watching Steelers games wasn’t a high priority when I arrived in Maryland, it became an even lower one quickly. Between COVID, my sister-in-law’s father losing a brief battle with pneumonia (and Donald Hay was a great guy) and some other issues, it clear was that I should follow Dan Rooney’s lead: Focus on the family.

I distinctly remember one of his sons being interviewed, it may have been Dan Rooney Jr. but I can’t be sure, explaining that not only did Dan Rooney focus on academics rather than sports when it came to bringing up his children, he made time to speak to each of his 9 children about their day every evening during dinner.

The same child also mentioned that he didn’t even know what his father did for a living until he was in his pre-teen years. That’s because Dan Rooney, at his core, was a family man. Dan always put his family first.

  • I took that lesson to heart on this trip, focused on family and missed three Steelers wins because of it.

And I’m confident that, looking down from heaven, both Dan Rooney and his father Art Rooney Sr. would wholeheartedly agree with me that this was the best decision I could have made.

Go Steelers. Let’s upset the Bills 1989 style!

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