Tag Archives: Yahya Black

5 Quick Takes on the Steelers Initial 2026 53-Man Roster

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It took 2 trades, cuts of four experienced veterans, 1 surprise injured reserve designation and an unorthodox quarterback decision, but Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy have assembled the Pittsburgh Steelers initial 53 man roster for the 2026 season.

Here are 5 quick takes on their roster decisions which come after a look at the initial roster in its entirety.

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

The Initial Pittsburgh Steelers 53 Man Roster

Quarterbacks (4)

Aaron Rodgers
Mason Rudolph
Will Howard
Drew Allar

Running Backs (4)

Jaylen Warren
Rico Dowdle
Eli Heidenreich, Running Back/Wide Receiver
Riley Nowakowski, Fullback

Offensive Line (9)

Troy Fautanu
Mason McCormick
Zach Frazier
Spencer Anderson
Dylan Cook
Max Iheanachor
Gennings Dunker
Brock Hoffman
Ryan McCollum

Tight Ends (3)

Pat Freiermuth
Darnell Washington
Robert Tonyan

Wide Receivers (6)

D.K. Metcalf
Michael Pittman Jr
Roman Wilson
Germie Bernard
Ben Skowronek
Kaden Wetjen

Defensive Line (7)

Cam Heyward
Keeanu Benton
Derrick Harmon
Yahya Black
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Gabriel Rubio
Kevin Jobity Jr.

Linebackers (8)

T.J. Watt
Alex Highsmith
Patrick Queen
Payton Wilson
Nick Herbig
Jack Sawyer
Carson Bruener
Cole Holcomb

Cornerbacks (5)

Jalen Ramsey
Joey Porter Jr.
Jamel Dean
Asante Samuel Jr.
Brandin Echols
Daylen Everette

Safeties (3)

Jaquan Brisker
Robert Spears-Jennings
Rayshawn Jenkins

Specialists (3)

Chris Boswell, kicker
Cameron Johnston, punter
Christian Kuntz, long snapper

Injured Reserve Designated Return

DeShon Elliott, safety
Jack Driscoll, offensive line

1. Take Mike McCarthy at His Word on 4 Quarterbacks

When Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar were the only 3 quarterbacks during OTA’s Mike McCarthy affirmed that “4 quarterbacks would be awesome.” He meant it. For the third time in 21 years, the Steelers are keeping 4 quarterbacks on their initial roster. In 1995 they did it from a position of strength, in 1999 they did it from a position of weakness.

This time it is somewhere in between, but given the dynamics of the room, McCarthy is making the right move by keeping 4 quarterbacks.

2. There’s No Numbers in Safety

The most concerning personnel move the Steelers made was to put DeShaun Elliott on the injured reserve list. Sebastian Castro got cut while Donte Kent is on the PUP list.

That leaves the Steelers with 3 safeties, one of whom is a 7th round pick and another 9-year veteran on his 6th team.

Mike McCarthy has talked about using Jalen Ramsey as a Charles Woodson like chess-piece. I suspect he’ll start 2026 the way he finished 2025 – working as a strong safety.

Jalen Ramsey and DeShone Elliott at St. Vincents in the summer of 2025.

Jalen Ramsey and DeShone Elliott at St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images, via SI.com.

3. Steelers Lean into the “Fail Fast” Principle

The first major move that Omar Khan and McCarthy made was to deal 2023’s first round pick Broderick Jones off to Dallas, after just 3 seasons with the Steelers. The duo didn’t stop there, shipping off 2025’s 3rd round pick Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay for a 6th round pick.

During the spring McCarthy promised Johnson a clean slate moving in 2026. And he clearly got a long-look early in training camp.

But he fell out of favor with the coaches and will now follow his NFL dream with the Packers. Clearly neither Omar Khan nor Mike McCarthy are allowing sentimentally to cloud their decisions.

Kaleb Johnson heads for the open field in the Steelers August 2026 preseason loss to the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium.

Kaleb Johnson almost breaks won. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

4. Youth Over Experience

The entire Steelers 2026 draft class has made the final roster. Some of these guys could be headed to IR if veterans are re-signed and this may not be a first, but it is a rare occurrence.

  • Much has been made about the age of the Steelers roster.

And while the average age of the Steelers roster is a bit skewed by the presence of Aaron Rodgers and Cam Heyward, Mike McCarthy and his staff clearly opted for youth over experience.

Veterans such as Dean Lowry, Elandon Roberts, Malik Harrison, Travis Homer and Esezi Otomewo all got visits from The Turk.

Some of these players could be back either in the next few days or after the opener, but McCarthy clearly isn’t beholden to something that a player has done for the team or done in the league in the past, but instead is focused on what he believes players can do in the future.

5. The Ball is in Porter’s Court

The Steelers also had to decide to activate Joey Porter Jr. from the PuP list or keep him there for the first 4 games of the season. The Steelers activated him.

  • In doing so, they put the ball in Porter’s court.

The Steelers would like to extend Porter’s contract, and Porter purportedly wants to stay in Pittsburgh. But the two sides can’t agree on a number.

  • Mike McCarthy, unlike Mike Tomlin, doesn’t seem to have much use for “hold ins.”

Word is the Steelers want Porter to participate in practice before engaging in serious contract negotiations. Now that he’s off the PuP list he has to decide whether he’ll do that or not.

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Steelers Re-Sign Keeanu Benton, Elandon Roberts Returns to Bolster Run Defense

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Omar Khan is breaking out his checkbook again, and this time he’s taking on a bit more risk as the Steelers have re-signed Keeanu Benton to a 4-year 72 million dollar contract.

The contract will pay him an annual average of 18 million, making him the highest paid defensive lineman in Steelers history – in non-adjusted dollars — IF, you judge it as a four-year deal instead considering the 5th year on Benton’s rookie contract.

Keeanu Benton, Steelers vs Buccaneers 2025 preseason

Keeanu Benton blocks a pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The Steelers drafted Benton in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Benton now becomes the third member of this draft class to earn a second contract. Earlier this spring the Steelers worked out extensions with Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington.

At the time of Herbig and Washington’s extension, word was that the Steelers also were targeting Benton for a new deal, but the agreement did not materialize until now.

Benton has started 40 of his 51 career games and logged seven and a half sacks—for comparison’s sake, Casey Hampton had 9 in his entire career. So Benton has shown he can rush the passer as a nose tackle.

  • If that’s the case, then where’s the risk you ask?

If Benton’s pass rushing prowess is well-documented, his ability to act as a run stuffer—the traditional role of the nose tackle in the Steelers defense—remains a question mark at best.

There were times during the 2025 season when Benton failed the eye test miserably, when opposing offensive lineman tossed him aide like a rag doll. The losses to the Bengals and Bills offer poignant examples. In other games, such as the win over the Colts, he held up better, but consistency continues to elude him.

Look back to the last three playoff losses the Steelers have suffered, and there’s one constant, a sieve-like run defense:

Now, can we hang all of that on Keeanu Benton? Absolutely not. The front office and coaching staff clearly doesn’t. But there’s no way the Steelers can break their playoff losing streak and continue to give up that kind of yardage on the ground. And quality nose tackle play is a must if the cycle is to be broken.

  • And in that light, giving Benton such an aggressive extension does carry some risk.

However, with a new coaching staff, perhaps Benton can learn to defend the run more consistently. And beyond that, signs indicate that his role on the Steelers defensive line could is changing.

Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon during the Steelers 2025 win over the Patriots.

Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

When the Steelers drafted Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black during the 2025 NFL Draft, Mike Tomlin’s defensive staff insisted that they saw Benton as a nose tackle.

  • True to their word, Benton remained at nose tackle throughout the season.

And while Benton started at nose tackle against the Packers and has worked there during the summer at St. Vincents, the official depth chart lists him as a defensive tackle, and both Black and rookie Gabriel Rubio have gotten time at nose.

On the Steel City Insider podcast, veteran journalist Jim Wexell confirmed that the Steelers long-term plans are to move Benton to defensive end when Cam Heyward begins his “Life’s Work.”

Speaking of Run Defense – Elandon Roberts, The Tooth Chipper Returns

Regardless of whether Benton can find a way to better clog the middle of the field, the Steelers gave their run defense a shot in the arm when they re-signed Elandon Roberts.

Elandon Roberts, Terry McBride, Steelers vs Cardinals

No helmet, no problem, as Elandon Roberts tackles Terry McBride. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, AP via Newsday

Roberts, who had played for the Steelers in 2023 and 2024 and earned himself the moniker of “the tooth chipper,” for his hard hitting play against the run. Surprisingly, Roberts left as a free agent signing with the Oaka… er um, Los Ang… Las Vegas Raiders where he played with current Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson appear to be set as starters at inside linebacker, but with Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison and Carson Bruener the Steelers have a glut at the position.

Harrison would appear to be the odd man out, as Bruener has been a special teams standout and retains plenty of the proverbial “Upside.”

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Front and Center Focus Gives Us a Mixed Bag

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

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

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

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

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

2. Rudolph, Howard, Allar and the Quarterback Derby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Reclamation ROI in Real Time?

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

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

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

4. Wetjen Strikes Just When You Least Expect It

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. A Word About the Offense

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

  • But the unit passed “the eye test.”

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

Keeanu Benton, Steelers vs Packers

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

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

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

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

The Offensive Line’s Eyesore Performance vs. the Texans

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

  • This offensive line just isn’t ready.

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

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

And so it was in 2025.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • But it also carries potential upside.

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

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

Steelers Piss-Poor Run Defense Hiding in Plain Sight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Steelers Draft Gabriel Rubio, DT of Notre Dame in 6th Round of 2026 NFL Draft

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The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Gabriel Rubio, defensive tackle out of Notre Dame in the 6th round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The move addressed defensive line, the 7th most urgent need on the Steelers 2026 Draft Needs Matrix and, for the first time in the 2026 draft, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy shifted back towards Mike Tomlin’s long-standing emphasis of tapping into NFL bloodlines.

Steelers 2026 6th round draft pick Gabriel Rubio in action for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Steelers 2026 6th round draft pick Gabriel Rubio in action for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Photo Credit: AP, via the Tribune-Review

During the 1998 NFL Draft the Steelers drafted Gabriel’s father, Angel Rubio with their final pick. The elder Rubio however never played a down for the Steelers and his NFL career was limited to two appearances in 1999 with the Atlanta Falcons.

  • Rubio described his father’s reaction as “ecstatic.”

Rubio played some nose tackle for the Fighting Irish, but has experience playing at all of the interior positions on the defensive line, including playing the 4i technique, which is what Cam Heyward plays.

Steel City Insider’s Roy Countryman had Rubio rated on his undrafted rookie free agent value board.

Gabriel Rubio Highlights: Notre Dame DT Film Breakdown

Injuries limited Rubio to just six games last season, but his film shows intriguing versatility across the defensive line. Watch his Notre Dame highlights below:

Key takeaways: Rubio shows the ability to play nose tackle, 3-technique, and 4i, giving the Steelers developmental depth behind Heyward, Harmon and Keeanu Benton.

How Gabriel Rubio Fits the Steelers Defensive Line Rotation

In keeping with the theme of this draft, Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham declined to pigeonhole Gabriel Rubio at a specific position.

  • That’s actually very good for Rubio.

Because, while being drafted by the team that drafted his father is an irresistible storyline, there’s another Fighting Irishman who was drafted by the Steelers who Rubio should try to emulate. No, not Stephon Tuitt – that would be too much to ask a 6th round draft pick, but rather Oliver Gibson.

  • The Steelers drafted Gibson out of Notre Dame, in the 4th round of the 1995 NFL Draft.

And although he was officially a nose tackle, he played 60 games for the Steelers working in at all three positions on the defensive line as part of John Mitchell’s legendary rotation system.

That’s the road Rubio needs to follow. In addition to proving he can contribute on special teams, he needs to show coaches he can spell Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, and Keeanu Benton, without ensuring a drop off in play, the same way that Yahya Black did in 2025.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Gabriel Rubio.

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Steelers 2026 Draft Needs: Defensive Line Remains a Priority

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A year ago, Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell laid out the perfect plan for re-booting the current era of Steelers football: Follow Chuck Noll’s blueprint of drafting a defensive lineman in 2025 followed by a quarterback in 2026.

The Steelers followed the first part of the plan with Derrick Harmon, but then things went awry.

First, 2026 was expected to be a quarterback-rich draft – instead, the opposite happened. Second, Mike Tomlin resigned, ushering in the Mike McCarthy era and a new set of decision makers.

But does all of that mean the Steelers can skip defensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft?

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

Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon during the Steelers 2025 win over the Patriots.

Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Steelers Defensive Line Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters

The Steelers drafted Cam Heyward in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and, when all is said and done, Heyward could end up being the best pick of the Kevin Colbert–Mike Tomlin era – no disrespect to T.J. Watt.

In 2025, at age 36 Cam Heyward returned for his 15th season and earned 2nd team All Pro honors further cementing what should be a Hall of Fame resume.

Cameron Heyward, Cam Heyward, Cam Heyward sack Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals

Cam Heyward sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Besides Cam Heyward, the Steelers have Keeanu Benton whom they drafted in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Benton won the starting nose tackle job that season and, had Nick Herbig not exploded on to the scene, could have won rookie of the year honors.

Since the Benton’s development has been uneven. At times he’s been very strong against the run. At others, he’s struggled. He’s proven to be an asset in the pass rush, having amassed 5.5 sacks in his second year.

Besides Benton, the Steelers have Derrick Harmon, whom they drafted in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Injuries limited Harmon to 12 games and 8 starts, but his absence was noticeable and he looks like an ass-kicker in the making.

The Steelers Defensive Line Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backups

Behind the three starters the Steelers have Yahya Black, Esezi Otomewo, Logan Lee and newly signed free agent Sebastian Joseph-Day. Black started three games and showed tremendous promise. Otomewo and Lee also offer upside, while Sebastian Joseph-Day gives the Steelers something they’ve needed in the form of a true nose tackle.

Kyler Baugh, Jahvaree Ritzie, KJ Henry and Anthony Goodlow round out the defensive line depth chart for the Steelers.

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Defensive Line

Defensive line presents the Steelers with one of the more interesting decisions they’ll have to make in the 2026 NFL Draft. And it some ways it may offer a glimpse into how Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham really see their roster.

The key here is Keeanu Benton.

The Pittsburgh Steelers draft needs scale

His play at nose tackle has been uneven. At times he’s been a legit run-stuffer. At others he’s been moved with alarming ease. Outsiders have suggested that Benton isn’t a true nose tackle, and would be better suit out the outside. In fact, Jim Wexell asked Karl Dunbar about this last year after the Steelers drafted Black.

  • Durbar confirmed that he saw Benton as a nose tackle.

The new coaching staff may feel differently, and if that’s the case, it lessens the urgency of finding someone to take Cam Heyward’s place, but it would also create a need to add either a starter or future starter at nose tackle in this year’s draft.

Bringing it altogether, The Steelers’ defensive line need in the 2026 NFL Draft grades out as Moderate.

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Steelers Report Card for Win Over Ravens – End of Semester Sprint Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher crossing his fingers in hopes that the end of the semester sprint has started, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the win over the 2025 Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Alex Highsmith, Derrick Harmon, Steelers vs Ravens

Alex Highsmith shut down Derrick Harmon. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, via Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers grabbed the “no long passes for a month” bull by the horns and tossed a 52 yarder to open the day. He launched several more long and intermediate passes throughout the afternoon, finishing 23 of 34 for 284 yards and one touchdown. Things trailed off in the 4th quarter, and that brings his grade down, but Rodgers’ performance was the difference in the game. Grade: A-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
It was rough sledding on the ground for the Steelers. Jaylen Warren had 8 carries and only 13 yards. Kenneth Gainwell did “better” getting 15 yards and a touchdown on his 4 carries. Kaleb Johnson 4 yards on 2 carries. However, Gainwell had 6 catches for 27 yards, while Warren had 3 catches for 49 yards including a 38 yarder that he took to the house. Connor Heyward had 2 yards. Grade: C

Tight Ends
Darnell Washington had 1 catch for 12 yards and then left the game with a concussion. Pat Freiermuth had 2 catches for 9 yards. Jonnu Smith had zero catches on one target. Grade: C-

Wide Receiver
D.K. Metcalf exploded for 7 catches for 148 yards – this is exactly why the Steelers brought him to Pittsburgh. Calvin Austin turned a Go Ball on 3rd and 5 into a 31-yard gain on the final TD drive. Ben caught one pass for 13 yards that jump-started a drive. New comers Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling only had 2 targets, but in Tony Romo’s estimate, they commanded the attention of the defense in ways that Roman Wilson had been unable to do. Grade: A-

Offensive Line
It was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effort for the Steelers offensive line. The line’s inability to create any sort of space to support a running game is simply appalling. It may have been the unit’s worst run blocking effort all year. On the flip side, have we ever seen a Steelers quarterback have that much time to throw against a Ravens’ defense – on the road no less. Grade: C

Defensive Line
The sample size is large enough. Keeanu Benton looks like he has it in him to be a decent to good defensive lineman, but he’s not a true nose tackle. He was moved too early and too often against the Ravens. Yahya Black continues to look good in the absence of Derrick Harmon. Cam Heyward led the group in tackles and made all sorts of contributions that don’t show up on the stat sheet. Grade: D

Linebackers
The Steelers defense, lost on the stat sheet. The linebackers had a role in giving up so much rushing yardage. But they also had a role in the defense’s ability to contain Derrick Henry without stopping him. Look no further than Cole Holcomb leading the team in tackles despite entering the game as an injury replacement. Beyond that, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig both helped pressure Lamar Jackson into critical third down incompletions. The real star was Alex Highsmith. He had 3 tackles for a loss, including a critical goal line stop of Henry that forced a field goal, hit Lamar Jackson twice and ended the game with a sack. Grade: B-

Secondary
The Baltimore Ravens third down efficiency was 38% which is just a tick above average for them. That’s also about two ticks above average for the Steelers defense. The secondary accounted for one interception by James Pierre and two end zone pass breakups. More importantly, they helped force field goals on multiple occasions when no one was open on third down. That’s a little discussed difference. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was perfect on his kicks. The Steelers return coverage was solid, never allowing Baltimore to gain an extra advantage. Corliss Waitman boomed off punts averaging close to 50 yards. Pittsburgh’s return game was sound. Grade: B

Cam Heyward, Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs Ravens

Cam Heyward, Mike Tomlin & Aaron Rodgers walk off in triumph. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Coaching
Arthur Smith did not shy away from changing, incorporating two new receivers into his offense – clearly something had to change. He also decided to be aggressive early and often, throwing several deep strikes. Truth be told, he’d tried to do that in the last two games, without success.

  • They were successful against the Ravens, and that was the difference.

Ditto the solid pass protection from a line playing his 4th string right tackle – the Ravens may not have much of a pass rush, but the Steelers line won the battle it was supposed to win.

Commentators are already jumping on Teryl Austin for allowing the Ravens to pad their stats.

Those gaudy number might make Fantasy Football owners happy, and the Steelers clearly cannot allow that to continue, but judge performance by Reality Football metrics and you’ll that the Steelers defense forced field goals in 3 critical situations and made several other crucial third down stops.

To quote the late, great Craig Wolfley, losses like the last one against the Bills have the potential to be “Chess Grater” games.

  • Mike Tomlin did not allow that to happen.

Pittsburgh was far from perfect against Baltimore. But the Steelers were aggressive, focused, hungry while playing with the intensity you’d expect with the division title on the line. Credit Mike Tomlin for that. Grade: B+

Brandin Echols, Zay Flowers, Steelers vs Ravens

Brandin Echols knocks a touchdown pass away from Zay Flowers. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Unsung Hero Award
He batted away a pass to Zay Flowers in the end zone on Baltimore’s first trip to the Red Zone to force a field goal. After the Steelers scored a touchdown, he sacked Lamar Jackson on third down to force a punt. For those plays and for an afternoon of end-to-end solid play, Brandin Echols wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2025 win over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

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Bottoming Out Continues: Bills Batter Steelers 26-7 @ Acrisure

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Heading into the home stretch of their 2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed the Buffalo Bills into Acrisure Stadium and got blasted, losing 26-7.

  • Following the defeat Pat Freiermuth explained, “It sucks. That’s the only way to describe this loss.”

Yes. The Steelers did suck on Sunday. And then some. They’ve now lost 5 of their last 7, and this latest defeat represents the clearest signal to date that the bottoming out process that Mike Tomlin and the franchise have so deftly avoided for 6 years continues to gain momentum.

Mike Tomlin, Steelers vs Bills.

Mike Tomlin’s long face tells it all. Photo Credit: Aaron Anastasia, Steelers.com

First Half, Ugly, But Above the First Line

When this article hits the internet, 24 hours won’t have even passed his the Steelers 2025 loss to the Bills. But by this point has long forgotten the fact that, for the first 30 minutes, the Steelers played winning football.

  • No, they weren’t playing “good” football.

In fact, they were behind the Bills in several statistical categories, but leading in the score – in many ways a reversal of last week’s loss to the Bears, where the Steelers won on the stat sheet everywhere except the point tally.

But the Steelers did a number of things right to earn their lead including:

  • Brandin Echols picking off Josh Allen, ending Buffalo’s first drive.
  • Nick Herbig forcing the mighty James Cook to fumble, with Patrick Queen recovering
  • Kenneth Gainwell making an All Pro catch just above the turf and running it to the Red Zone
  • The Steelers defense forced two Bills punts, in addition to those turnovers

And to end the half, the Bills capped off a 16, 7:18 second drive by running 5 plays inside the Pittsburgh’s Red Zone, with the Steelers defense forcing a field goal.

The water stood at the vessel’s halfway line. clearly your defense is doing something wrong if you give up a 16-play, seven-minute plus drive in the NFL; but if your defense can tighten the screws in the Red Zone just enough so that you can force a field goal, there’s also hope.

The question heading into the locker room was which fork in the road would the Steelers take?

Steelers Stumble into 2 Headshots to Start Second Half

The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers have started 2nd halves of games with leads, only to squander them. One of the biggest constants in those second-half collapses has been disastrous drives to open the third quarter.

  • Could the Steelers avoid such a disaster against Buffalo?

No, they couldn’t. No. Instead of feigning a good performance for a couple of snaps, Pittsburgh’s first series of the second half lasted precisely one play, as Joey Bosa strip sacked Aarron Rodgers and Christian Benford recovered, taking it to the house.

Joey Bosa, Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs Bills

Joey Bosa strip sacks Aaron Rodgers. Photo Credit: Bills.com

In just 16 seconds, the Buffalo Bills had taken the lead at Acrisure Stadium.

Rudolph rescued the Steelers entire season on a cold December night just two years ago, could he do it again? Well, a penalty on the kickoff by Sebastian Castro didn’t help. Nor did a negative run by Jaylen Warren on first down. But an unsportsman like conduct penalty on the Bills moved the ball to the 32 and gave the Steelers a fresh set of downs.

  • Jaylen Warren responded with a 4-yard run. A step in the right direction, eh?

AT that point, Arthur Smith decided to take a deep shot. Which is fine. He decided to do it using play action, which is even better. (Nod to my buddy Matt C. Steel, who’ll no doubt remind us that play action out of the shotgun isn’t nearly as effective.)

Mason Rudolph wanted to target Darnell Washington. Again, a very good idea. Washington’s a big target who is very hard to take down. The Bills knew that. Which is why they put three defenders on him. Rudolph threw the ball anyway. Risky, you’re trying to thread a needle. But Washington’s tall. He gives you a big hole on your needle to thread.

And triple coverage be damned, there was a window for Rudolph there. Unfortunately, he missed it, overthrowing Washington and sending directly to Christian Benford, who picked it off.

The Steelers had only run 5 plays in the second half in less than 2 minutes of action, yet they’d still managed to walk into two headshots.

Body Blows: Bills Impose Their Will

Fans of pro wrestling will appreciate this metaphor. The Steelers opening of the second half was somewhat reminiscent to WrestleMania XV’s shoot match between Butterbean and Bart Gunn, where Gunn opened the first round by taking two shots to the head.

  • The second shot knocked out Gunn, ending the affair.

By comparison, Bart Gunn was far more fortunate than the Steelers defense, because Gunn got to go home after suffering his second headshot. In contrast, the Steelers defense had to continue to stand in there, and take body blows for the next 28 minutes.

T.J. Watt, James Cook, Steelers vs Bills

T.J. Watt tries and fails to stop James Cook. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

In the first half, James Cook and Ray Davis had shown they could run on the Steelers defense.
In the second half, the duo proved they could impose their will.

Last season, after Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson ridiculed the Steelers run defense in the playoffs, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan went out and drafted Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. The Steelers run defense has had its weaknesses at times, but overall its been better, and it did deliver a shutdown performance against the Colts.

  • Harmon missed the game with an injury, and the Steelers felt his absence.

But while that may explain a few things, it excuses nothing. The Bills were without their top two tackles. But you wouldn’t have known it had Jim Nanz and Tony Romo not continually reminded us.

  • It didn’t matter if the Bills ran inside or ran outside, or which running back they used, Pittsburgh was powerless to stop them.

On their lone non-turnover 3rd quarter possession, the Steelers managed 9 yards on two runs. By the time they got the ball back, they were down 16 points. It was then, in garbage time, that they managed a 10-play drive that ultimately ended in a turnover on downs.

Bottoming Out – Or Full Fledged Free Fall?

Early in the game, before the outcome was clear, Nanz and Romo pointed out that the Steelers had tied Tom Landry’s record of 21 consecutive non-losing seasons. The streak started with Bill Cowher’s 2004 Steelers and has continued since Mike Tomlin arrived.

The story of how Art Rooney II’s troika of Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan have managed to avoid the inevitable bottoming out process for so long is an impressive one, but one for another day.

Because the Pittsburgh Steelers are clearly a team in the process of bottoming out. This reality has been evident for several weeks.

But the loss to the Bills brings up a brutal question: Can Mike Tomlin prevent this bottoming out from becoming a full-fledged a freefall?

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Bears: Chicago Blues Edition

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Taken from the gradebook of a teacher who is tired of signing the Chicago Blues, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the loss to the Bears at Soldier Field.

Colston Loveland, Jalen Ramsey, Kyle Dugger, Steelers vs Bears

Colston Loveland scores. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune-Revew

Quarterback
In his first start of the season, Mason Rudolph went 24 of 31. Completing just shy of 80% of your passes looks good superficially. His first interception negated a great defensive start. His fumble turned over the ball while the Steelers were sniffing field goal range, setting up a touchdown that put the Bears up by 10. Beyond the turnovers, his longest completion went for 21 yards and appeared to be incapable of passing downfield. The deep ball was supposed to be his specialty. Grade: FSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Kenneth Gainwell led the way with 92 yards on 10 carries retaining a respectable average even if you take out his 55 yard scamper. Gainwell also had 6 catches for 30 yards, making him the team’s number 1 receiver. Jaylen Warren had a strong day, rushing for 68 yards on 18 carries. Connor Heyward ran once for zero yards. Grade: B+

Tight Ends
Steelers Tight Ends combined for 8 catches for over 60 yards with Jonnu Smith taking two tosses as runs for 6 yards and Pat Freiermuth catching a touchdown pass. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
Calvin Austin led the Steelers wide receivers with 4 catches for 36 yards. D.K. Metcalf had 5 catches for 22 yards, losing on yet another combat catch. Ben Skowronek had a nice catch for 21 yards, but that was the longest catch of the day. Roman Wilson had zero catches but executed an excellent pass break up negating a would-be interception. The receivers must share blame with the quarterback for the failure of the downfield passing game. Grade: F

Offensive Line
Run blocking was solid. Mason Rudolph was only sacked once twice and hit 4 other times. And statistically speaking, that looks pretty good. But one of those sacks helped scuttle the Steelers first drive, and the second one resulted in a forced fumble. Grades here are driven by performance and results. Grade: C-

Defensive Line
The Steelers held the Bears running game in check for the most part, but Caleb Williams did escape four times. The defensive line, as a unit, was overpowered on the Bears touchdown run. Yahya Black recovered a fumble in what should have been a game-changing play. Grade: C

Linebackers
T.J. Watt made an All Pro move by first forcing Caleb Williams into the end zone and then strip sacking him. Nick Herbig pounced on it for the touchdown. However, a neutral zone infraction by Herbig negated a Joey Porter Jr. interception on the final drive at halftime that resulted in the Bears getting three extra points that decided the game. Grade: D

Secondary
Overall play of the secondary was OK at times with Kyle Dugger’s addition paying dividends. He had a pass defensed as did James Pierre. But the Bears passed for 3 touchdowns. Grade: D

Special Teams
The Bears had more kick return success than you’d like to see. After Chicago forced the Steelers to punt to start the second half, Corliss Waitman boomed off a deep punt. Unfortunately a Ben Skowronek penalty forced a re-punt and Waitman did not do a good job of that. This set up the Bears only non-turnover assisted touchdown drive. Grade: D

Coaching
Several times during his tenure we’ve credited Arthur Smith for leading an offense where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Against the Bears, the opposite was true.

The Steelers led in all sorts of offensive stat categories, even edging an impressive 6-minute time of possession advantage. Yet, they came up short on the score board. Turnovers, which are not Smith’s fault are a huge factor here. But so is the Steelers chronic inability to pass down field.

  • Critics are already calling out the 31 points given up by Teryl Austin’s defense.

Fair enough. Numbers don’t lie. The defense wasn’t good enough, especially in the Red Zone. But the defense was also sandbagged by the offense and special teams on each scoring drive and self-sabotaged on the Bears field goal drive. That’s not on Austin’s game planning.

  • Still, Austin’s defense gave up 3 passing touchdowns. That’s three too many.

The Steelers have been playing the Bears in Chicago since 1938, one year before my oldest living blood relative was born in Mt. Oliver. Since then, they’ve beaten the Bears in Chicago precisely one time.

  • Any number of individual plays could have turned the collective outcome.

That may not come down on game plan or coaching, but Mike Tomlin and his staff are ultimately responsible. The Steelers needed a win in Chicago. Instead they got a loss. Grade: F

Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Steelers vs Bears

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

Unsung Hero Award
Kenneth Gainwell may have authored the offense’s most explosive play but that was all made possible by the block leveled by Darnell Washington, and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers loss in Chicago to the Bears.

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Wasted Effort: Steelers Fall to Bears 31-28 as Pittsburgh Can’t Pass

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The Pittsburgh Steelers visited Soldier Field and dropped a 31-28 decision to the Chicago Bears.

  • You want to know what hurts the worst about this one?

Unlike some of this season’s other losses, the Bears was as close as the final score suggests. And that’s particularly poignant for Pittsburgh, because this game showcased both some excellent individual exploits and brilliant strategy moves.

But the Steelers came up short in Chicago because when it counted, Pittsburgh couldn’t put it all together.

D.K. Metcalf, Nashon Wright, Mason Rudolph interception, Steelers vs Bears

Nashon Wright intercepts Mason Rudolph’s first pass. Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo, Imagn Images via SI.com

Every Element Matters

You can summarize the Steelers philosophy in the post-Roethlisberger era with just 14 words: Match stout defense with an offense that throws to score and runs to win. It is simple. There’s zero Sean McVey or Kyle Shanahan sexiness behind it.

  • But it can be effective. IF executed correctly.

To execute correctly, every element matters. Let one fail and the rest fall like dominoes.

The opening two series illustrate that reality perfectly. The Bears came out and ran and Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter limited them to a yard. They tried again and Derrick Harmon and Keeanu Benton limited them to 3 yards. On third down Kyle Dugger helped prevent a completion, forcing a Bears punt.

  • So far so good.

The Steelers began with Mason Rudolph handing to Kenneth Gainwell, and Gainwell got 9 yards. Perfect. Just what the doctor ordered. One of the core principles of Arthur Smith’s offense is that build the foundation for big plays in the air by winning in the trenches on the ground.

  • So the instinct to look deep downfield on the very next play was a wise one.

But Mason Rudolph failed to deliver.

He badly underthrew D.K. Metcalf allowing Nahshon Wright to intercept. Eight plays and four minutes later, the Bears were on the board with a touchdown.

They didn’t hold their lead for long, however. The Steelers answered with a touchdown drive of their own. The drive itself was a masterpiece in ball control offense, made up of 13 plays and stretching 95 yards. That felt like it fit perfectly at the moment.

But, as we shall see, when all was said and done, this was actually part of the problem.

The Turnover Giveth, the Turnover Taketh Away

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has feasted on turnovers in 2025. Just ask Derek Maye and the New England Patriots. In the loss to the Bears, the back stories behind the turnovers, or lack thereof, tell the tale of this latest loss.

  • The Steelers first turnover effectively negated an outstanding opening effort by the defense.

The Steelers used the game’s next turnover to establish a one touchdown lead when Caleb Williams foolishly allowed T.J. Watt to pressure him into the end zone and then strip sack him allowing Nick Herbig to cover the ball for a touchdown.

  • Yet the next two turnovers followed by the next non-turnover proved to be critical.

Yahya Black ended Chicago’s next possession after just 5 plays. Yet the Steelers could only manage 5 plays of their own, as Connor Heyward failed for the first time on Pittsburgh’s version of the tush push. (Yeah, the replays look like he may have gotten it, but that happens.)

  • The Bears transformed that turnover on downs into a touchdown.

The Steelers offense responded, perhaps a little too well. Facing a 4th and 1 at their own 44 with 1:32 remaining, Arthur Smith threw the Bears for a curve with the tush push, as Connor Heyward flipped the ball to Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington delivered a hellacious block on the outside, and Gainwell ran for 55 yards.

  • One play later and Jaylen Warren was in the end zone to put the Steelers up by 7.

By any measure it was a brilliant piece of coaching strategy that the players executed to perfection.

Alas, it left 1:19 on the clock. The Steelers special teams gave up a longish return. Long enough to allow Williams and the Bears offense to nickle-and-dime their way into field goal range to tack-on three more points to end the half.

We saw the Steelers use the final minute of the first half to tack on field goals, many times during the Roethlisberger era. The final score in Chicago reminds us why that’s always a wise move.

Too Much of a Good Thing

IF I’d told you going into the game that…

  • D.K. Metcalf would have 5 catches
  • Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren would average 9.2 and 3.8 yards per carry
  • Ben Skowronek would set up a TD by flipping the field with a 21-yard catch
  • That Mason Rudolph would lead touchdown drives clocking in at 7:58 and 7:47 minutes|
  • The Steelers would win the TOP battle to the tune of 33:09 to 26:51

…You’d have concluded that the Steelers beat the Bears in Chicago. But of course the opposite happened.

Ben Skowronek, Kevin Byard III, Steelers vs Bears

Ben Skowronek makes a catch for 21 yards. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The fact that Ben Skowronek’s 21 yard catch was the longest by a Steelers receiver is the first yellow flag (Wanna call it a red flag? No argument — I tagged Skowronek as an off season sleeper and I’m sticking to my story.) But blood red flag comes from the fact that Skowronek’s yardage total of 21 for one catch amounts to one yard less than Metcalf’s combined yardage total for 5 catches.

All season long the Steelers have struggled to establish the type of ball-control attack needed for both offense and the defense to succeed. A week ago, against the Bengals, they make a step in that direction. Against the Bears, the made a leap.

  • But the leap came at the cost of a complete inability to pass downfield.

Rudolph’s first attempt got picked off. He tried again on the first 3rd down situation of the 2nd half, and had Roman Wilson been a DB, we’d be tripping ourselves over his pass break up skills. On two other occasions, Rudolph looked deep and misfired.

Roman Wislon, Nashon Wright, Steelers vs Bears

Roman Wilson shows off his DB skills. Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo, Imagn Images, via SI.com

To be sure the defense’s inability to prevent scores after Rudolph’s interception and his fumble combined with special teams penalties contributed to the loss. But the Bears had the ball twice in the last 6 minutes in the fourth quarter, and the defense forced twin three and outs.

But on those two ensuring possessions the Steelers failed to complete a pass of longer than 14 yards, and Rudolph’s final two completions went for two yards a piece when they only needed 15 or so to get into Chris Boswell’s range.

Every element counts, and the Steelers inability to consistently complete even intermediate passes proved to be their downfall in this game.

Historic Tendencies and This Year’s Story

Given the unending pace of change in the NFL, overarching franchise statistics often make for interesting story copy that actually means very little.

  • But with a historic franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers, sometimes true trends emerge.

The Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia since Lyndon Johnson was president. The Colts struggle when playing in Pittsburgh, whether they arrive from Baltimore or Indianapolis. The Steelers only win against the Bears came in 1995. That win helped steel their run that ended in Super Bowl XXX.

Mike Tomlin’s challenge is to ensure that this latest loss to the Bears in Chicago doesn’t upend the rest of their 2025 season.

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