Tag Archives: Patrick Queen

Steelers Report Card for Win Over Bengals: Old Offense Learns New Tricks Edition

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Taken from the notebook of a teacher who is pleased to see his old offense learn new tricks, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 win over the Bengals at Acrisure.

Derrick Harmon seals the Steelers win with a strip-sack of Joe Burrow.

Derrick Harmon seals the win by strip-sacking Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Jarden Wickerham, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 19 of 34 for 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on a pass his receiver should have caught. Rodgers impressed far more with his command at the line of scrimmage. A few throws missed their mark, and red zone performance late in the game could have been better. But a very good day for the veteran. Grade: B+Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren finally got his shot at being the Pittsburgh Steelers feature back. And he excelled running for 127 yards on 17 carries (minus  an 85-yard run nullified by a penalty), while catching 3 passes for 49 yards. And, while you don’t see it on the stat sheet, Warren delivered several critical pass blocks. Travis Homer and Lew Nichols both had a carry for naught. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth only caught 2 passes for 30 yards, but his opening pancake block set the tone for the entire day. He also had a Tush-Push 3rd down conversion. Darnell Washington led the team in receiving yards, with 3 catches for 67; one converted a 3rd down where it took 4 players to stop him. Robert Tonyan caught 1 pass for 2 yards. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
Roman Wilson started strong catching the first touchdown and converting a key third down. Then he bobbled a pass that led to an interception, setting up a Cincinnati score. He also had another drop. D.K. Metcalf only caught 3 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown, but for the first time this season he was a reliable receiver. Germie Bernard converted a third down with his lone 14 yard catch and made a key block in Washington’s 47-yard reception. Ben Skowronek caught a 23 yard touchdown that broke Steelers 1st-quarter, 2-touchdown drought that had been running for 98 games. Grade: B

Offensive Line
This is the level of play that everyone expected when Omar Khan and Andy Weidl committed to rebuilding in the trenches in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bengals defensive line has been wrecking games thus far, yet starting two new players, the Steelers offensive line more than held their own. Yes, there were breakdowns late in the game that led to field goals instead of touchdowns, but this was a good performance by any measure. Grade: B

Defensive Line
The Steelers defensive line kept the Bengals rushing attack in check. The unit didn’t have much luck in pressuring Joe Burrow – until it counted. First, Cam Heyward forced an incompletion that set up a punt, and then Derrick Harmon strip-sacked Burrow with the game on the line, as Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered. Grade: B+

Linebackers
The Bengals knew they had to get the ball out of Joe Burrow’s hands quickly, and they did, limiting the ability of the Steelers elite pass rushers to do their damage. But the linebackers contributed in other ways, with Patrick Queen coming up with a key pass deflection while leading the team in tackles. And Payton Wilson had a key tipped pass two plays before Heyward forced his incompletion. Grade: B

Secondary
Let’s acknowledge the obvious – the Bengals offense moved through the air early and often. But their longest pass play went for 28 yards – three Steelers had receptions longer than that – yeah, we all saw that coming, didn’t we? Jalen Ramsey was excellent in run support and Jamel Dean had a key pass deflection. Grade: B-

Ben Skowronek recovers a muffed punt to set up the go-ahead score.

Ben Skowronek streams in to recover a muffed punt. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Special Teams
Kaden Wetjen had an average day as a kick returner while the Steelers coverage units were a little leaky. But Chris Boswell was perfect and Cameron Johnston only had one punt, but it went for 51 yards and he planted it inside the 20. The real star here was Ben Skowronek who recovered a muffed punt, setting up the go ahead score. Grade: B+

Coaching
A week ago after the loss to the Patriots, Mike McCarthy manned up and took responsibility for the offense’s poor performance.

What we saw this week was McCarthy’s ability to transform accountability into action. McCarthy made the bold decision to make two changes on his offensive line. The result was the best Steelers offensive line performance since Mike Munchak moved out west.

But McCarthy did more than change personnel; he devised a game plan that systematically picked apart the Bengals defense and ensured that his players executed it.

Aaron Rodgers burning 5 timeouts to get play calls right shows that this offense remains a work in progress; the fact that the first one of those time outs converted a 3rd and 5 into a 38-yard touchdown provides evidence that progress will be made.

We know that Patrick Graham instructed his players to keep Cincinnati’s pass catchers in front of them. This “Bend but don’t break” strategy succeeded in allowing the Steelers to keep pace, until Pittsburgh’s pass rush could get to Burrow just when they needed to. Grade: B

Max Iheanachor keeps Aaron Rodgers clean.

Max Iheanachor keeps Aaron Rodgers clean. Photo Credit: Trai Essex, X.com

Unsung Hero Award
Will this game mark some kind of milestone when the history of the McCarthy era is written? Today we don’t know. But when future football historians research this game’s box score on ESPN or Pro Football Reference, there’s one name they won’t see even though his play had an immediate impact. And for that, Max Iheanachor wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 win over the Bengals at Acrisure Stadium.

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Patriots — Self Sabotage at Gillette Edition

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Taken from the gradebook of a teacher sad to see his students self-sabotage, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

T.J. Watt closes in to sack Derek Maye in the Steelers 2026 loss to the Patriots.

T.J. Watt seconds before sacking Derek Maye. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 23-39 for zero touchdowns and 1 interception. The interception wasn’t his fault; he got zero help from his receivers and he got even less from his offensive line, but even controlling for that, too many of his passes were off target. Grade: DSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren had 11 carries for 43 yards and 2 catches for 35 yards. Rico Dowdle had 7 carries for 22 yards and 2 catches for 22 yards. Travis Homer had 2 carries for 16 yards. Decent numbers, but the running backs could not establish any semblance of a rhythm. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 4 catches for 32 yards on 5 targets and 1 carry in the tush push. Darnell Washington had one catch for 7 yards. Hard to say the tight ends were part of the problem, but easy to observe that they failed to step up as part of the solution. Grade: D

Wide Receivers
Rookie Germie Bernard looked to be the one bright spot here, until he let a pass bounce out of his hands to kill a scoring drive when a sliver of a comeback chance remained. D.K. Metcalf had 4 catches for all of 27 yards – and that includes a 16-yard quasi garbage-time catch. Roman Wilson caught 5 checkdown passes for 28 yards. Ben Skowronek had one catch for 2 yards.

So watch out for those Steelers wideouts on those sub-five yard passes. They’ll get you every time…

…Ah, once again, Generation X Steelers fans are left longing for the days of Charles Lockett, Derek Hill, Dwight Stone  and heck, why not Weegie Thompson? Grade: F

Offensive Line
Where to start? The unit let its quarterback get hit 7 times, sacked 4 times, 2 of which were strip sacks. There were a couple of flashes of respectability in the run blocking, but nothing of any sort of consequence and certainly not early enough in the game when the Steelers needed it the most. Grade: F

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward had another tipped pass and 3 tackles. Derrick Harmon led the team in tackles with 9 and had half of a sack. If you exclude two long runs by Patriots running backs, the Steelers contained the run well enough to win. Grade: B-

Linebackers
T.J. Watt had a sack and a half. Patrick Queen hauled in an interception. Payton Wilson had a tackle for a loss. Alex Highsmith had a sack and three tackles for losses. All good. But Highsmith had an off sides penalty that gave the Patriots new life, and two plays later TreVeyon Henderson cut through the heart of the Steelers defense like a knife – untouched by any linebacker. Grade: B-

Secondary
No Patriots receiver caught more than 3 passes and only one sniffed 100 yards. Romeo Doubs did burn the Steelers for a 63-yard gain, but the defense held after that. Grade: B-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was 1-1 on field goals, missing a 57 yarder but making a 56 yarder with room to spare. Cameron Johnston boomed off 8 punts for a 48.1 yard average and pinned the Patriots inside the 20 on three separate occasions, arguably making him the MVP of the Steelers offense. Kaden Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich had solid days as returners, but the same can be said of New England’s returners. Grade: C

Coaching
Let’s start with the positive. Patrick Graham’s defense turned out a “above the line” performance. Yes, his unit suffered two critical lapses but, to the naked eye, both issues appear to be correctable.

And everything we’ve seen and heard about Graham indicates he can and will make those corrections….

…If it were only so easy to say the same thing about the offense.

To his credit, Mike McCarthy manned up and took responsibility after the game. He went as far as to intimate that he’d seen warning signs in practice (something Mike Tomlin never would have done.)

  • Fair enough. The first step towards solving a problem is to acknowledge it.

The bigger question is now that he’s embraced the elephant in the room, what can he, Brian Angelichio and, perhaps most importantly, offensive line coach James Campen do about it? While no phase of the Steelers offense played winning football against the Patriots, the offensive line was worst of all.

Fixing that won’t magically make D.K. Metcalf win combat catches or propel Roman Wilson to do more than catch check downs, but without better play from the line none of that will matter.

  • Right now, that seems like an impossible task for James Campen.

But let’s remember that after the Steelers dropped a 26-6 decision to the Ravens in week 2 of the 2014 season, no one was calling Mike Munchak an offensive line genius. By the end of the season they were.

So there is hope even if it doesn’t feel like it today. But its up to McCarthy, Angelichio and Campen to translate that hope into reality – and they need to do it fast. Grade: F

Nick Herbig closes in during the Steelers 2026 loss to the Patriots.

Nick Herbig closes in. Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images via the Lexington Herald-Ledger

Unsung Hero Award
He ended the Patriots’ first drive with a forced fumble, he had 3 tackles for losses including one on third down that wrecked another drive, forcing a punt when the Pittsburgh still had a shot at a comeback. For that Nick Herbig wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for Win Over Falcons: New Era Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher excited to welcome both new students and a new era, here is the Report Card for the 2026 Steelers season-opening win over the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.

Darnell Washington stiff arms Xavier Watts.

Darnell Washington lets Xavier Watts know who is boss. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 24 of 40 for 221 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers looked comfortable and in command of the offense, made good decisions and suffered too many drops. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren carried 10 times for 46 yards but coughed up the ball setting up Atlanta’s only touchdown. Warren also caught 5 passes for 27 yards. Rico Dowdle carried 8 times for 15 yards and caught 2 passes for 6 yards. The Steelers running backs didn’t keep any Fantasy Football owners happy but Warren did move the chains late in the game. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had a solid afternoon catching 5 passes for 46 yards for the team’s only touchdown. He also blocked well. Darnell Washington only caught 2 passes for 18 yards and it is tempting to give the group an “A” just for his 15 yard catch (see the lead photo.) We won’t go that far, but the tight ends were easily the strongest unit on the offense. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf caught 4 passes on 10 targets. He was robbed of a long gain by a non-pass interference call, but dropped a highly catchable ball that he could have taken to the house. Roman Wilson caught 3 passes on 6 targets but gave up a combat catch in the end zone. Michael Pittman Jr. had the best day of the trio, catching 3 for 58, and brings the group grade up. Grade: D

Offensive Line
This was an area of worry going into the game, but the line was OK. Aaron Rodgers only gave up two sacks and had more time to pass than he did a year ago. Dylan Cook still looks uneasy a right tackle and Spencer Anderson also had some difficult moments, but the center and the left of the line had a solid afternoon. Grade: C

Defensive Line
Is there anything that Cam Heyward can’t do? He stuffed  Bijan Robinson on a number of occasions and batted down 3 passes. The Steelers defensive line didn’t put up gaudy statistics, but they contained Robinson, which was critical to the success of the rest of the defense. Grade: B+

Linebackers
Payton Wilson led the group with 13 tackles including 2 for losses and was all over the field. Patrick Queen was next with 7. Nick Herbig was on the field for 60% of the snaps making 2 tackles and one QB hit. Alex Highsmith ended the Falcons opening and closing drives with sacks. The real star was T.J. Watt who was in Hall of Fame form with 2 tackles, 2 for losses, 1 pass batted down, 2 sacks and 1 pick six. Grade: A

Secondary
A brand new secondary started for the Steelers compared to what was on the field the last time they opened a season vs the Falcons in 2024. And the new unit played well. Neither Jamel Dean’s nor Asante Samuel Jr.’s name was heard much and for both cornerbacks that was a good thing. Jalen Ramsey was likely out of position on one of Robinson’s long gains, but he did step up with a critical pass defense. And Pittsburgh native Jaquan Brisker hauled in an interception that set up the first TD. Grade: A-

Special Teams
Jim Wexell quoted the legendary Bill Nunn as saying that Danny Smith was the most well-organized special teams coach he’d ever seen. After watching the Steelers special teams’ first game without Smith since 2013, that’s easy to believe.

Eli Heidenreich and Kaden Wetjen had solid though not spectacular debuts as return men. But the Steelers coverage units gave up more than you’d like to see, and had a long gain against them reversed by a penalty. Chris Boswell went 2-3 missing a makeable field goal, and the entire unit lost another with a “what was that?” moment. Clearly, Danny Crossman has work to do. Grade: D

Coaching
The last time someone other than Mike Tomlin coached the Steelers, MySpace dominated social media, Twitter was in its infancy and if you wanted to rent a movie, you drove to Blockbuster.

Outside of a handful of exceptions, this was an end-to-end overhaul of the Steelers coaching staff, and by and large new head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaches did well in their first game with Pittsburgh.

For all of the criticism of the new Steelers offense looking the same as the old offense, Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio’s play design and play calling choices differed greatly from what Pittsburgh has seen. And with just a little better execution, the score would have been very different.

Patrick Graham has no shortage of weapons to use on defense, and he deployed them wisely. This allowed several key players to step up at critical moments and this was the difference in the game.

September football is synonymous with sloppy football. The Steelers were no exception. But Pittsburgh was better prepared than Atlanta as the final score indicates. Grade: B

Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer and Payton Wilson gang tackle Brian Robinson during the Steelers win over the Falcons.

Jack Sawyer helps gang tackle Brian Robinson. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
Sometimes less is more. T.J. Watt played well all day, but he exploded in the last 18 minutes. We’ve seen that before but not for a while. Over the past 3 seasons, Watt has played over 80% of the defensive snaps. Against the Falcons it was in the low 60s. And he was able to do that because a young, second-year defender was able to come in and spell him, and for that Jack Sawyer wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 opening-day win over the Atlanta Falcons.

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The Mike McCarthy Era Begins as Steelers Beat Falcons 20-13 at Acrisure Stadium

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The Mike McCarthy era began as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 at Acrisure Stadium to open the 2026 season.

In securing victory, Mike McCarthy now joins his three immediate predecessors, Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin in winning his first game as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But, in an ironic nod to continuity, we can explain McCarthy’s first win by leaning into a time-tested Tomlinism: “Players play, coaches coach.”

T.J. Watt intercepts Cooper Rush and Jawaan Taylor cannot stop him.

T.J. Watt intercepts Cooper Rush in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Taylor Ollason, Steelers.com

Meet the New Steelers Offense, Same as the Old Steelers Offense?

Pittsburgh has fielded “pedestrian” offenses, put generously, since Ben Roethlisberger threw out his arm against Seattle in 2019.

And the consensus remedy for all that ailed the Steelers offense according to fans, podcasters and professional commentators alike has been to replace Mike Tomlin with an offensive-minded head coach.

That’s what Art Rooney II did when he hired Mike McCarthy. And, with one game out of 17 in the books, we can say that the new Steelers offense looks an awful lot like the old.

  • Steelers running backs couldn’t crack 60 yards total rushing
  • Its leading wide receiver caught 3 balls for 58 yards
  • The unit went 3 of 13 on third downs
  • It scored one touchdown and put up the same number of points as Atlanta’s offense

There were positives. Aaron Rodgers was only sacked twice – although he was hit a total of 6 times. Pat Freiermuth had the type of afternoon that eluded him last season, scoring the team’s only touchdown.

Michael Pittman Jr. caught 3 of 3 balls thrown his way and looked better than any other Steelers WR No. 2 has had in years.

  • The same can’t really be said for WR No. 1, D.K. Metcalf.

Aaron Rodgers looked to him early and often, yet Metcalf only came down with 4 balls that came his way. To be fair to Metcalf, Rodgers hit him perfectly on a deep, sideline route that most certainly should have been called as pass interference.

But, in one of those coveted “passes over the middle” at the tail end of the third quarter, Rodgers delivered the ball perfectly, and Metcalf couldn’t hold on. Had he caught the ball, it is possible that none of the defense’s 4th quarter fireworks would have been necessary.

A.J. Terrell breaks up a long pass intended for D.K. Metcalf in the Steelers 2026 opening day win over the Falcons.

D.K. Metcalf can’t quite hold on as A.J. Terrell interferes. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Roman Wilson got his most extensive, non-garbage time play of his career thus far, and the results were mixed. He did come away with 3 catches for 26 yards, which is OK, but he dropped a touchdown in the end zone.

To be fair, a flag could have been thrown on that pass too, but like Metcalf, Wilson must start finding ways to win these combat catches.

The deep shots that Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio took down the middle indicate that the coaching duo was trying to do something different on offense. But the execution left a lot to be desired.

  • How did it go again? “Players play, coaches coach?”

There were a few other hopeful signs at the tail end of the game, as we shall see.

The “Other” 10 on the Steelers Defense

Given what we saw in the 4th quarter, one could be forgiven for forgetting that there were 10 other players at any given moment whose name did not start and end with a “T.”

  • But it was far from a one-man show for the Steelers defense.

Much has been made of the “most expensive defense in the NFL” for the last several seasons. Football historians can debate that at their convenience, against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2026 opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense earned their money:

  • Payton Wilson led in tackles, including 2 for losses and was all over the field
  • Jalen Ramsey stepped up and broke up a pass, negating a long gain early on
  • Alex Highsmith wrecked Atlanta’s opening and closing drives with sacks
  • Newcomer Jaquan Brisker set up the Steelers only touchdown with a late 2nd quarter interception

And Cam Heyward, the legendary defensive lineman who seems to be making a parallel late career case to do double duty as a defensive back, led the team with 3 passes defensed, and as usual was a force up front at all other times.

Jalen Ramsey breaks up what would have been a long one to Kyle Pitts in the Steelers 2026 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Jalen Ramsey breaks up a pass to Kyle Pitts. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

It is true, the Steelers were facing second-string quarterback Cooper Rush, who himself had injury issues going into the game. But Atlanta has weapons on offense. Bijan Robinson is one of the NFL’s most dangerous rushers. Robinson had a respectable day, but never threatened to take over the game.

And while the Steelers offense only converted three third downs, that was 50% more than the Falcons, who converted two. Patrick Graham is already earning accolades from the social media chorus for calling a much better game than Mike Tomlin or Teryl Austin would have.

  • And Graham does deserve credit.

But, the entire Steelers defense was firing on all cylinders. And if they hadn’t been, it may not have mattered. Because the 11th player on the field was performing on a different level.

T.J. Watt Grounds the Falcons

Neither 2024 nor 2025 were kind to T.J. Watt. In 2024 Watt started off strong, but an undisclosed injury hampered him late in the season, just as the Steelers entered their critical late-season stretch.

Watt’s lightning quick tackles of Derrick Henry, when in fact Lamar Jackson had the ball, seemed emblematic of everything wrong with the Steelers defense during the 2024 season’s playoff ridiculing suffered at the hands of the Ravens.

Watt had his moments in 2025 and played better than his 7 sacks suggest, but he still appeared to be a player in decline.

His name wasn’t called much early in the game against the Falcons, aside from a sack late in the first half. And late in the 3rd quarter, Joe Davis and Greg Olsen got to talking about Watt’s decline in play.

T.J. Watt with one of two sacks of Cooper Rush in the Steelers 2026 opening day win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Watt breaks a hold to sack Cooper Rush. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

If you didn’t know better, you’d have thought Watt was listening.

Because on the next play he stopped Robinson for a loss. Then, despite being blatantly held, he sacked Cooper Rush, helping to force Atlanta to settle for a field goal.

  • Unfortunately for the Falcons, Watt was only getting warmed up.

The field goal gave Atlanta 10 points, putting them within three of Pittsburgh. The fourth quarter was just starting. The Steelers offense followed with one of those three-and-outs that looked way too familiar to the fare the Fitchner, Canada and Smith offenses treated fans to.

Atlanta ended the 3rd quarter with a 20-yard Bijan Robinson run: The Falcons appeared to be taking flight as the 4th quarter began.

T.J. Watt thought otherwise.

Watt opened the 4th quarter by stoning Robinson for no gain on first down. On second down, after Patrick Graham radioed in the play, Patrick Queen looked at Watt and told him, “Bro, go get me one.” This was Watt’s response:

There are 3 things to take away from this play:

  1. It took incredible concentration for Watt to intercept that ball
  2. Watt’s commitment to playing to the whistle drives him to get up and finish the play
  3. Notice how Benton, Ramsey and Wilson rally to ensure Watt makes it to the end zone

Yes it is a long season. Yes, Watt will have to sustain this level.

But I have pretty good feeling pushing the “Watt’s Washed Up” storyline in the Atlanta Falcons locker room this morning would be a pretty hard sell.

A Finish the Steelers Offense Can Build On?

The Steelers offensive performance did feature a different, hopeful wrinkle. After Highsmith ended the Falcons’ final drive, the Steelers got the ball back with 4:16 remaining.

In just about any similar situation during the post-Roethlisberger era, it would have been nail-biting time. Not against the Falcons. Rodgers opened with passes to Metcalf, Pittman and Darnell Washington.

From there Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren banged out 4 and 9 yard runs respectively, allowing Mike McCarthy to deploy the victory formation.

This wasn’t exactly the type of attrition football that we witnessed in the days when Jerome Bettis or Le’Veon Bell salted away games. But seeing the Steelers spend the final minute of the game taking a knee as opposed to watching their DBs scramble around playing prevent defense was a welcome change.

Perhaps that’s something that Mike McCarthy can build on.

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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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Grounded: Steelers Shut Out by Jets 17-0 in Preseason

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The New York Jets came to Acrisure Stadium and blanked the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning 17-0 in the second preseason game of the 2026 season.

  • My what a difference 8 days can make.

After Pittsburgh pulverized the Packers in preseason last week, the talking heads on social media would have had you believe that Mike McCarthy had already not only cured, but expunged every emblematic Tomlin-era error.

  • Against the Jets, it felt like McCarthy was metastasizing those maladies in real time.

And that’s why it is wise to take both the highs and lows of preseason in stride.

The loss to the Jets was as ugly as the score suggests but, given that it is the second preseason game, there are a few legit negatives and positives we can begin to project forward towards the regular season.

Let’s see what those are.

Chase Wilson with one of several sacks of Drew Allar in the 2026 Steelers Jets preseason win at Acrisure.

Chase Wilson sacks Drew Allar. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

1. Worry on the Offensive Line, Encouragement for the Steelers Defensive Line

The two biggest indicators that Steelers fans needed to look for in preseason were the quality of offensive line play and the strength of the spine of the defense.

Two preseason games have seen the coaches test various offensive line configurations and each combination leaves us something to worry about.

Last season several members of the Steel City Insider message board agreed that Broderick Jones had been improving prior to suffering a neck injury in Chicago. I had the same feeling, and it felt good to get confirmation from a few gents who are far more knowledgeable about X’s and O’s than I.

But we’ve seen Broderick Jones give up sacks playing on the left side last week, and against the Jets he gave up two playing on the right.

  • And it isn’t just a question of Jones.

Preseason is often, (although not always), a good gauge of the play of individual units. And the Steelers pass protection has not been good, no matter who has been out there.

The Steelers have given up 7 sacks and 9 QB hits. And all three Steelers quarterbacks have evaded other would be sacks.

Aaron Rodgers safety, Khalil Mack, Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs Chargers, Steelers vs Chargers SNF,

Khalil Mack sacks Aaron Rodgers for a safety. Photo Credit: IMAGN Images, via Tribune-Review

This is a problem. A big part of the premise behind bringing Aaron Rodgers back was that, behind a more mature offensive line, he could do some damage with an upgraded receiver corps.

  • Nothing we’ve seen means this still can’t happen, but we’ve seen scant evidence that it is.

On the flip side, the spine of the Steelers defense had a strong night.

Both Yahya Black and Gabriel Rubio made stout plays against the run. As did Patrick Queen and rookie Robert Spears-Jennings. Payton Wilson also logged a solid night. A little more on this group later.

2. Anyone Still Want to Run Rudolph Out of Town?

The play of both Will Howard and Drew Allar against the Packers had more than a few in Steelers Nation ready to send Mason Rudolph packing.

  • Such talk was always going to be nonsense regardless of how the quarterbacks performed against the New York.

But the performance of the quarterbacks against the Jets has-re-grounded talk about the young quarterbacks in reality.

To his credit, Will Howard looked poised in the pocket and at the line of scrimmage. He looked comfortable making decisions and threw the ball with confidence – and that includes the two interceptions he threw.

Many agree that his second interception was the fault of the receiver, but regardless, Will Howard looked to be every bit of the 6th round draft pick playing in his second NFL game.

Drew Allar is a little harder to evaluate, because he delivered several passes that were on target that his receivers could have and should have caught.

With that said, the play of both quarterbacks against the Jets sustained the prevailing narrative, that Howard has the intangibles but lacks some of the athletic skill, while Allar has the athletic pedigree but lacks the intangibles.

  • That doesn’t mean either man’s future with the Steelers or in the NFL is doomed.

Mike McCarthy explained that both men left multiple teachable moments on tape. The key is for both to take advantage of the learning opportunities in front of them.

3. Stat Sheet Deceives? A Word About Running Backs and the Running Game

The stat sheet delivered a surprise this morning on the running backs. None of them have averages which raise an eyebrow. Fair enough. Numbers don’t lie, but sometimes they can mislead.

Jaylen Warren logged several authoritative carries.

Watching Dowdle brought back memories of his last performance at Acrisure, where he did enough to help Dallas move the chains.

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 one. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Kaleb Johnson’s performance was also interesting. He led the team in rushing, and almost broke a long one. But Johnson showed the kind of scrappiness between the tackles that you like to see in a Pittsburgh Steelers running back.

4. Wonder and Worry on Wetjen

OK. Maybe “Wonder” is a bit to strong of a headline here, but hey I need to keep your attention. Seriously. During training camp we heard about Kaden Wetjen’s burning speed and ability to make seamless cuts as a returner.

  • We didn’t see any of that against the Packers, at least as a returner.

But against the Jets we saw some signs of it, and it was encouraging.

Kaden Wetjen fumbles during the Steelers 2026 preseason loss to the Jets at Acrisure.

Kaden Wetjen coughs up that ball. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

What isn’t encouraging was his ball security – he lost a fumble and bobbled another return. And watching him get tackled made me wonder whether someone of his size can withstand the pounding.

5. Of Carson Bruener and Bloodlines

When it came to picking players, Mike Tomlin loved his bloodlines.

The struggles of Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush Jr. made it easy to wonder whether Tomlin wasn’t letting sentimentality get the better of him. (Funny, neither Cam Heyward or T.J. Watt ever prompted suggestions of sentimentality.)

Bloodlines were a factor in Tomlin’s final draft pick Carson Bruener. Carson Bruener is of course the son of Steelers scout and former tight end Mark Bruener, who made the team last year on special teams.

  • And this preseason he’s showing he belongs on the defense.

On consecutive plays Bruener deflected a pass and then sacked the quarterback. And overall this kid just looks like he belongs every time he sees the field.

6. Two More Who Belong: Skowronek and Roberts

Two more players who are showing that they belong are Ben Skowronek and Elandon Roberts. Skowronek had 3-catches against the Jets, adding to the two he had against the Packers.

Skowronek may never prove he’s the Yancey Thigpen in hiding as this site suggested in the spring of 2025, but he’s a special teams ace and shows that he can catch the ball when it is thrown to him.

The Steelers re-signed the “Tooth Chipper” Elandon Roberts earlier this week and he led the defense with five tackles, renewing the question: Why did Omar Khan and Tomlin let him walk last spring?

No matter. That’s an academic question now. But it certainly is good to welcome Elandon Roberts back as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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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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Mike McCarthy’s “No Tackling” in Steelers Training Camp? What Does and Doesn’t Mean

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Like most Steelers fans, Mike McCarthy disappointed me when he announced there would be no live tackling during Steelers training camp this summer at St. Vincents.

The reaction is understandable. Toughness forms an innate part of the Steelers self-identity. There’s a reason why, at one time at least, the toll-free number for phone ordering Steelers merchandise was 1-800-TUF-TEAM.

Lew Nichols stiff arms an unnamed defender at Steelers training camp at St. Vincents College.

Lew Nichols gets away with a stiff arm. Would it have been as easy had there been tackling? Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

But Mike McCarthy’s announcement triggered memories of two other “Mikes” from Steelers history, one many have forgotten and another everyone remembers. And those memories have helped bring into focus what physicality in practice means to that identity of toughness.

The Mike everyone forgets is Mike Merriweather, whom Tony Defeo rightly identified as “Pittsburgh’s forgotten outside linebacker.”

I can vividly remember as a 15-year-old sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table in 1988, reading in the Pittsburgh Press or Post Gazette, about Merriweather’s holdout for either a new contract or a trade.

But Merriweather explained he wanted to stay with the Steelers because, in part, he’d observed the San Francisco 49ers practices and “they barely hit” or words to that effect.

Mike Merriweather, Edmund Nelson, John Elway, Steelers vs Broncos 1984, Mike Merriweather Steelers career

Mike Merriweather and Edmund Nelson close in on John Elway. Photo Credit: Pin Interest

In the summer of ’88, the Steelers still owned a 4-2 advantage over the 49ers in the Lombardi count. To this 15-year old, Merriweather’s comment offered existential proof not only of why the Steelers should but also why they would maintain that advantage.

The other Mike that everyone remembers is of course Mike Tomlin who launched live, full-contact tackling at Steelers training camp on July 31st 2013.

This was big news. Mark Kaboly of the Tribune Review claimed it was the first time full contact had been allowed in 10 years. Chris Bradford of the Beaver Times reported it was a first since The Emperor Chuck Noll’s reign.

In July of 2013 the Steelers were coming off an 8-8 finish in 2012 punctuated by a December meltdown. Tomlin insisted that adopting live-tackling policy was unrelated to 2012, just as Bruce Stringsteen assures us that the implosion of his first marriage had zero influence on his songwriting or Tunnel of Love….

  • Steelers Nation rejoiced.

If any fans had problems with Tomlin’s no live tackling, no go cart training camp, they sure did keep quiet about it on social media. And since then, Steelers fans have taken pride whenever a newly arrived free agent, such as Patrick Queen, remarked at how much more physical practices are in Pittsburgh.

Again, if you’re reading this, you probably feel the same way.

  • But we also must ask: Did Tomlin’s full contact approach work?

Let’s go back to 2013 opener against the Tennessee Titans. When the afternoon began, the Steelers RB No. 1 was injured, their two top tight ends were out and 3 players on injured reserve. By the time the afternoon was over the Steelers would:

Now let’s remember: correlation does not equal causality.

Football is brutal. Mike Tomlin could have banned all contact in training camp and David DeCastro still would have ended Pouncey’s season by falling on and breaking his leg.

But injury is the back story behind most of the chapters of the Steelers disappointing post-Super Bowl XLV playoff story.

There’s no need to re-live the memories of watching practice squad running backs and wide receivers start playoff games. Nor must we repeat visions of losing stars like Cam Heyward, Bud Dupree or T.J. Watt just as the last leaves fall off the trees, turkey leftovers get finished or the Christmas decorations get put away.

  • Did live tackling in training camp contribute to those injuries?

There’s no way to be sure. But only a select few argue more contact makes them less likely.*

That doesn’t mean that physicality can’t foster a willing culture – Bill Cowher famously used a late-season padded practice to break a 3-game losing streak and spark the 2005 Steelers on a run that ended in victory at Super Bowl XL.

Sure, the old school Steelers fan in me thinks there “should” be live tackling at St. Vincent’s this summer. But if the Steelers can still maintain their physical edge while staying even just a little healthier for December and January football then Mike McCarthy will have delivered a competitive edge.

Oh, and if my adult self could go back and have a “Just Sayin” moment with the 15-year-0ld me: Despite those hard hitting practices the 1988 Steelers finished 5-11. As for the 1988 San Francisco 49ers? They won the Super Bowl.

*In his autobiography In the Locker Room, Tunch Ilkin makes this exact argument. I’m not sure I agree, but Tunch was a lot closer to the game than I am and I respect his opinion enough to share it here.

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Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Inside Linebacker: Khan’s Work Isn’t Done

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If there is any one position that the Steelers have tied themselves up in knots trying to fill over the last decade, it is inside linebacker.

And no wonder why.  Jack Lambert, Levon Kirkland, and James Farrior were centerpieces of Steelers Super Bowl defenses, while David Little and Ryan Shazier took their teams to Conference Championship games.

The Steelers have made a plethora of moves at inside linebacker since losing Shazier. Some have been fruitful, others have failed.

So the question going into the 2026 NFL Draft is, must the Steelers address inside linebacker again?

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

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson on the sidelines of the Steelers 2025 win over the Vikings in Dublin.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson in Dublin. Photo Credit: Ian Walton, AP, via the Post-Gazette.

The Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters

The Steelers made a splash in the spring of 2024 when they made Patrick Queen the 4th highest paid outside free agent in franchise history (kudos to Chris Adamski of the Tribune-Review for this salary cap-inflation adjusted figure. BTW Wayne Gandy was first – ouch!)

No matter how you measure it, the Steelers invested heavily in Patrick Queen and the returns have been mixed. While he hasn’t been a liability, he hasn’t dominated at the level expected and needed of someone with his salary cap number.

Queen is only 26 and would normally be a candidate for a contract extension this summer, but it would be surprising if Omar Khan targets him for one.

Playing alongside Patrick Queen is Payton Wilson.

Payton Wilson, Justice Hill, Payton Wilson interception, Steelers vs Ravens

Payton Wilson intercepts a Lamar Jackson pass. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The Steelers drafted Peyton Wilson in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Wilson made his presence known fast, making Lamar Jackson pay when he tried to target him in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Acrisure in 2024. He also recovered a strip-sack by Nick Herbig of Joe Burrow and took it to the house in the road win over Cincinnati.

Since then Wilson has worked himself into the defense increasing his snap count from 45% to 63%. Wilson’s second year was solid – he showed incredible heart and athleticism in running down Jordan Addison  during the Steelers win over the Vikings in Dublin and he authored an incredible game against the Colts, leading the team in tackles and securing his first interception, but his play leveled off after that.

The Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backups

Leading the depth chart at inside linebacker behind the starters is Malik Harrison whom the Steelers signed from the Ravens last spring. Harrison played in 40% of the defensive snaps and overall was a solid contributor on defense.

Cole Holcomb, Davante Adams, Steelers vs Raiders

Cole Holocomb throttles Davante Adams. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

The Steelers opted to bring Cole Holcomb back. They signed Holcomb as a free agent in 2023, and Holcomb was beginning to make a name for himself when a brutal knee injury ended his season and ended up costing him the 2024 campaign as well.

Finally, the Steelers have Carson Bruener whom they drafted in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Bruner, the son of former Steelers tight end and current scout made the final roster largely due to his special teams acumen.

If Pro Football Reference’s stats are to be trusted, Bruener only played 1 snap on defense, yet he played 64% of the special teams snaps where he was a demon, recording 17 tackles and winning 2nd team Pro Football Focus All Pro honors.

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Inside Linebacker

The Steelers have two solid starters at outside linebacker, two quality backups and a promising developmental prospect.

So they can ignore inside linebacker and focus on other needs, such as guard or tackle in the 2026 NFL draft right?

No, not so fast. The good news is that the Steelers roster at inside linebacker is relatively healthy. Unlike, say wide receiver, they don’t need to add a player with a premium pick in the draft. But they certainly can’t afford to ignore the position, and their experience in 2014 is instructive.

Going into the 2014 NFL Draft, Lawrence Timmons was still going strong, Vince Williams made great progress during his rookie year, Sean Spence was back and Terence Garvin was an interesting developmental prospect who was excelling on special teams.

Inside linebacker was the team’s deepest position and their lowest area of need entering the 2014 NFL Draft – Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert drafted Ryan Shaizer. How right were they? Well, three and a half years later, Shaizer’s injury closed the Roethlisberger Era’s Super Bowl window.

The Pittsburgh Steelers draft needs scale

Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy must take the same mindset at inside linebacker into this draft.

The Steelers don’t need to add an inside linebacker in this draft just as they don’t have anyone on their depth chart who screams “long term answer.” So they’d be wise to add a play maker if they can as their needs going into the 2026 NFL Draft at inside linebacker are Moderate.

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On Paper: Steelers Look Stronger After Week 1 of Free Agency

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The Pittsburgh Steelers were busy during the first week of 2026’s free agency. As expected, Steelers Nation said goodbye to several familiar faces while welcoming newcomers to Pittsburgh.

Here’s an overview of what’s happened so far:

The James Pierre, Kenneth Gainwell left Pittsburgh almost immediately and were followed by Isaac Seumalo, Calvin Austin III, Connor Heyward, Miles Killebrew and Corliss Waitman.

The Steelers welcomed back Cameron Johnston, extended Cam Heyward’s contract, resigned Asante Samuel Jr. Cole Holcomb, Esezi Otomewo and Jack Driscoll.

They also traded for Michael Pittman, signed Jamel Dean, Rico Dowdle, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Jaquan Brisker.

  • Question: So, how has Omar Khan done?
  • Answer: We’ll know when the games start.

Thank about it: A year ago the Steelers secondary looked stronger on paper with Darius Slay’s signing. Sure he was old, but he’d just started on a team that had won the Super Bowl with dominating defense.

  • The Steelers cut Slay, just as they were entering the home stretch.

In contrast, Kenneth Gainwell was seen as more of a “nice to have,” as relief for Jaylen Warren. Gainwell ended up leading the team in receptions and winning MVP honors.

So instead of trying to make pronouncements, let’s look at how each move has impacted their respective areas on the depth chart – on paper.

Michael Pittman Jr. signs his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the South Side in the March of 2026.

Michael Pittman Jr. signs his contract Steelers. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

Wide Receivers – Stronger, on paper, But….

By trading for Michael Pittman Jr.  the Steelers have something on paper in their wide receiver corps that has eluded them for the last two years – 2 viable starting NFL wideouts. With Pittman playing alongside him, D.K. Metcalf now has someone to take attention away from defensive backs.

  • However, losing Calvin Austin was a blow to depth.

It leaves the Steelers without a viable Wr. No. 3 and a starter in waiting. Yes, Roman Wilson could still be that person, but that was the case this time last spring, and he finished the season on the bench.

Defensive Line – Stronger, on paper…

Cam Heyward might be turning 37 soon, but he put in another All Pro year adding another season to what should be a Hall of Fame resume.

Signing Sebastian Joseph-Day is the type of move the Steelers should have made last spring but didn’t, due to successful attempt to game the comp-pick system. Keeanu Benton, is a good player, and can pressure the passer. Yet, he’s had some good moments against the run, as well as some ugly ones.

Joseph-Day gives them an option there, and a chance to work Benton at end with an eye towards the day when Heyward begins his “Life’s Work.” Signing Esezi Otomewo also shores up depth.

Tight End – Slightly Weaker, on paper…

In truth, losing Connor Heyward isn’t dramatic, but the Steelers still have no one with experience behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. They’re doing to need to add a couple-of-three somebodies.

Darnell Washington, Barrett Carter, Steelers vs Bengals

Darnell Washington dumps Barrett Carter. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Secondary – Stronger, on paper…

James Pierre was the kind of guy you want to keep. Losing Pierre hurt. But the Steelers didn’t see him as a viable long-term starter, and Jamel Dean, on paper, gives the Steelers the chance to field two shut down corners with Joey Porter Jr. yet to reach his prime.

  • Signing Asante Samuel Jr. over Pierre does come with more risk, but also offers a higher return.

The moves also signal Jalen Ramsey remaining at safety, but with DeShone Elliott returning and hopefully at full health, they still had no one behind them. Jaquan Brisker appears to be starter-capable and is a welcome addition.

Running Back – Neutral

You never want to lose your previous season’s MVP, but Rico Dowdle is a proven starter in this league and gives the Steelers an insurance policy with resepct to Kaleb Johnson.

Offensive Line – Weaker, on paper…

The Steelers like Spencer Anderson but Isaac Seumalo has been their best offensive lineman for the past three years. Jack Driscoll gives them depth at offensive tackle, where they need it.

Inside Linebacker – Neutral

Cole Holcomb’s return amounted to a minor surprise, but at this point this is nothing more than a depth signing, as Patrick Queen remains in Pittsburgh and doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.

Holcomb’s a good guy to have coming off the bench.

Special Teams – Weaker

The decision to let Waitman go and replace him with Johnston, who is older and has had injury issues, is a head scratcher. Calvin Austin was a solid return man, and James Pierre, Connor Heyward were special teams demons and Miles Killebrew was their special team’s captain.

The Steelers should find replacements to fill these holes from the bottom of their roster, but they have created the need to do so.

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