Tag Archives: Troy Polamalu

What a Shame: Steelers Trade Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys

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The Pittsburgh Steelers will trade Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Dallas’ 6th round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and their 2nd Round Pick in the 2028 NFL Draft.

The move, while hardly surprising, remains incredibly disappointing.

Joey Porter Jr and Joey Porter Sr and Porter Jr. with Nico Collins

Joey Porter Jr.’s Steelers journey comes full circle, to a bitter end. Photo Credits: G. N. Lowrance, Getty Images; Houston Chronicle

How should Steelers fans make sense of this? In this case, three simple words we all learned as young children suffice:

What a shame.

Yes, it is a real shame for the organization, for Joey Porter Jr., for the fans, for everyone.

  • The Steelers defense clearly needs Porter: Now they won’t have him.
  • Joey Porter Jr. wanted a long term deal: Now he’ll play in Dallas, without one.

No matter how you slice it, no matter whose side you’re on, regardless of who you consider to be “at fault,” this situation has ended badly.

A narrative that was shaping up to be something that Disney itself couldn’t have scripted better has instead taken on the feel of a poorly executed B-level reboot of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

One of the enduring images from Super Bowl XL is that of Joey Porter Jr. sitting on the arm of his father Joey Porter Sr. That’s where Joey Porter Jr.’s story with the Pittsburgh Steelers began.

But its roots run far deeper. Porter worked as a ballboy. Apparently he drilled, at some level, against Antonio Brown in training camp. He played in school with Mike Tomlin’s kids. He went to Penn State. He was drafted with the 32nd pick, a second rounder that Omar Khan had swindled out of Chicago in the Chase Claypool trade.

Arriving in Pittsburgh, he took on Number 24, the number worn by  “Uncle Ike,” or Ike Taylor who made the game-changing play in Super Bowl XL.

Porter’s first interception came courtesy of Lamar Jackson, in the end zone no less, and sparked an improbable comeback victory over the Ravens. (Yes, Kenny Pickett left Pittsburgh and remains “undefeated” against Lamar Jackson – there’s a factoid to stock up on for Final Jeopardy.)

Joey Porter Jr., Steelers vs Ravens

Joey Porter Jr. gets his first interception. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Porter had a strong rookie year. It is probably fair to say that he didn’t quite make the proverbial “second year leap” in 2024. But it is even more accurate to say that he did make a significant leap in year 3. No, Porter hadn’t established himself as a true, “shut down corner” but he was heading in that trajectory.

  • For the Steelers, this was a dream come true.

When you think of defensive backs drafted by the Steelers in this century, names like Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and maybe even Big Play Willie Gay come to mind. So they should.

But other monikers, we forget. Names like Hank Poteat, Ricardo Colclough, Cortez Allen, Shamarko Thomas, Senquez Golson and Terrell Edmunds.

Joey Porter Jr. was the antidote to those misses. Finally, after so many misfires, the Steelers had drafted and developed a cornerback and were about to see him bud into his prime.

Alas, that’s all been reduced to a 6th round pick next spring and a 2nd found pick two springs after that.

Who to Blame for the Joey Porter Jr. Fiasco?

Focusing on blame is something I try to avoid going through life. It is seldom productive and often a corrosive endeavor. But the Joey Porter Jr. fiasco did not need to end this way.

  • As with most situations, both sides share responsibility.

For their part, the Steelers never should have declared him injured if he in fact was healthy. If Mike McCarthy wanted to end the policy of allowing “hold ins” – as is his right as head coach – that should have been crystal clear from the beginning.

But the lion’s share of the responsibly falls on Joey Porter Jr.’s shoulders.

  • By all accounts, the Steelers made him a fair offer.
  • If Joey Porter Jr. didn’t want to accept it and bet on himself, he had the right.

But then he needed to follow through and prove that he deserved to be paid what he thought he was worth by playing through the final year of his contract.

  • That’s how the dynamic of negotiations with 3rd year players works.

The team offers him a deal, usually a little less than the player would command on the open market, and the player gets his money a year earlier and reduces his injury risk.

Most often it works out as a win-win situation – see Hines Ward whom the Steelers re-signed before the 2001 season. Other times, it backfires on the team – see Cortez Allen’s second contract.

Hines Ward, Steeles vs Ravens, 2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs, first playoff game Heinz Field

Hines Ward flexes his muscles in the playoffs against the Ravens. The Steelers were back!. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

If Porter was dead set on opting out of this dynamic, only playing if and when he got a new contract, they he should have stated that from the get-go.

Instead, he feigned injury, as confirmed by is comments that he hopes to suit up for the Cowboys this Sunday.

That’s the adult equivalent of shaking the thermometer to make it look like you’ve got a fever of 99 degrees so that mom will let you stay home from school on Friday, and then turning around and saying “Hey mom, I’m feeling better. Can I go to the dance tonight?”

In the end, the Steelers really are accepting the short end of the stick by taking a 2nd-round 2028 and a 6th-round 2027 in exchange for Porter.

But moving on from Porter is the best choice they could make at this point, even if it is a bad one. It is far, far better than watching Art Rooney II becoming the NFL equivalent of Ferris Bueller’s nemesis Edward “Ed” Rooney.

What a shame.

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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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5 Steelers Draft Lessons Omar Khan Must Apply in the 2026 NFL Draft

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The 2026 NFL Draft is days away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting on a mother lode of draft picks. Thanks to trades, compensatory picks and hoarding his own, Omar Khan has 12 choices at his disposal in the upcoming draft.

  • Those picks open many possibilities for Pittsburgh.

But to be successful, the Steelers brain trust must make wise decisions. With that in mind, let’s take a look at lessons Steelers draft history teaches us.

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

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan

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

1. Challenge Conventional Wisdom on Compensatory Picks

Omar Khan is already learning this lesson in real time. Last spring Khan’s focus in free agency was to stockpile compensatory picks so he could trade up in what was supposed to be a QB-rich draft.

“Stockpile compensatory picks Khan has, but QB poor has this draft turned out to be,” in Yoda speak.

  • Other drafts teach a similar lesson.

The Steelers went into the 1998 draft with 14 picks. Tom Donahoe made no bones about trading some of those, boasting, “There’s no way 14 rookies can make our team.”

Donahoe was right. It’s near-impossible to imagine 14 rookies making any non-expansion NFL roster. Yet, Donahoe’s claim was laced with a touch of latent arrogance.

Stub from April 1st 1998 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette detailing the Steelers compensatory draft picks.

Stub from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 1, 1998. Thanks to Gordon Gordon Dedman, @SteelUK for supplying this.

Free agent exoduses had been the norm in Pittsburgh throughout the 1990s. The 1997 Steelers AFC Championship loss seemed to have proven franchise could defy gravity. Instead, 1998 was the year the Steelers came crashing back down to earth.

Now, several things led to Bill Cowher’s first losing season in 1998, but a wiser use of draft choices could have helped avert that (see below.)

2. Initial Story Lines Come with a Grain of Salt

The NFL Draft is such a successful media event because its core product is hope. And best way to sell hope is with a good story. And that’s perfectly fine, as long as you remember that many of the initial stories spawned on draft day won’t come to fruition, or at least not the way you expect them to.

When the Steelers drafted him, Chris Berman and company mused about whether Ward’s arrival heralded the advent of Slash II. (“Slash” is of course Kordell Stewart, whose play as a QB/WR/RB helped propel the 1995 Steelers all the way to Super Bowl XXX.)

Ward after all had played quarterback and running back in addition to wide receiver at Georgia. Both the Post-Gazette and Tribune Review ran articles exploring the “Slash” angle.

Hines Ward, Super Bowl XL, Steelers Super Bowl XL, Antwaan Randle El Hines Ward Super Bowl XL

Hines Ward seals the win in Super Bowl XL. Photo Credit: Bill Frakes, Sports Illustrated

They were great draft-day stories, and Ward authored a Hall of Fame-worthy resume which included his MVP performance in Super Bowl XL. But he only threw two passes in his NFL career.

3. Good Drafts Age Like Fine Wine

To borrow from Eddie Van Halen, a “Right Here, Right Now” mentality dominates the NFL draft.

People go to the inane extent of grading mock drafts. Before the ink on draft cards even dries, we’re bombarded by “draft grades.”

That’s fun. It generates clicks. But no amount of page views can alter the simple reality that judging a draft takes several years. Tom Donahoe’s final drafts in Pittsburgh prove that point.

Dan Rooney, Dan Rooney decisions, Tom Donahoe, Bill Cowher, Tom Modark, Steelers 1992 Draft

Tom Donahoe, Tom Modark, Dan Rooney and Bill Cowher in the Steelers 1992 draft room. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Dan Rooney fired Tom Donahoe after the 1999 Steelers finished 6-10. Rooney’s main reason was that Donahoe and Cowher were barely on speaking terms. But at the time, many also questioned Donahoe’s personnel decisions, particularly his recent drafts.

The 1998 and 1999 drafts brought Alan Faneca, Hines Ward, Deshea Townsend, Joey Porter, Sr. and Aaron Smith to Pittsburgh. Today, we see them as foundational players of the Steelers second Super Bowl Era.

  • But that would have been a hard sell when Kevin Colbert was hired in 2000.

Aaron Smith was an unknown. Joey Porter Sr. was the pre-season sensation that Carlos Emmons had kept on the bench. Deshea Townsend had started 4 games and wouldn’t start full-time until Dick LeBeau returned in 2004.

Kevin Colbert actively tried to replace Hines Ward in his first draft and, in the pages of the Steelers Digest, Bob Labriola was raising questions, albeit in measured tones, about Alan Faneca.

Yes. Like Riglos Gran Crote, good drafts age well with time.

4. Measure Drafts by Quality, Not Quantity

True to his word, Tom Donahoe didn’t draft 14 players, trading a 2nd, a 3rd and a 5th to move up to get Jeremy Staat in the 2nd round. So Donahoe gave up 3 picks to get one player who made 2 career starts. Anyone of those picks could have been to add a much-needed offensive tackle or wide receiver.

On the flip side, the Steelers picked 13 players in the 2003 and 2004 drafts. And collectively, those drafts only yielded 4 starters. Sounds pretty damning doesn’t it? Well, it does, until you consider that those starters were Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Max Starks and Ben Roethlisberger.

Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, AFC Championship

Ben Roethlisberger hugs Troy Polmalu after the AFC Championship. Photo Credit: Pin Interest

The Steelers don’t win either Super Bowl XL or Super Bowl XLIII if they’re missing any one of those players. Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck or Ken Whisenhunt would all agree.

The lesson for Omar Khan? When in doubt, draft the next Hall of Famer.

5. Steelers Should be Swindlers Not Suckers

Like their predecessors, there’s little chance Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy will draft 12 players later this week. Khan, as we know, likes to wheel-and-deal.

And while most of the focus is on who Khan should trade up for, where he should do it and how much he should give up, the Steelers would be wise try to trade 2026 picks for picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

How might this dynamic play out? Khan’s own words from the George Pickens trade press conference guide us. This is how Khan explained the value of draft picks:

But, yeah, when you’re, the day of the draft or going through the draft, every one of those picks feels like they’re the greatest pick. You don’t want to get rid of them. They’re valuable. They’re all important.

Here’s the simple English take away: Suckers are born every minute in the NFL draft.

  • The Steelers have been suckers in the past.

During the 2013 NFL Draft, Steelers traded their 2014 third round pick for a 2013 4th rounder get Shamarko Thomas (Ouch!). In the 2021 NFL Draft they traded their 2022 fourth rounder to get a 2021 5th rounder to draft Isaiahh Loudermilk (ouch!)

It takes two to tango — Khan can’t simply snap his fingers and turn one (or two) of the Steelers 2026 thirds in to 2027 seconds. Moreover, the Bengals-Giants Dexter Lawrence trade suggests there’ll be a buyer’s market in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Sounds like its time for someone to go out and remind us why we call him the Khan artist…..

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Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Safety: Maybe Not First, But Certainly Never Last

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Here’s an interesting factoid about the Steelers situation at safety: Pittsburgh began the 2025 season without any home-grown safeties on its active roster.

Sure, the Steelers have had several successful safeties that started their careers elsewhere, think Ryan Clark, this is an anomaly for a franchise that boasts Hall of Famer safeties like Donnie Shell and Troy Polamalu.

With that in mind, might it be time for the Steelers to re-stock at safety in the 2026 NFL Draft?

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

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.

The Steelers Safety Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters

Question: If the Steelers gave out offensive and defensive MVP awards who should have shared the honors with Kenneth Gainwell last year? For my money the answer is starting safety Jalen Ramsey.

  • Problem? Ramsey started the season at cornerback.

The Steelers started the summer trading for Jalen Ramsey and from that point on, as long as air conditioners kept running in Western Pennsylvania, Mike Tomlin kept talking about his “coverage guys.” As Chris Halicke from DK on Pittsburgh Sports shares, Tomlin didn’t just do this with reporters, but he did with everyone it inside the building.

But there was a little problem.

One of his best “coverage guys” got hurt. And a couple of others couldn’t cover. The Steelers made trades, cut guys, but things the ship only began to right itself when he moved Jalen Ramsey from corner to safety.

Working at free safety, Ramsey didn’t prove to be a ball hawk like Polamalu or Minkah Fitzpatrick circa 2019-2022, but he did force opposing offensive coordinators to account for him. And he proved he could lay in the wood on someone, including unsuspecting quarterbacks.

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

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

The Steelers signed DeShon Elliott in the spring of 2024 and during the entire fall the question was, “What was it that Baltimore, Detroit and Miami didn’t like about him?” The Steelers gave Elliott a second contract, but unfortunately, he go hurt in the season opener against the Jets.

Elliott returned in week 4 with a sack, interception and 2 quarterback hits in the win over the Vikings in Dublin, and the defense continued to be notably different the following week against Cleveland. The shorthand for the next two weeks is that the Bengals and Packers torched the Steelers defense.

What people forget is that Pittsburgh was actually beating the Green Bay before Elliott got injured and was lost for the season. He’s expected to make a full recovery and if he does do that, he’ll be an asset as a starter.

The Steelers Safety Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backups

To add depth behind Ramsey and Elliott the Steelers signed Pittsburgh native Jaquan Brisker. Jaquan Brisker was a 4-year starter for the Chicago Bears and has been compared stylistically to Elliott. Brisker made his presence known in the Bears win over the Steelers last season, including batting away Mason Rudolph’s final pass intended for D.K. Metcalf.

Sebastian Castro, Garrett Greene, Steelers vs Buccaneers preseason

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

The Steelers also have Sebastian Castro, one of their 2025 undrafted rookie free agents, who opened the season on the practice squad got signed by Tampa Bay, only to get cut and return to the Steelers in time for their week 11 win over the Bengals where he would appear on special teams throughout the season.

Jack Henderson, who played in college for Minnesota, is also a safety under contract. Henderson signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Carolina Panthers, spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and alternated between stints on the Steelers and Dolphins practice squads in 2025. The Dolphins cut him lose in January, and the Steelers signed him to a futures contract.

Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Safety

The Steelers have two NFL veterans at safety, one converted 32 year-old cornerback, an undrafted rookie free agent and a practice squad bubble baby. And one of those veteran safeties is coming off of a leg injury that, at one point, was feared to be career-threatening.

The oft-discussed signing of  Darnell Savage has yet to materialize.

The Pittsburgh Steelers draft needs scale

Even without taking into consideration Jalen Ramsey’s age, Sebastian Castro’s inexperience, or DeShon Elliott’s injury, the Steelers still must add depth at safety in the draft.

So while they don’t need to find a starter, they clearly must find someone capable of playing real snaps this fall – making safety an Extreme need for the Steelers in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Thank You: Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Steelers Career and Legacy at a Glance

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Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Steelers career ended exactly as it started: As a complete surprise.

In September 2019 while traveling on business in San Francisco an update flashed across the SteelersTres60 WhatsApp group announcing that the Steelers had traded their first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Surely, this must be a false, this skeptical scribe concluded.

But it wasn’t. The trade was real and a sign that “The Steelers Way” was evolving. So I wasn’t quite as skeptical when the same SteelersTres60 WhatsApp group posted that Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith were soon to be Steelers.

But I never expected the cost of Ramsey and Smith’s tickets to Pittsburgh would be Minkah Fitzpatrick. But in Pittsburgh they are, and Minkah has returned to Miami.

Today we take a look at Minkah’s contribution as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kameron Kelly, Mark Barron, Steelers vs Rams, Minkah Fitzpatrick's Steelers career

Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrates after returning a fumble for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, Penn-Live

2019: Best 3 Game Stretch by a Steelers DB?

Minkah Fitzpatrick became an immediate starter and logged an interception 11 minutes into the first quarter of his first game against the 49ers. The Steelers lost in San Francisco that day, but Minkah flashed his calling card: Making dramatic, game-changing plays.

Fitzpatrick was quiet for the next three weeks, “only” deflecting two passes. But soon he would strike fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators.

People forget, but Mason Rudolph looked shaky against the Dolphins early in his first game back following his concussion. A Rudolph interception set up an easy touchdown for Miami, and the Dolphins put up 14 unanswered points in the first quarter as the Steelers struggled.

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick at the 11:14 mark of the 2nd quarter, and 13 plays later the Rudolph was hitting Diontae Johnson to get the Steelers into the end zone to cut Miami’s lead to 4.

Minkah, Fitzpatrick, Minkah Fitzpatrick interception Dolphins, Steelers vs Dolphins MNF

Minkah Fitzpatrick 2nd interception against the Dolphins. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, PennLive

The Steelers struggled out of the gate to start the 2nd half, as Chris Boswell missed a 54 yarder.

Miami’s offense never had a chance to capitalize. Ryan Fitzpatrick misfired deep on his first two throws, but he found Minkah Fitzpatrick for his third one. 13 plays later Rudolph found JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone to put the Steelers up for good.

A week later against the Colts, the Steelers were in a tighter spot late in the first half as the 2-minute warning loomed. Indianapolis had a 10 to 3 lead that they were on the verge of transforming into a 17 to 3 lead. Minkah Fitzpatrick thought otherwise:

The Steelers beat the Colts that day, 26 to 24, with Minkah Fizpatrick authoring what was, at a minimum, 10 10-point swing in Pittsburgh’s favor.

A week later, against the Los Angeles Rams, Mason Rudolph had just made a field-flipping play to James Washington with 2:26 left to go in the first half, only to have Washington fumble. The game was tied and the Rams had a golden opportunity to seize the lead going into half time.

Two plays later, Javon Hargrave strip-sacked Jared Goff as Minkah Fitzpatrick scooped up the loose ball and streamed 46 yards to the end zone.

The play put the Steelers up 14 to 7, the last points the offense would see until Chris Boswell tacked on three with just over two minutes left to play. Oh, Los Angeles did attempt a comeback, but it was stopped after Robert Woods got past Joe Haden only to have Minkah Fitzpatrick intercept his pass with 20 seconds remaining to preserve the 17-12 victory.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have sent Jack Butler, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, Rod Woodson and Troy Polamalu to Canton to represent their secondary in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But in weeks 7, 8 and 9 of the 2019 season, Minkah Fitzpatrick may have authored the best 3 game stretch of any Steelers defensive back in history.

2020 through 2022 – Minkah Magic When The Steelers Need

Quarterbacks noted Minkah Fitzpatrick’s prowess and avoided him like the plague. Still, he scored the Steelers first touchdown against Cleveland with a pick six of Baker Mayfield in the 2020 home win over Cleveland.

As the true great ones do, Minkah Fitzpatrick displayed a knack for making timely plays at critical junctures in games.

In week 8 of the 2020 season, at the two-minute warning Lamar Jackson tried to tuck and run with it at the Steelers 3. HE made it two yards before Fitzpatrick stoned him forcing a fumble, which Robert Spillane recovered.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Willie Snead, Justin Tucker, Steelers vs Ravens

Minkah Fitzpatrick knocks the ball away from Wille Snead. Photo Credit: Patrick Smith, Getty Images via Fansided.com

He wasn’t done. The Steelers couldn’t kill the clock. Jackson moved the Ravens to just outside Pittsburgh’s 23, where, with 5 seconds left he had Willie Snead open in the end zone, only for Minkah to step in and deflect the pass.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Cowboys

Minkah Fitzpatrick after saving the day for the Steelers. Photo Credit: Boston Globe.

A week later against Dallas, he did it again, opening the 4th quarter against Dallas with an interception. Again, ended the Cowboys comeback attempt with a pass deflection over CeeDee Lamb in the end zone with 4 seconds remaining.

  • Fitzpatrick added two more picks against Jacksonville two weeks later.

In 2021 Fitzpatrick “only” had two interceptions, but he made those count, negating a would-be Ravens touchdown early in the game with an end zone pick and a game the Steelers would win 19-18, thus helping Ben Roethlisberger win his final game against Lamar Jackson.

2022 was a rough year for the Steelers, but they started it with a bang. Cam Heyward sacked Joe Burrow in week one on Cincinnati’s first play from scrimmage. Not one to be upstaged, Minkah did this on the next play:

Fitzpatrick started fast and finished strong that day. When the Bengals tied the game with 4 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Fitzpatrick didn’t fret – he fought back:

And thus the Steelers stole one from Burrow and the Bengals in overtime.

2022 was Minkah Fitzpatrick’s best season with the Steelers, as he logged additional 5 more interceptions, including victory sealers against the Falcons and then against the Ravens, the latter one coming on the heels of the “Kenny F__ing Pickett” comeback. He also batted away 11 passes, earning first team AP All Pro Honors.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Ravens, Steelers vs Ravens 2022 M&T Bank Stadium

Minkah Fitzpatrick with the game-sealing pick. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

From 2020 to 2022, whenever the Steelers needed it, Minkah Magic delivered.

2023 and 2024, Fitzpatrick Is Seen Less than He’s Heard

Using conventional metrics, Minkah Fizpatrick’s play dipped in 2022 and 2023. He only had one interception in that two-season span. He defensed a total of 7 passes in the two seasons, or the same number that he logged in 2021.

  • Pundits in some quarters rushed to conclude at, at age 29, Fitzpatrick was slowing a step.

But as Derrick Bell from Steelers Now pointed, out while we may not have heard much from Minkah Fitzpatrick, opposing quarterbacks saw him and shifted their targets accordingly.

In 2024 the Steelers defense boasted the NFL’s 2nd best 3rd down percentage, and in Bell’s estimation, how Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin chose to deploy Fitzpatrick helped that happen. In breaking down a critical third down stop from the 2024 home win over the Ravens, Bell concludes:

This play results in a scramble drill turned prayer down the field, with the defense getting off the field on third down against the league’s best offense. These turn-downs aren’t a statistic that is measured like interceptions, stops, or forced incompletions, but having strong enough hook play to erase these beaters is crucial nonetheless.

So no one should mistake them missing splash plays from Minkah’s game recently for a lack of impact.

Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade = Cost-Benefit Calculation

Success in the NFL hinges on getting the most bang for your salary cap buck. Salarycaponomics alone indicate that mega contracts are more wisely invested in cornerbacks than in safeties. Throwing in Jonnu Smith makes this trade is a no-brainer – on paper.

Early in the off season, Steel City Insider’s Matt C. Steel argued for the Steelers to follow Philly’s blueprint and play more Cover 4. As Steel explains, “Besides a big, strong defensive front with depth, ideally, you want three corners who can cover.” Ramsey, alongside Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay gives the Steelers that third corner.

Troy Polamalu, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Vincents

Two safeties @ St. Vincent’s. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Fair enough.

The Philadelphia Eagles did something in route to victory in Super Bowl LIX that no one else has done: Make Patrick Mahomes look mortal. If the exchanging Ramsey for Fitzpatrick elevates the Steelers defense to that level, sign me up.

But Minkah Fitzpatrick was always class act in Pittsburgh and a leader both on and off the field. It says here that not only is Minkah Fitzpatrick not past his prime, his best days may be yet to come. And if that’s the case, it will be a shame that he ends up not playing them in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

But so be it. Thank you Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Thank you for giving Steelers Nation Hall of Fame caliber play in the secondary not seen since the days when Polamalus and Woodsons wore the Black and Gold.

I wish you the best.

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Grading the Steelers 2019 Draft Class – Bush Trade = Brutal Mistake

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Steel Curtain Rising “grades” drafts 5 years after the fact, in keeping with Chuck Noll’s belief that it took 5 years to judge a draft.

Travel and work commitments kept me from grading Steelers 2019 and 2018 draft classes, so this spring we’ll grade those draft classes, starting with 2019.

Devin Bush,

Steelers rookie Devin Bush on the fields of St. Vincents. Photo Credit: AP, via Yahoo! Sports

First Round – Devin Bushy Jr., The Third Time Non-Charm

Kevin Colbert’s track record of trading up was excellent. In 2004 he got Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu and in 2006 he got Super Bowl XLIII’s MVP Santonio Holmes.

Going into the 2019 NFL Draft the Steelers defense was still reeling from the loss of Ryan Shazier 15 months earlier. Kevin Colbert needed to be aggressive and traded up 2nd and 3rd round picks to draft Devin Bush.

  • 10 months later, Colbert’s bold move with Bush appeared to be a brilliant gamble.

Believe it or not, Devin Bush had a solid, if not spectacular rookie year.

Devin Bush, Devin Bush touchdown, Steelers vs Chargers

Happier Times: Rookie Devin Bush dives for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

He registered one sack, made 2 interceptions, batted away 4 passes, made 109 tackles, recovered 4 fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. Looking beyond the numbers, Bush made splash plays in a timely manner – a halmark of greatness. Bush started his sophomore year strong, making a sack and batting away 3 passes before tearing his ACL in early in his fifth game.

  • Devin Bush was never the same.

Whether his ACL tear never fully healed or the injury spooked him, Bush was a shadow of his rookie year flash, ultimately losing snaps to 7th round rookie Mark Robinson late in his final season. Grade: Bust

Third Round – Diontae Johnson, The Failed POC

Diontae Johnson had a strong rookie year, appearing in 16 games and making 12 starts. His catch totals went from 59, to 88 to 107. That prompted Omar Khan to give him a “prove it contract” in the spring of 2022.

  • Alas, Johnson failed his “Proof of Concept” but certainly wasn’t a total loss.

Johnson had a solid 2022, catching 86 passes but no touchdowns. In 2023, that number dipped to 51 as Johnson became a sideline and locker room distraction. The Steelers traded him, and Johnson ended up playing for Carolina, Baltimore and Houston wearing four jerseys in less than 12 months.

Diontae Johnson, Robert Jackson, Steelers vs Browns

Diontae Johnson beats Robert Jackson for a big gain. Photo Credit: Caitlyn Epes, Steelers.com

Getting 67 starts, nearly 400 catches and 25 touchdowns out of a third round pick is pretty good. Grade: Quality Value Pick

Third Round – Justin Layne, Failer of “The Idiot Test”

The Steelers drafted Justin Layne with their 2nd 3rd round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and got 3 season out of him, with his performance peaking in 2020, when he logged 11% of the defensive snaps.

His most noticeable act with the team was getting arrested for speeding and smoking marijuana while driving, thereby failing the idiot test. Grade: Bust

Fourth Round – Benny Snell Jr., 15 Minutes of Fame for “Benny Snell Football”

The Steelers drafted Benny Snell in the 4th round of the 2019 taking a step towards restablishing a three-deep running backs room. Over 4 years Snell made 5 starts and appeared in 67 games, netting just under 1000 yards. Coming off the bench, “Benny Snell Football” paved the way for Kenny Pickett’s first comeback win on Monday Night Football against the Colts.

Benny Snell, Steelers vs Colts, Steelers vs Colts 2022 MNF

Benny Snell rips off a long one. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

In this scribe’s estimation, Snell proved he was a worthy RB No. 3. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan felt differently. So did the rest of the NFL. Grade: Serviceable Pickup

Fifth Round – Zach Gentry, Catcher of Big Ben’s Last Pass

The Steelers drafted Zach Gentry as a project, as he was converting to tight end from quarterback early in his college career. Injuries complicated that transition, but by his 3rd season he on track to becoming a serviceable 2nd tight end.

Zach Gentry, Steelers vs Chiefs, Steelers vs Chiefs 2021 Wild Card, Ben Roethlisberger, Ben Roethlisberger last pass

Zach Gentry catching one of Ben Roethlisberger’s last passes. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

He failed to build on that progress in his 4th year, but he’ll always hold the distinction of being the person who caught Ben Roethlisberger’s last pass in the 2021 Wild Card loss to the Chiefs. Grade: Serviceable Pickup

Sixth Round – Sutton Smith, Who?

The Steelers cut Sutton Smith in training camp. He spent a few days on their practice squad that November and got into a few games in 2021 after bouncing around to various practice squads. Grade: Bust

Sixth Round — Isaiah Buggs, Not Worth Bugging You About

Isaiah Buggs was one of those players whose highlight reel made you wonder you wondered why he lasted to the 6th round. The Steelers stuck with Buggs for 3 seasons, during which he appeared in 29 games and started 7 of those.

Buggs flashed some potential in those starts, but he had other issues. That was evident when the Steelers cut him heading into Ben Roethlisberger’s regular season finale with the playoffs on the line. He went to Detroit in 2022, had a decent year that earned him a 2nd contract, but the Lions cut him at the end of his second season right before the playoffs due to off the field issues. Grade: Disappointment

Sixth Round — Ulysees Gilbert, Ulyesses Gilbert’s No Grant

Ulysees Gilbert was one of those “…but he’s got potential” draft picks that never found his grove. He appeared in 28 games for the Steelers, totaling 69 defensive snaps, although he did log over 500 on special teams. Grade: Bust

Seventh Round — Derwin Gray, Another Nameless Terrapin

The Steelers took a flyer on Derwin Gray and he appeared in 5 games, playing 25 snaps on offense and 11 on special teams in 2020 after doing a one-year apprenticeship on the practice squad.

Overall Grade for the Steelers 2019 Draft Class – F

By the time the 2019 NFL Draft arrived, the Steelers had been in “Reload While We Have Ben Roethlisberger Mode” for a while. Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin of course had no way of knowing that Ben Roethlisberger was six months away from a career-transforming injury.

But even without that knowledge, Ben Roethlisberger had just turned 37, making 2019 a make or break draft for the “Reload for Roethlisberger” strategy.

  • And Colbert and Tomlin blew it.

In Snell and Gentry the Steelers got two serviceable pickups. Neither man played a day of a second contract. Diontae Johnson did earn a second contract, but he proved himself to be anything but a long-term answer at wide out.

Trading up to get Devin Bush was brutal mistake which the franchise perhaps hasn’t fully recovered from. Overall Grade: F

 

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Grading the Steelers 2020 Draft Class – Not Kevin Colbert’s Finest Hour

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The Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Class has now been freshly minted, introduced on the South Side with Jersey numbers to follow.

So now its time to grade the draft class…

…The Steelers 2020 Draft Class that is. You read that right. Chuck Noll insisted that you needed to wait 5 years to evaluate a Draft class. That seems like eons today, but if it was good enough for Chuck Noll it is good enough for me.

Alex Highsmith, Daniel Jones, Steelers vs Giants MNF

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

First Round – N/A, Traded Away

The ink on the physician’s diagnosis of Ben Roethlisberger’s elbow injury was hardly dry when Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin shocked the NFL by channeling their inner Buddy Parker and trading their first round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick made an immediate impact, raising the secondary to levels  not seen since the days of Troy Polamalu and before him, Rod Woodson. Minkah’s stats haven’t been as strong for the last two years, but this was good use of a first round pick.

Alas, it gets no grade because Fitzpatrick wasn’t part of the Steelers 2020 NFL Draft Class.

Second Round – Chase Claypool, The Rookie Flasher

Let this one be a lesson to you:  Draft evaluations made in following February are about as accurate as April batting averages.

Chase Claypool, Steelers vs Eagles, Steelers rookie touchdown record

Rookie Chase Claypool scores the first of four touchdowns vs the Eagles. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh infamously passed on Jalen Hurts and J.K. Dobbins to pick Chase Claypool and in February 2021 the move looked like a stroke of pure genius on the part of Kevin Colbert. Claypool exploded for a phenomenal rookie year, catching 62 passes for 873 yards. He scored a video game-like 4 touchdowns in his 4th game, as the Steelers defeated the Eagles while Hurts sat on the bench.

In his second year, his playing time jumped, but his production slipped. By year three, Omar Khan was shipping him off to Chicago for a second-round pick. He caught 14 pass for the Bears, who shipped him to Miami, where his NFL career ended after 9 games. Grade: Disappointment

Third Round – Alex Highsmith, The Book End

The Steelers defense depends on getting pressure from both outside linebackers. The Steelers drafted Alex Highsmith knowing they had Bud Dupree on a one-year rental. Highsmith took over the starting role in his second year, and by his third season he was racking up 14.5 sacks.

His production has dipped since then, in part due to injuries, but he’s clearly proven to be the viable bookend that the Steelers need opposite T.J. Watt. Grade: Over Performer

Fourth Round — Anthony McFarland Jr., The Truant Running Back

The Steelers drafted Anthony McFarland after only two years at the University of Maryland. And during his first two years, McFarland looked every bit like a player who probably should have stayed in school.

Anthony McFarland, Steelers vs Colts

Anthony McFarland lays claim to an active roster spot. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

By 2022 the presence of Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Benny Snell forced him to the practice squad, but McFarland saw action in the Steelers win over the Colts. The Steelers resigned McFarland, and he looked to make a go of it as a returner and perhaps as a backup running back, until injuries derailed his season, and ultimately his career. Grade: Bust.

Fourth Round – Kevin Dotson, The One that Got Away

Unlike most fourth-round picks, there was a buzz around Kevin Dotson almost as soon as the Steelers drafted him out of Louisiana. He started 4 games as a rookie, 9 in his second year and 17 in his third year.

Kevin Dotson, Steelers vs Broncos

Kevin Dotson as a rookie. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

But one of Andy Weidl’s first moves upon arriving in Pittsburgh was to begin stocking the roster with Dotson’s replacement. The Steelers traded Dotson to the Rams, who moved him to the right side, and Dotson has gotten rave reviews since. Grade: Farm Team

Sixth Round — Antoine Brooks Jr., Another Nameless Terrapain

Antoine Brooks was one of several players from the University of Maryland that the Steelers drafted at the end of the Colbert era. Brooks’ tenure amounted to 10 special teams snaps and 29 snaps with the defense via practice squad elevation. He was cut the next summer and played on special teams for the Rams. Grade: Bust

Seventh Round – Carlos Davis, Bloodlines Aren’t Everything

The Steelers took Carlos Davis in the second round was notable mainly because he is Khalil Davis‘ brother. And Mike Tomlin loves bloodlines. But, as Devin Bush Jr. hadn’t yet begun to prove (the kid has a great rookie year), bloodlines aren’t everything.

Davis played 12 games for the Steelers. During in the 2021 season, when the Steelers defensive line was so bad that they signed Montravius Adams in a bit of practice squad poaching and started him the next week, yet Davis could only find the field for 50 snaps.

Overall Grade for the Steelers 2020 Draft Class

One Disappointment, 2 Busts, a Farm Teamer, and one Over Performer. That’s pretty grim. IF you count Minkah Fitzpatrick and the fact that Chase Claypool turned into Joey Porter Jr. the overall grade would be higher.

But every draft must be evaluated the players you picked. Alex Highsmith keep this group from being a total failure, but no matter how you slice it, the Steelers 2020 Draft was not Kevin Colbert’s finest hour. Grade: D

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Safety… Moderate?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have made many personnel moves at safety in recent years. Interestingly enough, since drafting Terrell Edmunds in the 2018 NFL Draft, they’ve made most of those moves either in the trade or free agent market.

Should 2025 be the year when they return to the draft to replenish their ranks at safety?

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Willie Snead, Justin Tucker, Steelers vs Ravens

Minkah Fitzpatrick knocks the ball away from Wille Snead. Photo Credit: Patrick Smith, Getty Images via Fansided.com

Steelers Depth Cart at Safety: The Starters

In September 2019, with Ben Roethlisberger already out for the season, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin shocked the world when they traded their 2020 first-round draft pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

It didn’t take long to see why Colbert and Tomlin channeled their inner Buddy Parker to bring Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh. Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass in his first game in Black and Gold during the Steelers loss to the 49ers. He picked off 5 more that season with a pick six and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Minkah Fitzpatrick pick six Colts, Joe Haden, Jack Doyle

Minkah Fitzpatrick nabs a picks six. Photo Credit: Gene Puskar, AP via the San Antonio Express

It isn’t a stretch to say that Minkah Fitzpatrick made at least 3 game-changing plays for the 2019 Steelers. And for the next two season, Fitzpatrick gave the Steelers the level of impact play in the secondary not seen since the days of Troy Polamalu and before him Rod Woodson.

  • Fitzpatrick’s numbers have leveled off over the last two seasons.

Some if has to do with what was going on around him – in 2023 the Steelers secondary was so depleted that by season’s end Patrick Peterson shifted from corner to safety and Eric Rowe came off the couch to contribute. And in 2024, Fitzpatrick logged 96 tackles, ranking third on the team and in the process, he prevented more than one runner for making headway at the second level.

  • Still, it is fair to ask if Fitzpatrick’s contract is overvalued.

But if Fitzpatrick’s contract is overvalued, then his counterpart DeShon Elliott is undervalued.

The Steelers signed Elliott as a free agent last spring to little fanfare. Elliott made his presence known immediately intercepting as pass in the Steelers 2024 season opening road win over the Falcons. Elliott may not have made any other interceptions during the rest of the season, but he repeatedly stepped up to make critical-stop after critical stop.

Steelers Depth Chart at Safety: The Backups

For the past several seasons, the Steelers have wanted to deploy a three safety look and new arrival Juan Thornhill fits that bill. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Thornhill in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Thornhill went on to play 65 games and make 52 starts with the Chiefs, winning two Super Bowls in the process.

The Cleveland Browns signed Thornhill in 2023 only to see his 2023 and 2024 campaigns ruined by injuries. Cleveland cut him and the Steelers signed him.

A glance at the stat sheet suggests that Thornhill has been a different player since suffering his calf injury. The Steelers aren’t signing him to be a starter, but if they can work him into the rotation he could free up Minkah Fitzpatrick to get back to his ball-hawking ways.

Miles Killebrew remains on the Steelers roster officially as a safety. But Killebrew is their special teams leader who in 4 years has been on the field for an average of 4% of the defensive snaps.

Ryan Watts is still on their roster after missing his rookie year with a serious neck injury, although there has been no word on his health status for 2025. The Steelers also list  Kyler McMichael, Cameron McCutcheon, D’Shawn Jamison, and Joshuah Bledsoe as “defensive backs” on their roster.

The Steelers 2024 Draft Needs @ Safety

Like offensive line, this is one of those areas on the depth chart where things get interesting.Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Needs Scale

On paper, the Steelers have 3 starter-capable safeties. They also have Killebrew, but Killebrew’s only consequential time at safety came at the end of 2023, when Omar Kahn was one step away from making the rounds at the tailgates in Acrisure asking, “Can anyone here play safety?”

So the need for a backup safety is understandable. Yet, as Al Saunders pointed out on SteelersNow:

…their interest in the safeties in the NFL Draft class of 2025 has not been hard to suss out, especially because it’s not all that deep of a class. There are about 17 safeties ranked in the top 250 on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. The Steelers have talked to almost all of them.

And he wrote this before the Steelers hosted South Carolina’s stand out safety Nick Emmanwori for a visit at the South Side.

In this scribe’s estimation, the Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 draft need at safety is Moderate.

But I’ve got a stinking hunch that Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin have made a different determination….

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker – Low

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For seven long years, questions at inside linebacker have been a staple of Pittsburgh Steelers off seasons. The team has tried promoting in house, it has tried signing low level free agents, it has tried trades, it has tried big-ticket free agents, it has tried draft picks, and its tried trading up to draft players.

Yet, almost every spring, they’ve found themselves back at the drawing board.

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, it is fair to ask whether this time things are different.

Patrick Queen, Steelers vs Ravens, Isaiah Likely

Patrick Queen forces a fumble. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Cart at: The Starters

At inside linebacker the Steelers are led by veteran Patrick Queen and “rising sophomore” Payton Wilson. The Steelers invested a lot of salary cap space to bring Queen to Pittsburgh, and while it took time for him to find his footing in the Steelers defense, he was clearly a defensive leader by season’s end.

As a rookie, Payton Wilson made his presence known when he picked off Lamar Jackon’s pass right before the half in the Steelers upset of the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Two weeks later at Paycor Stadium against the Bengals he recovered a fumble that Nick Herbig forced taking to the house.

  • Both were game-changing plays.

Wilson still must build on and improve on that rookie performance, but the early returns are promising.

Steelers Inside Linebacker Depth Chart: The Backups

When free agency started, the Steelers were expected to resign Elandon Roberts. Instead, they signed Malik Harrison away from the Baltimore Ravens. Harrison is a special teams ace, who like Roberts is known for being stout against the run – although his missed tackle percentage did jump in 2024.

After spending a year on injured reserve, Cole Holcomb has been cleared to return. In eight starts for the Steelers in 2023, Holocomb was well on the way to proving himself as an impact player, having forced 2 fumbles, batting away two passes and making 4 tackles for losses.

Finally, the Steelers will bring back Mark Robinson. Robinson was their 7th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Robinson’s role in the defense has declined, as his snap count has dropped from 19% to 13% to a mere 1%, that dip is as much about the other players as it is Robinson.

Still, Robinson is a core special teamer, and certainly someone you want to bring to camp to compete for a roster spot.

The Steelers 2025 Draft Needs @ Inside Linebacker

The turmoil at inside linebacker described in the intro can of course be tied directly to the tragic loss of Ryan Shazier. The Steelers haven’t had anyone on the roster since then who can fill his shoes and probably do not have that player under contract now.Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Needs Scale

That’s not a knock on the current inside linebacker depth chart.

Before his injury, Shazier was trending towards performing the same level of franchise Hall of Fame legends such as Rod Woodson or Troy Polamalu (can you just imagine Shazier and T.J. Watt playing together in their primes?) Players like that do not grow on trees.

But the Steelers do have their deepest inside linebacking corps since they boasted Shaizer, Sean Spence and Vince Williams.

Sure, if another Shazier-like player falls in their laps, the Steelers should take him, but otherwise their draft needs at inside linebacker going into the 2025 NFL Draft must be considered Low.

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Stop Worrying About T.J. Watt. He & the Steelers Will be Fine Down the Stretch

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Raise your and if, after Corliss Waitman shanked his punt in the loss to the Browns on Thursday Night Football, you said to yourself, “OK. Its T.J. Time….” [See my raised hand.] And raise your hand if you were disappointed when T.J. Watt didn’t…

…Sack Jameis Winston
…Negate a double team by batting down his pass
…Strip the ball from a carrier
…Come up with an interception out of blue

But of course none of the above happened. Although he’d put in a quiet night up in to that point,  all of Steelers Nation expected T.J. Watt work one of his game-saving miracles. Yet, Watt wasn’t able to do that. And Steelers Nation stood disappointed.

T.J. Watt, Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals

T.J. Watt sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

On one level that shows how spoiled we are, but that’s understandable. Before Watt’s time we’d come to expect the same of Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Rod Woodson. Our parents and grandparents held similar expectations for Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and Mel Blount. And more often than not, at least in our memories if not in reality, all of them delivered.

  • So the disappointment is understandable. But the panic we’re seeing is not.

“T.J. Watt’s been invisible.”
“Opposing offensive coordinators have found a way to neutralize Watt.”
“If T.J. disappears the way Minkah Fitzpatrick has, we’re screwed.”
“T.J. Watt has found his kryptonite.”

  • So here’s a word to the wise to those who are worried about Watt: Don’t.

T.J. Watt’s recent slump calls to mind a comment about another Hall of Famer I read in the summer during the lead up to the Steelers 1995 season.

I can’t remember the publication, perhaps it was Street and Smith’s, but in reviewing the Steelers defense it said something like this about Kevin Greene: “…after amassing 10 sacks during the first ten weeks of the 1994 Steelers season, Greene only registered 4 over the final six weeks and none in the playoffs. Is it double teams or age?”

Kevin Greene, Stan Humpheries, 1993 Steelers free agents, 1993 Steelers free agency

Kevin Greene sacks Stan Humphries in 1993. Photo Credit: AP, via al.com

The implication that we’d witnessed Father Time gaining a step on Kevin Greene in real-time sounded ominous.

It reality, it was ridiculous. Kevin Greene posted 9 sacks in 1995 plus 1.5 more in the playoffs and helped the Steelers reach Super Bowl XXX.

The Steelers let him go in free agency, and Greene went on to post double-digit sack numbers in four more seasons with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.

  • The moral of the story? T.J. Watt is will be fine.

The kryptonite comment above is amusing, but it also based on a false premise. T.J. Watt may be a generational talent, but he’s not Superman. He’s also played 91% of the Steelers defensive snaps this season which is up from 83% last season.

Anyone else think that Watt may have made it to that Thursday night game a little more tired than everyone else?

With 7.5 sacks this season Watt’s “only” on schedule to log 11 more. But as we saw against the Giants and Falcons, Watt can and does wreck games with a single play. Moreover, both Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig have proven they’re able to capitalize as opponents double and triple teaming Watt.

Week 12 brings the Steelers to Paycor Stadium against a talented and dangerous Cincinnati Bengals team who’d like nothing more than to play the role of AFC North spoiler.

  • T.J. Watt will take 104 career sacks, 31 forced fumbles and 7 interceptions to Cincinnati.

Watt has logged 12 (11.5%) of his career sacks, 5 (16%) of his forced fumbles and 2 (28%) of his interceptions in games against Cincinnati.

In other words, don’t be surprised if T.J. bounces back big against the Bengals.

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