Got to Category

Steelers/NFL category, Page 143

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Tim Benz: Reviewing roughing the passer calls sounds great in theory, until you think about how the NFL would do it
Here’s an idea emerging from meetings at the NFL scouting combine that could make some Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players very happy. Particularly defensive captain Cameron Heyward. I just don’t want Heyward to get too excited too quickly. According to NFL.com’s Judy Battista, one team in the league has proposed to...
First Call: Hines Ward gets 1st XFL coaching win; Marc-Andre Fleury has Sidney Crosby comparison for Wild teammate 
Monday’s “First Call” tells you how some former Pittsburgh Steelers are doing as coaches in the XFL. Marc Andre-Fleury has a Sidney Crosby comparison for one of his current teammates. A former Penguins player gets his number retired in his original city. Another former Penguins defenseman is getting traded. And...
NFL analyst thinks Steelers, GM Omar Khan ‘really set up well’ with 2023 draft class
For his first NFL Draft as Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan will be provided a luxury that predecessor Kevin Colbert never enjoyed in his 23 seasons overseeing the process. Khan and the Steelers will have three picks among the top 49 selections when the draft commences in late April....
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith in line for payday after huge year
He had more sacks this past season than all but only three men have ever recorded for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This particular outside linebacker’s sack total in 2022 was more than the likes of Joey Porter or Greg Lloyd (officially), or Joe Greene or L.C. Greenwood (unofficially) ever tallied in...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Taylor Lewan is not Steelers’ answer at left tackle
The Pittsburgh Steelers need a left tackle. Dan Moore Jr. was serviceable this past season, making improvement on his rookie year. He has started all 33 games at left tackle since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2022. But Moore might help more moving to guard or being...
First Call: Another big name ILB will hit free agency; Taylor Lewan renews interest in Steelers; Alex Ovechkin returns
Friday’s “First Call” looks at two recently released veterans that could fit positions of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Alex Ovechkin is back for the Capitals. Aaron Rodgers has left his darkness retreat. And the Duquesne men’s basketball team hunts for win No. 20 on Sunday. Taking another run? The...
Source: Mason Rudolph will explore other options, but won’t ‘close door’ on Steelers if team moves on from Mitch Trubisky
There has been a lot of chatter this offseason about the prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers cutting or trading quarterback Mitch Trubisky. If that were to happen, would the Steelers entertain the prospect of keeping free-agent third-stringer Mason Rudolph? And would Rudolph even entertain that idea after he was bypassed...
First Call: Steelers suggested as landing spot for Eagles LB; Cam Heyward advocates for return of Martavis Bryant to NFL
Thursday’s “First Call” has a free agent name to track at linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cam Heyward kicks around the idea of Martavis Bryant returning to the NFL. More hype for Oneil Cruz. We check in on the Islanders as the Penguins rest up for their game against Connor...
Steelers sign long snapper Christian Kuntz to 1-year contract
The Pittsburgh Steelers retained one of their exclusive rights free agents Wednesday, giving long snapper Christian Kuntz a one-year contract. Kuntz, 28, is entering his third season with the Steelers after beating Kameron Canady for the starting job in the 2021 training camp. The undrafted free agent out of Duquesne...
Jerry Olsavsky no longer on Steelers staff following hire of Aaron Curry to coach linebackers
Mike Tomlin reached out to the Pacific Northwest to find his newest assistant coach. The addition of Aaron Curry, however, comes at the expense of a long-time member of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. The hiring of Curry as inside linebackers coach Wednesday ended the tenure of Jerry Olsavsky, who has...
Tim Benz: No, the NFL shouldn’t adopt the XFL’s goofy, artificial scoring rules
As we outlined in Monday’s “First Call” post, former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Hines Ward lost his XFL coaching debut over the weekend 18-15 to the St. Louis BattleHawks. Ward’s San Antonio Brahmas blew a 12-3 lead, yielding 15 points in the final 90 seconds of the game. But the...
First Call: Pittsburgh tabbed as best fit for Vegas free-agent CB; Steelers show interest in star HBCU edge defender
Pittsburgh is listed as a top destination for one NFL free-agent defensive back, while a current Pittsburgh Steeler may want to consider heading west. The Steelers are one of many teams intrigued by an HBCU star pass rusher. An infamous name in recent Steelers history is looking for work. Connor...
First Call: 1 Steeler free agent sounds inclined to stay; Penguins’ FSG ownership discusses future of other investments
At least one Pittsburgh Steelers free agent sure sounds like a guy who wants to stay in Black and Gold. The Florida Panthers and New York Islanders are making waves in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins continue to dominate atop the NHL standings. And the Penguins...
First Call: Steelers may have found replacement for Brian Flores; XFL gimmicks beat Hines Ward’s team in coaching debut
Monday’s “First Call” gives us a potential replacement for Brian Flores on the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. We recap how some ex-Steelers fared in the debut weekend of the XFL. Gerrit Cole has a little dart for the Pirates. And some heart-warming advice from the NBA’s slam dunk champ. Replacing...
Tim Benz: Questions remain around Kenny Pickett — and many other quarterbacks
At this time a year ago, pretty much any Pittsburgh Steelers conversation was focused on the quarterback position. Would Aaron Rodgers really retire or leave Green Bay? What’s happening with Russell Wilson and Derek Carr? Do the Steelers have any faith in Mason Rudolph? How serious is the team about...
Rookie Connor Heyward earned prominent role in Steelers offense that could expand in ’23 
The first month of Connor Heyward’s rookie season went as it often does for sixth-round draft picks: He was an afterthought in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. The final Steelers’ possession of Heyward’s rookie season, though, illustrated just how far he had come. A leaping, spinning, high-pointed catch over the middle...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Blaming the offensive coordinator a relatively new pastime
I’ve been listening to sports talk radio since it started. (The first local show was probably Myron Cope’s, which started in 1968. John Cigna also dabbled.) The Steelers have been through a lot of quarterbacks in that time. When the quarterback faltered back when — whether it was Terry Bradshaw,...
First Call: NFL Star to host ‘SNL’; surprising Steeler named ‘most improved’; could Super Bowl go pay-per-view?
A surprising name is listed as the Pittsburgh Steelers most improved player. Might we see the Super Bowl go to pay-per-view? A Kansas City Chiefs star player is slated to host “Saturday Night Live” — and it’s not MVP Patrick Mahomes. Plus, we wrap up a three-pack of games from...
NFL may ban Eagles’ QB sneak, making some current, former Steelers very happy
Here’s a potential NFL rule change some Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players will actually embrace for a change. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward recently ripped the idea of the NFL implementing a “hip-drop tackle” ban. But he may like the latest possible addendum to the rule book. Heyward is one...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fan still crusty; NFL referees absorb some shots; Pirates cynicism
Lingering bitterness from Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Agitation over NFL officiating. Cynicism about the Pirates. And disinterest in the Super Bowl. It sure seems like our readers weren’t hugged enough on Valentine’s Day. Or at all. Like, ever. I mean, going back to when they were kids. That’s why I put...
First Call: Another ex-Steeler critical of the offense; Brian Flores discusses time with Steelers; a Rex Ryan return to coaching?
Thursday’s “First Call” has more criticism of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense from another former employee. Damar Hamlin is wrapped up in an off-field controversy. Brian Flores speaks about his time in Pittsburgh while accepting his new job. And an old friend of the Steelers may be getting back into coaching....
Mark Madden: Back to being a distraction, JuJu Smith-Schuster shows who he really is — an immature punk
After wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster left Pittsburgh and signed with Kansas City during the 2022 offseason, he went relatively quietly. Smith-Schuster minimized his addiction to social media and self-promotion, chipping only occasionally. Did Smith-Schuster stop dancing on opposition logos, climbing milk crates, going to high school proms and starring on TikTok...
Steelers assistant head coach John Mitchell retires after 29 years with franchise
The Pittsburgh Steelers are losing the longest-tenured member of Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff. John Mitchell, the team’s assistant head coach and a member of the organization since 1994, has decided to retire. He is 71. Mitchell spent 29 years with the Steelers and has coached in some capacity for the...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster ignites Twitter spat with Eagles; Steelers AFC rival loses QB; Alex Ovechkin out in D.C.
Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster ignited a post-Super Bowl Twitter spat with some angry Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers will meet a frequent AFC rival with a new quarterback next year. The Capitals are facing a stretch of games without Alex Ovechkin. And it was a wild night in the Metropolitan...
Tim Benz: Preparing for XFL coaching debut, Hines Ward embraces Steelers ‘standards’ from Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher
Former Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward is doing that thing you do when you get older. That thing where you catch yourself saying something to your kids, and you realize you sound just like your mother or father. Except in Ward’s case, he’s not a parent educating a child. He’s a...


Editor's Picks

Front Porch Theatricals’ musical ‘Baby’ is a labor of love

Washington townhouse on the market for $1,225,000
Folk legend Bruce Cockburn gives uplifting performance at City Winery
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Jimmy Stewart’s P-51 Mustang stops in hometown for museum anniversary
More Editor's Picks >