Pittsburgh Steelers / NFL category, Page 246
Tim Benz: How Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt thinks he can improve upon an award-winning season in 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and his brothers (J.J. and Derek) weren’t just youth football players growing up in Wisconsin. En route to their NFL careers, they played a lot of hockey, too. So Watt can appreciate an NHL analogy when there is one to make. That’s good because Watt...
First Call: NFL.com’s low rating for Mitch Trubisky; ex-Steelers WR retires; Heinz Field name-change gets bad poll results
Thursday’s “First Call” features an unfavorable view of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Meanwhile, a former Steelers wide receiver is walking away from the game. New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson may make his season debut in Pittsburgh. Gerrit Cole had a huge night for the Yankees. And Heinz Field’s...
U mad, bro?: Fans rally around Mike Tomlin and Kedon Slovis, lash out about Pirates and … craft beer?
The No. 1 tip I give to young sports journalists entering the workplace these days is to diversify. Get experience in front of the camera, on the radio and in print. Do some play-by-play. Try anchoring. Host a talk show or podcast. Join the student newspaper. Apparently, my readers are...
Not used to being a backup, Kenny Pickett willing to do all he can for Steelers as QB2
Since he was a young boy, Kenny Pickett has spent exactly 11 weeks of his life as a backup quarterback. Until Sunday, when he will be the No. 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The only other time — presumably, ever in Pickett’s...
Franco Harris’ Steelers No. 32 joins roster of Pittsburgh pro team retired numbers
No. 32 became No. 14 when it comes to retired numbers by Pittsburgh’s pro sports franchises. The announcement Tuesday that No. 32 will – officially – never be worn again by any Pittsburgh Steelers player made for an aggregate 14 uniform numbers retired by the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. Four-time...
Diontae Johnson ‘doing whatever I can’ to return from shoulder injury for Steelers opener
Diontae Johnson has two more days to return to full practice participation before the Pittsburgh Steelers open the season Sunday at Cincinnati. The Pro Bowl wide receiver might need them as he recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. “It’s tough,” he...
Mason Rudolph, on Steelers future: ‘For now, I’m on this team’ as No. 3 quarterback
Given the way training camp and the preseason games unfolded, Mason Rudolph realized he wasn’t going to open the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback. But to begin the year third on the depth chart — behind Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett — that had to be a...
Former Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders retires after 12-year career in NFL
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders announced his retirement Wednesday after a 12-year NFL career that included six season in Denver, where he helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. Sanders started his career in Pittsburgh in 2010 and joined the Broncos as a free agent in 2014. He...
Officially the Steelers’ starting QB, Mitch Trubisky looking forward to season opener
The depth chart released by Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on Monday — and updated Tuesday — didn’t exactly come as a surprise to starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Not just because Trubisky took almost all of the first-team reps in practice in training camp and started all three preseason games....
Mark Madden: Mason Rudolph makes more sense as Steelers No. 2 QB, but it doesn’t matter
A tale of two things that don’t really matter but we nonetheless discuss: It doesn’t matter that Kenny Pickett is No. 2 on the Steelers’ depth chart at quarterback and that Mason Rudolph is No. 3. It wouldn’t matter if it was vice-versa, either. If Mitch Trubisky gets knocked out...
First Call: Steelers legends to be featured in ‘A Football Life’; Bengals’ Tyler Boyd on facing Steelers without Big Ben
There is some major media news surrounding a Pittsburgh personality. Tyler Boyd talks about facing his hometown team without Big Ben. Joey Porter’s son is opening eyes at Penn State. And NFL Films is featuring two Steelers legends. All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.” New gig Plum’s Pat McAfee has...
Should the Steelers stop after retiring Franco Harris’ No. 32 or add more numbers to the list?
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris summed up what it meant to learn that his number was going to be retired by the franchise this September. “It’s like giving you flowers while you’re still around to smell them,” Harris said. I get that. In fact, I just recently wrote about that...
Tim Benz: ‘Clerical error’ or change of mind, Kenny Pickett as 2nd QB streamlines depth chart
I can empathize with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. In my line of work, I’ve certainly flubbed occasional cut-and-paste commands in documents, too. A misidentified name. A stat line in the wrong place of the column. A quote in a story gets moved and doubled up. Hey, it happens. But...
OLB Alex Highsmith expected to return from rib injury, start Steelers’ season opener
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who didn’t play the entire preseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a rib injury, is expected to be ready for the season opener, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. Highsmith said last week he was targeting a full return to practice...
Steelers to retire Franco Harris’ No. 32 during 50th anniversary of Immaculate Reception
The author of the greatest play in NFL history will have another immaculate moment to celebrate this winter. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the Pittsburgh Steelers will retire uniform No. 32 worn by Franco Harris, the team’s Hall of Fame running back. Harris’ number will...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin previews season opener at Cincinnati
Steelers fans have been looking forward to this week since January. The NFL’s regular season returns this week, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will open against the Bengals at 1 p.m. Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin held his first regular season press conference previewing the matchup...
Mitch Trubisky to start, Kenny Pickett moves to No. 2 on Steelers’ quarterback depth chart
Experience, mobility and decision-making were traits that led to the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Mitch Trubisky in free agency in March. They also are the reasons coach Mike Tomlin will go with Trubisky as the team’s starting quarterback when the season kicks off Sunday in Cincinnati. Tomlin confirmed Tuesday what has...
Rookie WR Calvin Austin III takes injured reserve designation in stride
Over the first two weeks of training camp at Saint Vincent College, few turned heads as much and as often as Calvin Austin III. The rookie wide receiver’s daily routine as the regular season begins is much different. “I’m just putting in work in the training room, in the meeting...
No more ‘or’ — Kevin Dotson, Devin Bush, Ahkello Witherspoon atop Steelers depth chart
There is no more “or” on the first team of the Pittsburgh Steelers official depth chart. Six days before their regular-season opener, the Steelers released the league-mandated depth chart. It is non-binding, and with so many subpackages and different personnel groupings, the term “starter” at many positions is more ambiguous...
Mason Rudolph listed as Steelers backup QB, Kenny Pickett 3rd string on Week 1 depth chart
It’s a procedural practice mandated by the NFL that carries no formal meaning. But did the Pittsburgh Steelers announce that Mason Rudolph — and not Kenny Pickett — will be in uniform for Sunday’s season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals? The team released its official depth chart Monday, hours after...
QB Mitch Trubisky, RB Najee Harris among 5 players named captains by Steelers
In another sign he will be the starting quarterback when the regular season opens in six days, Mitch Trubisky was selected one of five team captains Monday by his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates. Backups aren’t elected to captain positions. Then again, neither are players new to the organization. Trubisky is the...
Steelers add veteran DBs Andrew Adams, Josh Jackson, OLB Delontae Scott to practice squad
Six days before the start of the regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday announced a trio of signings that complete their 16-player practice squad in advance of their opener at the Cincinnati Bengals. Veteran defensive backs Andrew Adams and Josh Jackson were signed in addition to outside linebacker Delontae...
Mark Madden: Many experts have unrealistic expectations for Steelers
It’s the time of year when media members make their Pittsburgh Steelers predictions. The vast majority lie, at least locally. “About nine or 10 wins” will be a familiar refrain. But few will mean it. Sports Illustrated caused commotion among the yinzers by predicting 6-11. One Pittsburgh media type wondered...
Madden Monday: Steelers season prediction ‘leaning toward 7-10’ because offensive line will be the NFL’s worst
If you asked a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans in February for their opinion of how the team would fare in 2022, they likely would have said, “I don’t know. That depends on who ends up being the quarterback.” Once it was known that Mason Rudolph would be joined by...
Rookie DeMarvin Leal eager to learn from host of older veterans on the Steelers’ D-line
The top five at his position group combine for 43 seasons of NFL experience and have an average age north of 30 years old. As a 22-year-old rookie, DeMarvin Leal lacks the experience of most of his much-elder teammates on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line. But that doesn’t mean Leal...
