Glad to see him stay
The Official 2025-2026 Pittsburgh Steelers Thread
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Me too. Now they don't have to spend draft capital on an edge rusher next year. Omar is the man. He knows what he's doing. Friermuth will be up next for an extension. Khan will get it done.
Thank you Ziggy
Gerry Dulac: 10 things we learned at Steelers training camp
1.This is Kenny Pickett’s team
That has been apparent from the first day of OTAs, but it was reinforced at Latrobe with the way he took control of the offense and the confident manner in which he comported himself. With no quarterback competition to worry about, Pickett has looked very comfortable in his role as the No. 1 guy. On top of that, his arm looks stronger, giving him little hesitation to fire passes into tight windows.
2. Inside linebacker is a definite upgrade
The position, which has been a revolving door since Ryan Shazier’s injury, has undergone a major renovation with the influx of three new players — Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander. And it has been apparent already that the defense will be in much better stead this year than it was last season. Holcomb appears to be something they haven’t had in a while — a three-down player with good athleticism — and Roberts and Alexander are thumpers.
3. Offensive line is the deepest position on the team
The unit has gone from being the most improved grouping on the team in 2022 to something bordering a strength. The addition of guard Isaac Seumalo to pair with James Daniels, who has looked like the player they envisioned when they signed him last season, has made center Mason Cole even better. That has allowed Kevin Dotson, a 17-game starter in 2022, to provide quality depth with the addition of Nate Herbig. And they have three starting-capable tackles, with No. 1 pick Broderick Jones just waiting for his turn.
4. George Pickens can run different routes
If what everyone saw in Tampa on the opening series is any indication, Pickens will become a more-rounded, not to mention more-dangerous, receiver. Last year’s No. 2 draft pick has concentrated on his routes and running after the catch, which has allowed him to evolve into something more than just a sideline receiver. What’s more, he appears to have developed into a more-grounded player who wants to be a good teammate. That might be just as important as his untapped skill level.
5. Nick Herbig is a great draft choice
Not very often a fourth-round choice who is slotted as a backup is considered a quality addition, but Herbig has shown to be that and more since the team puts on pads at camp. Unless there is an injury, he will spend his time backing up T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but that is OK. Herbig gives them a young player who uses his hands and quickness to be a tenacious pass rusher, just like the other Wisconsin alum on the edge. It’s a big upgrade over the four different players who tried to fill that role last season.
6. The depth is very noticeable
General manager Omar Khan has been very attentive to stockpile and improve the depth at a number of positions that needed help. Alexander is the most recent example, bringing him in even though they had already signed two other inside backers in free agency. Both Herbigs are another. Signing veteran Allen Robinson, especially if he can regain his pre-injury form, gives the offense four quality receivers. And don’t discount bringing back Mason Rudolph, giving them the deepest QB room in the league. There’s no doubt they are better able to withstand injuries.
7. Youth has been served on the D-line
Cam Heyward is 34 and at some point will begin to show signs of slowing just a little, though that hasn’t been apparent. But, for the first time in a long time, the Steelers have three young linemen who they will count on to be significant parts of Karl Dunbar’s rotation — Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal and rookie second-round choice Keeanu Benton. It is the best collection of young defensive linemen since Tomlin has been coach.
8. Calvin Austin III can be a real threat
To be sure, it was only one preseason game, but what everyone saw in Tampa of last year’s fourth-round draft choice, who missed the entire 2022 season, was just further proof of what he can add to the offense. Austin is the fastest player on the team whose speed has allowed him to run past everyone in camp. That was evident when he easily got behind the Buccaneers defense for a 67-yard touchdown catch last week. Austin is the most versatile receiver on the team who will give the offense a legitimate big-play weapon.
9. CBs cannot withstand an injury
Even though Cory Trice Jr. was a seventh-round draft choice, the Steelers were hoping the rookie from Purdue would give them the type of cornerback they have been seeking — a big, physical player who excels in press coverage and can disrupt routes. But Trice sustained a season-ending ACL injury in camp. Rookie No. 2 pick Joey Porter Jr. needs to be the starting outside corner, and veteran Patrick Peterson has to be effective in the varied roles he will be asked to perform in the secondary. But an injury to one of those players, especially a prolonged one, will be difficult to overcome.
10. T.J. Watt can’t be blocked
OK, that has been evident long before this training camp, which is why he was the NFL Defensive player of the Year who tied the league’s all-time record for sacks in a season in 2021. But it became so routine at camp that even Tomlin, after watching his All-Pro outside linebacker disrupt his offense one day, yelled, “Can somebody block T.J., please?” The answer is not really. Watt appears to be determined to make up for the seven games he missed last season when injuries limited him to a pedestrian 5.5 sacks.
Steelers raring to get to the real thing after near-flawless preseason
It was a combination every coach desires to see, even if the games don’t count.
It is a formula that all but guarantees success, though relying on it happening all the time can be a whimsical notion.
Offenses that score touchdowns every time they touch the ball and defenses that don’t allow a point every time they are on the field are a coach’s dream, even if it is an unrealistic pipe dream.
But that’s exactly what the starting units did for the Steelers in three preseason games, the latest display coming Thursday night in a 24-0 victory in Atlanta. And that’s why optimism is higher than the Mount Washington overlook heading into the regular season.
“Not only through tonight but kind of through this whole process of development, I just can’t say enough about the group,” coach Mike Tomlin said after his team finished the preseason with a 3-0 record. “Hopefully, this is a catalyst for us as we transition out of preseason ball to regular season ball.”
And that will be the real test.
But, be advised:
It was only the preseason.
Keep in mind, their three opponents — Tampa Bay, Buffalo and the Falcons — rarely used their top players. The Falcons rested nearly every starter and used players who won’t be on the roster Tuesday afternoon when teams have to cut to the mandatory 53-player limit. The quick starts, the explosive plays were nice. But, typically, it is not a portent of things to come.
Still, what the Steelers put on display in the preseason — offensively and defensively — was encouraging to the coaches and players.
The first-team offense scored a touchdown on all five possessions and averaged 11.6 yards per play in the preseason. The first-team defense did not allow a point and yielded just 66 yards on 20 plays (3.3 average). The longest play they allowed was a 15-yard completion from Josh Allen to receiver Gabe Davis against the Buffalo Bills.
Now they get to see if it was a stepping stone or an aberration.
“We’re a gritty team,” said new cornerback Patrick Peterson, who is in his 13th NFL season. “The Pittsburgh Steelers history has been bully ball. I feel like we’re kind of getting that identity back, especially throughout this preseason. Hopefully that will carry over to the regular season.”
It’s almost as though the Steelers wanted to immediately deliver that point against the Falcons.
On the very first play, inside linebacker Elandon Roberts slammed into running back Godwin Igwebuike for a 4-yard loss. One play later, outside linebacker T.J. Watt sacked quarterback Taylor Heinicke for a 7-yard loss.
“I would always love to be the tone setter — that’s what I pride myself on,” Roberts said. “But with these guys, anyone can set the tone.”
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said he thinks the addition of several new defensive players has allowed the Steelers to recapture the swagger that every good defense needs to have.
“I just love the tenacity and the guys that I play with,” Highsmith said. “We got a bunch of guys who play nasty, aggressive. It’s important to have that. You’re not gonna be a good defense if you aren’t nasty aggressive.”
Peterson played his first 10 seasons in the league with the Arizona Cardinals, so he joked he knows what it feels like to be overlooked. And he thinks the Steelers are being overlooked as a possible contender in 2023.
He doesn’t agree. Not with the moves they made to add three new inside linebackers and strengthen the overall depth on defense.
“The expectations for this team are very, very high,” Peterson said. “We know a lot of people, the naysayers, are not really talking high about us. But, at the end of the day, we got to go out here and do our job at a high level.
“I believe we did, especially having so many new faces on the defensive side of the ball. I believe we did everything we wanted to do to end out the preseason.”
Then he added, “I feel like we’re in a good position. I feel like everybody’s ready, everybody’s hungry.”
The preseason whet their appetite.
Steelers Owner Art Rooney Helped The Team Stay Afloat With The Fortune He Made Betting On Horse Races
#PITTSBURGH STEELERSBY CONNOR TOOLEAUGUST 24, 2023 3:37 PM
The Pittsburgh Steelers are tied with the Patriots for the most Super Bowl victories in NFL history, but it took the franchise a while to find its footing—although longtime owner Arthur “Art” Rooney wasn’t exactly in dire financial straits thanks in no small part to his knowledge of horse racing.
The NFL had spent over a decade exploring the possibility of starting a team in Pittsburgh and was able to do exactly that when Rooney paid the $2,500 franchise fee in 1933 to become the proud new owner of the squad he initially dubbed the “Pirates.”
Rooney was a multisport athlete who had played semi-pro football prior to starting his own NFL team, but it wasn’t his primary passion; he’d taken an interest in horse racing from an early age and developed an uncanny ability to handicap races and correctly predict the entrants with the best chance of outdoing the rest of the field.
There’s a long-standing rumor that Rooney used some of his winnings at the track to pay for the aforementioned financing fee, and while it doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny, there are other stories that make it pretty clear the team he eventually rebranded as the Steelers owes a ton of credit to his betting prowess.
Steelers owner Art Rooney partially funded the team with the money he won betting on horse races
The Steelers entered a new era when they won their first NFL championship with a victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl IX, but they’d taken a very long road to get to that point after spending decades trying (and failing) to secure a title.
The team posted a winning record just two times in the course of its first ten seasons, and Rooney claimed he lost $10,000 operating the team in 1934 alone. Thankfully, he was able to fall back on what people today would refer to as a “side hustle”—and a very successful one.
Art Rooney Jr. chronicled some of his dad’s ventures at the track in a book that was published in 2008, which includes a fairly legendary story about what unfolded over the course of two days in New York in 1936.
According to people who were there to witness what went down, the elder Rooney first headed to the Empire City racetrack in Yonkers and walked away with $105,000 (around $2.3 million today) after successfully picking the winner of six consecutive races.
While most people would’ve been perfectly satisfied with heading home at that point, Rooney opted to head upstate to Saratoga Race Course and saw his hot streak get even hotter, as it’s believed he headed home with between $256,000 ($5.6 million) and $380,000 ($8.4 million) when everything was said and done.
That unreal run was far from the only time Rooney was able to clean up, and the man who described horse racing—not the NFL—as his “big business” raked in six figures at the track on at least one more occasion the following year.
The Steelers have understandably tried to minimize the role horse racing played in keeping the franchise viable in its early years, but Rooney used it to do things like offer eventual Supreme Court justice Byron White a then-record-breaking $15,000 to suit up for Pittsburgh at halfback.
The spending didn’t initially translate to success on the field, but it nonetheless helped the Steelers stay competitive (and afloat) en route to transforming into the franchise that’s now worth an estimated $3.9 billion.
Fuck Cam Heyward is out 8 weeks with groin surgery. Loudermilk has to step up.
= FUCKING Matt Canada
How you start Week 1 First Offensive series with a 'FUCKIN JET-SWEEP???' HUH?
WORST OFFENSIVE IN THE NFL. 
Starting to think Najee Harris ain’t it
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