Month: July 2025

Predicting the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster

The Pittsburgh Steelers report for training camp on Wednesday and will hold their first practice on Thursday. With that said, now feels like the best time to predict what the final 53-man roster will look like come Week 1, so let’s get into it.

Quarterbacks (3): Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Nothing shocking here. Aaron Rodgers is the guy in 2025, while Rudolph and Howard will be QB2 and QB3, respectively. Skylar Thompson gets relegated to the practice squad or let go altogether.

Running Backs (4): Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, Trey Sermon

Warren will be the top running back on the roster, but Johnson will get an increasing number of touches as the weeks go on. Gainwell will be the No. 3 change-of-pace back while Sermon predominantly plays on special teams.

Wide receivers (6): DK Metcalf, Amari Cooper, Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, Ben Skowronek

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

The Steelers have over $32 million in cap space remaining, so another move or two feels likely before Week 1. Cooper would be a fine No. 2, and an upgrade over all options they currently have. DK Metcalf is the obvious No. 1. Austin will be the slot guy, while Wilson can rotate on the boundary and the slot. Woods will be better than what Mike Williams was, but he’s not going to put up huge numbers or high snap counts. Skowronek will be the ace at gunner and fill in when needed at receiver. Scotty Miller will begin the year on the practice squad.

Tight ends (3): Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington

Freiermuth and Smith will be receiving options above anything else. Smith especially – don’t ask him to run block. Washington is an extension of the offensive line that we’d all love to see get more targets, but I won’t believe it will happen until I see it.

Offensive linemen (8): Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, Spencer Anderson, Calvin Anderson, Max Scharping

Again, no surprises here. Both Andersons will serve as backups, with Spencer Anderson being the swing tackle. Scharping will serve as the predominant interior reserve. Perhaps Dylan Cook gets called up, depending on injuries. The starting five is unquestioned, which is a nice change from the last several years when there’s been at least one position up front that featured a camp competition.

Defensive linemen (7): Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, Daniel Ekuale, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, Yahya Black

Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images

Heyward, Benton, and Harmon could be the best defensive line in the NFL. Lowry proved to be a solid depth piece in 2024, and Loudermilk was brought back on a one-year deal to continue being a rotational piece. Ekuale played in 16 games for the Patriots in 2024 and registered 52 tackles, so expect him to be one of the top reserves.

EDGE (4): T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer

My bold prediction is that Herbig will be the No. 2 edge rusher by the end of the season, and Highsmith gets moved in 2026 as part of a package to move up for a quarterback in the draft. Watt needs a big year after signing his new massive extension.

Linebackers (5): Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Malik Harrison, Mark Robinson

Queen and Wilson will be the starters with Holcomb rotating in. Harrison will be depth more than anything, and Robinson will be a special teamer.

Cornerbacks (6): Joey Porter Jr, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin Echols, Cory Trice, Beanie Bishop

Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If all three of the Steelers’ top corners pan out, this will be a deadly trio. Echols, Bishop, and potentially Trice will all provide depth both out wide and in the slot.

Safeties (4): Julian Blackmon, DeShon Elliott, Juan Thornhill, Miles Killebrew

Here’s the other free agent prediction. Blackmon was one of PFF’s highest-graded safeties in terms of coverage, earning a 73.5 grade, and he had three interceptions in 2024 with the Indianapolis Colts. Having him start alongside Elliott while having Thornhill as the No. 3 safety would make that position group much better and much deeper. Sebastian Castro will get called up during the season.

Special teams (3): Chris Boswell, Cam Johnston, Christian Kuntz

The only note here is that Johnston and Corliss Waitman will have a competition in camp. Both are good punters, but I’ll give the edge to Johnston.

We’ll see the Steelers take the field for the first time on August 9th against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The gold helmet is back for the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been teasing new uniforms for weeks, and they have finally been revealed.

Many were wondering if a gold helmet would make a comeback, similar to the throwbacks they wore in the late 2000s and early 2010s. In a uniform reveal on their social media, the Steelers revealed that the gold helmet is making a comeback, and a gold uniform is joining it.

The uniform is very similar to the throwbacks the Steelers wore in the 1990s, with the Pittsburgh crest across the chest and numbers on the shoulder. However, the new version of the uniform has the numbers on the chest and the crest on the shoulder.

It remains to be seen when the Steelers will debut these uniforms and how often they will be used, but this marks the first time in over a decade that the Steelers have a second helmet in their rotation.

Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Steelers fans! We’re back for another day of the Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 game

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

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Sunday, July 20, 2025
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Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Looking back on Steelers football, one decade ago.

Training camp starts on Wednesday — new football is almost here! But before then, let’s take a look at a Steelers season from the past.

From the first edition of this series (read it here!):

Earlier this year, I solicited some article ideas from BTSC readers, and one of them was a “where are they now” piece on past Steelers. Believe it or not, 2015 was a decade ago, and that felt like a natural spot to look back on from 2025.

In that season, the Steelers finished 10-6 and placed second in the AFC North behind the 12-4 Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Steelers would knock the Bengals out of the Wild Card round (the Martavis Bryant flip catch game) before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.

In Part 2, we’ll be looking at the major defensive contributors on that 2015 team. You can view statistics, full rosters, and more on Pro Football Reference. Here’s what they’re up to now:

DE Cam Heyward (54 total tackles, seven sacks)

• Still on the Steelers! Heyward is entering his 15th year in the NFL at age 36 in 2025. He’s also coming off his fourth-career first-team All-Pro.
• Heyward’s 88.5 career sacks currently rank second in Steelers history, behind T.J. Watt’s 108.
• Founded “The Heyward House” through the Cameron Heyward Foundation in 2015, which “seeks to empower, enlighten, and engage youth through innovative programs, partnerships, and community outreach.” Heyward won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2023.
• Hosts the weekly “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast through Vox Media.

NT Steve McLendon (14 total tackles, one sack)

• Last played in the 2021-22 NFL season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; won a Super Bowl with them in the 2020-21 season.
• He founded the Team MVP Gym (MVP stands for “McLendon Vision Performance” in this case) in Flowery Branch, Georgia, in 2019 while he was still a player. This 2023 article from Jets.com follows up with McLendon: “It’s like one of the best things ever for me because I see their process. I see their journey. I see their hard work. I see their dedication, not only in the gym, but I get to see it in their classroom.”
• Per that 2023 article, McLendon lives in Buford, Georgia, with his wife and four sons.

DE Stephon Tuitt (54 tackles, 6.5 sacks)

• Last played in 2020. Tuitt suffered an injury in 2021 and lost his brother, Richard Bartlett III, in a tragic hit-and-run that same year. Tuitt didn’t play that season and retired in 2022. “After the tragic loss of my brother Richard, and upon completing my degree from the University of Notre Dame, I know I am being called to move beyond the sport of football,” he wrote in his retirement announcement.
• Tuitt has largely stayed out of the news since his retirement. This 2022 piece from DK Pittsburgh Sports stated that the Tuitt family was still seeking answers after Bartlett’s death.

OLB Arthur Moats (35 total tackles, four sacks)

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

• Last played in 2017. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 but never appeared in a regular season game due to injury; he officially retired in 2019.
• In 2019, he published the book “M. O. A. T. S. Theory of Life: A guide to becoming a person of impact and inspiration.”
• Moats is involved in a number of media endeavors, most notably the podcast “The Arthur Moats Experience.”

OLB James Harrison (40 total tackles, five sacks)

• Played in 15 games in 2015 but started just one.
• Last played in 2017, a one-and-done year with the New England Patriots after requesting his release from the Steelers. He officially retired in 2018.
• He’s found some acting gigs after football, most recently in 2021’s “Heels” TV show.
• Regularly posts insane weight-lifting videos on his Instagram. He’s active on social media and appears on various podcasts and sports shows.
• Listed as the co-owner for fitness supplement company Optimum EFX. Owns his own apparel company, Deebo Gear.

LB Ryan Shazier (87 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss)

• Shazier last played in 2017, when he suffered a career-ending spine injury against the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier was initially paralyzed below the waist and underwent spinal surgery. He was eventually able to walk again. He officially retired in 2020, earning his Ohio State degree shortly after.
• Released the book “Walking Miracle” alongside author Larry Platt in 2021.
• Started the “Ryan Shazier Fund for Spinal Rehabilitation” after the injury.
• Entrepreneur who started a trucking LLC in 2021 per his LinkedIn and had his own CBD line in 2024. He was involved with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation from 2017-20.
• Continues to make media and podcast appearances. Was a Steelers coaching assistant in 2024.

LB Lawrence Timmons (119 total tackles, six tackles for loss)

• Timmons left the Steelers in free agency following the 2016 season, playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2017. That would be his last NFL season; he was released in 2018. Timmons was suspended for a game of his lone season with the Dolphins after going AWOL ahead of the team’s season opener.
• Per Pro Football Reference, Timmons has the second-most solo tackles in Steelers history.
• Timmons’ son, four-star WPIAL cornerback Lawrence “Jay” Timmons, recently committed to his dad’s alma mater of Florida State. The senior Timmons has stayed out of the news since his retirement.

LB Vince Williams (46 total tackles, two tackles for loss)

Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

• Last played in 2020; retired with the Steelers in 2021 after eight seasons with Pittsburgh.
• Entering his third year as the linebackers coach for Pine Richland High School in Pittsburgh.
• Still active online and with the Steelers organization.

OLB Jarvis Jones (29 total tackles, two sacks)

• The Steelers declined Jones’ fifth-year option in 2016. Despite signing with the Cardinals in 2017, he was released with an injury settlement and never returned to the NFL. The 2013 first-rounder played just four seasons, logging six career sacks.
• Returned to his alma mater of Georgia in 2019 and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Human Development and Family Science at 31 years old. He also served as a student assistant coach.
• In May 2025, Jones was named the head coach of Carver-Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he used to play.
• Served as the Georgia Bulldogs’ assistant outside linebacker coach for five seasons; still listed as the player connection coordinator on the team’s 2025 football staff.

OLB Bud Dupree (26 total tackles, four sacks)

• Still in the NFL! Since leaving the Steelers following the 2020 season, Dupree has had stints with the Titans, Falcons, and Chargers. He signed a one-year deal to stay in Los Angeles for the upcoming 2025 season.
• 2015 was Dupree’s rookie season. He now has 59 career sacks at 32 years old.
• Returned to Georgia in 2025 to host his third annual youth football camp.
• Occasionally posts videos on his YouTube channel. He’s kept the “Bud brought a buddy” branding from his Steelers days alive.

CB William Gay (58 total tackles, two interceptions)

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

• Gave us the funniest excessive celebration in NFL history in 2015.
• Last played in 2017; signed with the New York Giants in 2018 after being released by the Steelers but was cut before the season.
• Currently the Washington Commanders’ assistant defensive backs coach; hired in 2024. Gay was an assistant coach for the Steelers in 2019 and the defensive backs coach at Missouri State in 2020.
• Gay has been vocal over his career about raising awareness and support for victims of domestic violence. His mother was murdered by his stepfather when he was 8 years old. This 2019 Steelers.com feature details his efforts to support the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

CB Antwon Blake (77 total tackles, two interceptions)

• Last played in the NFL in 2016 for the Tennessee Titans. He retired in 2017, but signed with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019 but doesn’t appear to have played in any games.
• Wrote a children’s book in 2020 and an affirmations book in 2021.
• Per his LinkedIn, Blake co-owned a bistro from 2017-19. He’s currently listed as the owner of a private wholesale car dealership in Houston, although the company last posted online in 2022.

CB Ross Cockrell (44 tackles, two interceptions)

• Last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers’ 2020 team alongside Steve McLendon. Since his 2016 season with the Steelers, Cockrell also had stints with the Giants and Panthers.
• Cockrell has been out of the news since his retirement, but appeared at a practice for his alma mater Duke in 2024.

S Will Allen (80 total tackles, one interception)

Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images

• Retired following the 2015 season; played half of his 12-year NFL career with the Steelers.
• Founded the Will Allen Foundation in 2008, which provides educational partnerships and holiday giving for children in the Pittsburgh area and elsewhere, amongst other efforts.
• Per his LinkedIn, Allen is a member of several boards and an investor.

S Mike Mitchell (80 total tackles, three interceptions)

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

• Last played in 2018 for the Indianapolis Colts after being released by the Steelers earlier that year.
• Served as the Colts’ assistant defensive backs coach from 2022-23. He wasn’t brought back for the 2024 season. He said in 2024 he’d be open to returning to the Steelers as a coach.

Other notable Steelers on defense in 2015:

• LB Sean Spence
• S Robert Golden
• DB Brandon Boykin
• DT Cam Thomas
• DB Cortez Allen
• OLB Anthony Chickillo
• LB L.J. Fort
• DT Daniel McCullers

Bonus: special teams

• K Chris Boswell (29/32) — 2015 was his first year with the Steelers. He’s still on the Pittsburgh roster, and one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. Appeared on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast less than a year ago.
• P Jordan Berry (59 punts, 42.6-yard average) — 2015 was also his first year as a Steeler. The Aussie last played in 2021 for the Vikings but spent a week on the Steelers practice squad in 2022. He’s been out of the spotlight since, but still posts occasionally on Instagram.
• LS Greg Warren (16 starts) — last played in 2016; released in 2017. Spent entire NFL career with Steelers. Per a 2021 interview with Steelers Takeaways, he’s an investor and part-time worker at his brother-in-law’s physical therapy clinic.

Read part 1 here!

The edge rusher market has ballooned.

The value of the NFL’s best players just keeps rising, and the Watt family has seen it firsthand.

Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history on July 17, signing a three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers. A former Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro, it was the expected market value for a player of his caliber, even at 30 years old.

But as CBS Sports pointed out in a graphic that same day, Watt’s third NFL contract alone is nearly worth the same as his brother J.J. Watt’s career earnings over 12 years in the league.

“I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner…” quipped the elder Watt on X, formerly known as Twitter.

J.J. Watt was an elite defender himself, earning a whopping three Defensive Player of the Year awards and five first-team All-Pros over his career. His biggest contract came in 2014: a six-year, $100 million extension from the Texans ahead of his age-24 season with $51.8 million guaranteed.

At the time, his guaranteed money and average yearly salary, $16.6 million, were the highest for a defender in league history. Now, both numbers are less than half of what T.J. Watt received in his 30s.

Of course, the salary cap has grown since 2014. It was $133 million then, per Spotrac — now, it’s more than doubled to $279.2 million in 2025.

The value of the edge rusher position has increased as well, though. J.J. Watt’s biggest-ever salary cap percentage was 9.6% in 2015, per Over the Cap. T.J. Watt’s will be 14.2% in 2026.

Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt just landed a record-setting three-year, $123MM extension, which keeps him under club control through 2028. The contract already looked like a win on paper for Watt, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along a few details highlighting just how far Pittsburgh was willing to go to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year in the fold.

It was previously reported that Watt’s new deal includes $108MM in full guarantees. According to Florio, that figure is comprised of a $40MM signing bonus, a fully-guaranteed 2025 base salary of $4MM, and fully-guaranteed base salaries of $32MM in 2026 and 2027. In other words, Watt secured a whopping three fully-guaranteed seasons of pay, which will obviously make it very difficult for Pittsburgh to move on before the end of the 2027 campaign.

Per OverTheCap.com, Watt will carry a $23.37MM cap hit this season, and that number jumps to $42MM in 2026 and 2027 and tops out at $46.05MM in 2028. From 2026 onward, Watt’s cap charges are projected to account for well over 10% of Pittsburgh’s total cap room, which the club is perhaps willing to stomach since it expects to have a rookie-contract quarterback in the starting lineup as early as Week 1 of the 2026 slate.

Still, if Watt continues to perform at a high level – as his extension plainly anticipates, despite reported misgivings in that regard – it would not be surprising to see the Steelers restructure the deal down the line to create additional cap space. At present, only his 2028 pay, which includes a $15MM roster bonus and a $21.05MM base salary, is non-guaranteed, but the roster bonus does trigger on the third day of the 2028 league year.

The $41MM average annual value of Watt’s extension is a record for non-quarterbacks, as is the $108MM in full guarantees. The same can be said of the early-year cash flow ($76MM within two years, $108MM within three years). The $108MM figure even tops the $100MM in fully-guaranteed money the 49ers ponied up for QB Brock Purdy earlier this year. As compared to fellow premium EDGE talent, Watt’s full guarantees represent 87.8% of his extension value, while Myles Garrett‘s $88.8MM in full guarantees make up just 55.5% of his extension, which is one year longer (h/t TexansCap).

Of course, Watt’s deal will have ramifications beyond his own team. Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, who has been seeking a new commitment from Cincinnati for several years, is perhaps the most obvious beneficiary, as he is two months younger than Watt and outpaced him by six sacks in 2024. It is difficult to say whether Hendrickson and the Bengals will be able to resolve their long-standing impasse, but he certainly has no reason to shoot for anything less than a $41MM AAV.

And, as older players get paid at that level, the price tags of elite younger players like Micah Parsons (26) and Aidan Hutchinson (25 in August) will rise even higher.