Author: Jarrett Bailey

Is the Steelers’ head coach facing a make or break year?

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is arguably the most polarizing coach in sports today. Despite the lack of playoff wins over the last eight years, many still hold him in high regard as one of the best coaches in the NFL because of his ability to get to the postseason with lesser rosters and bad quarterback play.

However, one analyst thinks 2025 could be the final year for Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Bill Williamson of SB Nation listed Tomlin as a head coach on the hot seat in 2025.

“It’s a little jarring to include Tomlin’s name on a hot-seat list, but the reality is, this could actually be his final season as the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Williamson writes. “Tomlin is the longest-tenured NFL coach as he has been in Pittsburgh since 2007. He has never had a losing season, but the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. The franchise has been operating with an unusual sense of urgency this season. The Steelers are badly trying to win. If it doesn’t work and the playoff brought continues, a reset might be best for all involved.”

While many would agree with Williamson that it would be best for everyone to move in a new direction, I’d highly doubt it happens after 2025. Tomlin is under contract through 2027, and the Steelers don’t fire head coaches. So even if it is time, I’d doubt Tomlin is gone before the end of his current extension.

The Steelers have revealed the jersey number of their newest defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith at the end of June in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 pick swap. Ramsey becomes the newest addition to a secondary that is now filled with stars, including young up-and-comer Joey Porter and Super Bowl champion former All-Pro Darius Slay.

With training camp just two weeks away, fans have speculated what Ramsey will look like in a Steelers uniform – both in terms of on-field play and what number he would wear. The Super Bowl champion wore No. 5 with the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins, and it has been revealed that will continue in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers announced on their social media accounts that Ramsey will continue wearing No. 5, which was the number assigned to punter Cam Johnston, who will now pick a new number to wear.

While it is yet to be known what role Ramsey will play in the defense, he will bring a star power that will be a net positive for the Steelers. He has 24 career interceptions and will look to add to that total in 2025.

One ESPN analyst questions how great DK Metcalf is

The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the moves of the offseason back in March when they traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh immediately gave Metcalf a four-year, $132 million extension, keeping him in a Steelers uniform through the 2029 season.

And while it’s a consensus thought that Metcalf is an upgrade over George Pickens, Bill Barnwell of ESPN questions how much better they will be because of No. 4.

“Are the Steelers different? Yes,” Barnwell writes. “Are they better? Maybe a tiny bit. DK Metcalf is certainly a more reliable option than the now-departed George Pickens as the lead receiver, but after Metcalf’s 1,303-yard season in 2020, he has averaged 1,030 yards per campaign and right above 2.0 yards per route run, producing at about the same rate as Michael Pittman Jr. and Amari Cooper. Those are good wideouts, but there’s a perception that Metcalf’s upside from 2020 looks more like a career outlier than a realistic expectation of what he’s likely to do going forward.”

It was clear that Metcalf took a step back in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who left Seattle after one year to become the new offensive coordinator at Alabama. His 992 yards were the second-fewest of his career, and his five touchdowns were the lowest of his career. Hopefully a new start with Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers reignites the once-hot fuse that Metcalf had back in 2023 when he averaged over 16 yards per catch.

With several new additions in the offseason, multiple players will be on the brink of being released.

With Pittsburgh Steelers training camp now just two weeks away(!), now is a good time to begin looking at the roster as a whole and circle some names that could be in trouble, especially after the offseason the Steelers have had.

With that in mind, these players are pretty obviously at risk of being released ahead of the 2025 season.

DE DeMarvin Leal

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

Leal has yet to take off as a part of the edge-rusher rotation in Pittsburgh, and he is entering his fourth season. In 2024, Leal appeared in just five games, registering four tackles. In terms of total snaps, he was on the field for just 96 of them. Considering all the additions the Steelers made to their defensive line during free agency and the draft, Leal will likely be left without a spot.

RB Cordarrelle Patterson

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Patterson did next to nothing last season. He was signed directly after the kickoff rule was changed, and yet he returned just 11 kicks. In totality, he had one touchdown on 55 total touches in 2024. On top of that, the Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon to put behind Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson. All things considered, don’t expect to see the 34 year-old back in Pittsburgh.

TE Connor Heyward

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

There’s always been this whole side-eye thing that happens when discussing Connor Heyward due to his last name and the debate on whether or not he would be on the roster if he weren’t Cam’s brother (you can probably guess where I fall in that debate). After Pittsburgh acquired Jonnu Smith, they now have four tight ends on the roster. They were originally scheduled to have that number before Donald Parham suffered a season-ending injury, which feels like they were planning on moving on from Heyward, even though they had a similar setup in 2024.

Heyward has six catches in 2024, and has 41 across three years in Pittsburgh. He plays predominantly on special teams and, frankly, is a very replaceable player.