Although the Steelers continue to express confidenceAaron Rodgerswill eventually become their next starting quarterback, the four-time MVP is moving toward a fourth week as a free agent. Rodgers threw passes toD.K. Metcalf recently, which would represent a good sign for Pittsburgh’s prospects to close this market. But uncertainty remains.
Kevin O’Connell confirmed Rodgers reached out to him during his free agency, and Seifert indicates the two spoke multiple times this offseason. Relaying those discussions up the chain with the Vikings, O’Connell is still preparing to develop McCarthy into a Week 1 starter this year. Though, the party line in Minnesota has not locked in this status for last year’s No. 10 overall pick.
“Aaron and I have had a relationship for a long time,” O’Connell said this week. “He initially reached out and we were able to have some conversations. We were on the hunt to always improve our football team and put our football team in the best possible chance to win. … He happened to be at a point in time in his career where he was free to have some real dialogue about what his future may look like. And we happened to be one of those teams that he reached out to.”
Rodgers, 41, and O’Connell, 39, did not play together during the latter’s time touring the league attempting to catch on as a backup. O’Connell enjoyed stints with the Patriots, Lions, Jets, Dolphins and Chargers from 2008-12. O’Connell also never coached in Green Bay, so citing a relationship is certainly interesting — especially pertaining to a potential alliance in Minnesota. It might take a while, however, before the Vikings consider circling back.
Minnesota’s minicamp will run from June 10-12. Teams regularly reevaluate rosters between minicamp and training camp, though quarterback additions — especially starter-caliber QBs — are obviously rare. The Vikings do have a history of late-arriving starters, having traded for Sam Bradford — after Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe 2016 knee injury — and signed Brett Favre during training camp. The Steelers, who have met with Rodgers and confirmed their offer (made early in free agency) is still on the table, should not be expected to wait that long for an answer. It will be interesting if Rodgers does not inform the AFC North team of his plans by the draft.
Rodgers has not seen the Steelers increase their offer, though it stands to reason the team might if he holds out longer, and the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora indicates the future first-ballot Hall of Famer may have a hard time adjusting to his new market. The Giants were believed to have offered Rodgers the most money; they eventually pivoted to Russell Wilson on a one-year, $10.5MM deal. Rodgers should not be expected to come close to his Packers or Jets salaries, and while the 20-year veteran is prioritizing fit, it would stand to reason money is a factor here.
The Vikings may also not know if McCarthy is truly ready — after two meniscus surgeries — until he begins to face competition during 11-on-11 settings, at the very least. That would not happen until training camp. That timeline obviously affects the Steelers, even if they have effectively pushed the Giants out of this race. It is worth wondering how big the gap between Rodgers’ views of the Vikings and Steelers are. The bigger the difference in the QB’s opinion of these teams, the longer it would make sense for him to wait.
The Steelers continue to express patience, but if Rodgers does not sign, they will need to either seriously consider Mason Rudolph as a bridge or look into another veteran. Mike Tomlin said his 2023 playoff starter could still serve as a starter, but that is certainly not the organization’s goal. Joe Flacco remains in free agency, and Kirk Cousins is a trade candidate. Pittsburgh continues to do homework on draft prospects, but holding the No. 21 overall pick in a draft not flooded with high-level QB prospects, this reminds of the Kenny Pickett year.
Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The New England Patriots have traded Joe Milton to the Dallas Cowboys
The Pittsburgh Steelers still only have two quarterbacks on their roster. They signed former Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson ahead of the offseason, and brought back former third-round pick Mason Rudolph after he spent a season with the Tennessee Titans.
Pittsburgh continues to wait out Aaron Rodgers, but even so, the future at the position won’t be on the roster. Needing to throw a few darts at the board while in quarterback purgatory, there were some who thought the Steelers should trade for New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton, who put together a very good performance in Week 18 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18. However, they were beaten to the punch by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are trading a fifth-round pick in exchange for Milton and a seventh-round pick. This comes after the Patriots signed Josh Dobbs, leading to speculation of a trade surrounding the Tennessee product.
Patriots to trade QB Joe Milton III and 7th-round draft pick to Cowboys in exchange for a 5th-round draft pick. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/PWTOUds3ou
While it certainly is Rodgers or bust for the Steelers this season, sending a Day Three pick for Milton rather than blowing a pick on Will Howard or Tyler Shough would have made sense. Milton went 22-of-29 for 241 yards and two total touchdowns against the Bills in Week 18.
Milton was a sixth-round pick in 2024 who spent his rookie year as the Patriots’ QB3 behind No. 3 pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton brings a rare set of physical tools, including an especially powerful arm. He impressed in his lone appearance last season, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.4 passer rating in Week 18 against the Bills.
That performance helped to generate some trade buzz surrounding Milton, which picked up after the Patriots signedJoshua Dobbs. Dobbs arrived in New England to take over Brissett’s role, keeping Milton third on the depth chart with little potential for playing time. Milton was not seen as “an ideal backup” for Maye, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team even told Dobbs that they were looking to trade Milton in order to build their quarterback room around Maye and prioritize his development, per Breer.
Milton also wanted out of New England, seeing himself as a future starter and knowing he would have a better chance at seeing the field elsewhere, both in the short- and long-term. The Patriots granted permission for Milton to seek a trade, per Schultz, and the Cowboys “showed the most interest from the start.” The two teams had been negotiating for a few weeks before talks accelerated at league meetings in Florida, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.
A number of other teams expressed interest in trading for Milton, according to Schultz, including the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, and Steelers. The Patriots had a better offer on the table, but worked with Milton to send him to his preferred landing spot in Dallas.
“My family grew up a Cowboys fan,” said Milton (via Schultz). “My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them. Living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I’m with them. I’m ready to work.”
Milton will arrive in Dallas as the presumptive backup to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys explored an extension with 2024 backup Trey Lance after Prescott went down last season, per Archer, but the former No. 3 pick remains a free agent. Dallas also had interest in Brissett and Drew Lockin free agency, according to Archer.
Milton has three years and $3.2MM remaining on his contract, per OverTheCap, while Brissett’s shorter, two-year deal with the Cardinals is worth three times as much. With Prescott still commanding the highest salary in the NFL, the Cowboys opted to trade for a young, cost-controlled with developmental upside over the next three years.
Pick the best front office move in black and gold history
A month ago, we started with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 64-greatest front office moves. They faced-off, March Madness-style, fueled by your votes. Now we’ve made it to the finals for the toughest decision yet.
FINALS
March Madness ‘25 Finals
Pierogi Bracket champion
1 seed: April 20, 1996 – Traded for running back Jerome Bettis
In one of the most lopsided transactions in NFL history, Pittsburgh moved down 13 spots from pick 59 to 72 and added a future 3rd rounder in exchange for Jerome Bettis. The Rams were transitioning to a pass-oriented offense and drafted Nebraska’s Lawrence Phillips. St. Louis gave Bettis the option to pick his destination, and he almost considered Houston. Writers in Pittsburgh didn’t love the trade initially, because Bettis had a pair of down seasons and his contract was up at the end of the year. But they changed their tune after The Bus won Comeback Player of the Year and became the highest-paid player in Steelers history at that point.
VS
Halupki Bracket champion
1 seed: April 26, 2003 – Traded up to draft safety Troy Polamalu
Pittsburgh was almost not in the market for a safety in 2003. The Steelers had a verbal agreement with Dexter Jackson, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, but he would end up signing with Arizona. Polamalu was the top-ranked safety in the draft. When San Diego traded down at pick 15 instead of addressing the safety position, Pittsburgh traded up from 27 to 16 with the Chiefs. The Steelers traded away the 92nd and 200th overall picks.
I’m grateful to everyone who joined me on this journey. I hope you learned something that you didn’t know before. See you at Steelers March Madness ‘26!
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.
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.
Taking a look at one of the draft’s most polarizing prospects.
Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
Louisville’s Tyler Shough is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s underwhelming quarterback class. At first glance, he’s a late-round flier, but the tape reveals a very good passer. Should the Steelers be interested?
Louisville’s Tyler Shough (pronounced “shuck”) isn’t exactly a hard evaluation on tape. But his draft projection? Near impossible.
He’s a good quarterback — we’ll get to that shortly — but Shough’s profile comes with two massive red flags: his age, and his injury history.
The “seventh-year senior” in the bio section of this article isn’t a typo. Shough collected extra NCAA eligibility years like infinity stones during his college career, seemingly taking notes from former Oregon teammate Cam McCormick. Shough is currently 25 with a September birthday, meaning for the vast majority of his rookie campaign, he’ll be 26. He’ll be nearly 30 when his first NFL contract is up.
Quarterbacks play forever these days — the Steelers are desperately trying to sign the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at the moment — but age is an undeniable concern with Shough. Not only does it shorten his prime years in the NFL, but it rushes the development calendar as you don’t want Shough (if a presumed starter) wasting too many years on the bench. And then, of course, there’s the question of if Shough’s immense college experience is the main reason why his 2024 season was so good.
But Shough also has a surprising lack of on-field experience for a player who had the time to earn four degrees as a student-athlete. He has just one full season under his belt with 42 career games played — and in the first eight he attempted just 15 passes combined. The reason, outside of Shough’s slow start at Oregon, would be the injuries that decimated his 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons at Texas Tech: a broken collarbone, a re-broken collarbone, and a broken fibula in consecutive years.
That’s been enough to give Shough the dreaded “injury-prone” label, but he’s made sure to point out that the injuries were all broken bones — not knee or back issues. And he was finally healthy for his 2024 season at Louisville, showing off what he can do when he’s able to play more than seven times in one season.
Shough’s draft profile comes with a lot of baggage that will undoubtedly affect his draft stock. But with that out of the way, let’s dive into what he brings as a player.
For one, his arm jumps off the screen. Shough throws a pretty deep ball with a consistent tight spiral. He has an effortless, flick-of-the-wrist throwing motion and can successfully pass downfield off of his back foot. He’s also flashed the ability to throw side-arm and across his body. Shough can make all the NFL throws and then some.
Tyler Shough is a great arm talent: pretty deep ball, zippy throwing motion, off-platform/different arm angle throws, some nice ball placement. pic.twitter.com/tM8lCHMYGv
Shough’s arm is near-elite, but he could improve it with more consistent footwork. He throws well off-platform but doesn’t step into throws enough, meaning they occasionally float on him. I’ve seen theories that Shough’s often quick, backpedaling release is because he has a tendency to shy away from hits following three straight seasons with bone breaks.
You can see it a bit with Shough’s sometimes panicked throwaways and dump-offs ahead of contact. Sometimes, the results show off his arm and ability to avoid sacks; other times, they enter Will Levis territory.
Shough knows he has a great arm, and he can get a little overzealous trying to force throws at times, although it’s hardly a major issue. As you can see in the clips above and below, sometimes his process speeds up under pressure and he can miss peripheral defenders.
Shough is imperfect under pressure; more accurately, he’s a bit streaky, with some games/stretches where he gets flustered and others where he confidently delivers and weathers hits. Of the games I watched, the latter was more common. Shough can step into throws and fire lasers into the teeth of the defense when he wants to.
But for the most part, he’s money in tight windows, generating some great velocity on middle of the field throws pic.twitter.com/umPGBzzHsr
Other aspects of Shough’s game show off his veteran status. He was consistently effective in the short game, with Louisville’s quick outs terrorizing secondaries that played with big cushions. His fast mechanics helped him take a short drop and distribute the ball with ease.
All-22 of Shough was hard to come across online, but overall he looks like one of the better quarterbacks in this class when it comes to going through his progressions. I also saw a few anticipatory throws.
Most impressive were the instances of Shough tricking defenses with his eyes or a strong pump fake:
I loved this play where Shough took the time to move the linebacker with his eyes on a flat route to the tight end, opening up a lane for extra yardage:
Despite having a tall, somewhat lanky build, Shough offers some usefulness as a runner. He’s hardly one of the better scramblers in this class, but he can move in the pocket and gain some yardage when needed. His 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine showed more straight-line speed than some expected; Shough is very much a pocket passer, but he’s not a statue.
Better athlete than you might think! Shough has some scramble ability (feat. a cool front flip TD) pic.twitter.com/oAdEpgrvy6
After watching a sizable chunk of Shough’s 2024, I came away impressed. It’s probably about time I start walking back what I declared back in February about him being a “comfortable” Day 3 target.
To be clear, I’d still be the most comfortable picking Shough somewhere in the later rounds. His age/injury combination is hard to ignore — I’ve seen some Michael Penix Jr. comparisons in that area, but keep in mind that Penix was two years younger than Shough as a rookie and coming off two straight 4,500-plus-yard, 30-plus touchdown seasons. It took Shough seven years to break 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in a collegiate season.
But the recent tape is good. NFL-caliber good. If Shough had the exact season he had in 2024 but at 22 years old and with less injury concerns, I legitimately think he’d be in the late first-round conversation and a top-three quarterback in the class.
Ultimately, it just takes one team to decide to draft Shough early. I’m going to split the difference between my earlier Day 3 prediction and some of the recent first-round hype by predicting Shough is drafted in the third, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the second or lasts into the fourth or later. I’m curious to see how concerned teams are by his unorthodox journey through college football.
Tyler Shough strengths
High-end arm talent; easy, quick flick-of-the-wrist motion; can throw at different angles, on the run, off of back foot
Can fool the defense with his eyes, pump fakes; goes through progressions well
Above-average, natural accuracy; some nice ball placement on tape even when rushed
Not a running quarterback but solid pocket mobility, scrambling speed
Competent operator in the quick passing game
Weaknesses
Age: will be 26 during rookie season
Injury history: three straight seasons from 2021-23 with broken bones
Can occasionally force tight-window throws
Throwaways can be careless at times
Hot and cold as an improviser; streaky under pressure
Pocket passer with a seven-year college career prompted by three consecutive years of injuries while at Texas Tech. Shough will turn 26 in September, was in the same recruiting class as Trevor Lawrence and backed up Justin Herbert at Oregon. He’s a talented passer with a live arm who is capable of making pro throws both intermediate and deep but battles inconsistency. He plays with good field vision, using his eyes to hold defenders and set up his throwing windows. Shough is confident and accurate when protected, but will flinch when pressure mounts, leading to spotty decision-making and big sacks. His size and passing talent will be enticing, but durability and mobility concerns are impediments he will need to overcome.
Shough projects as a developmental starter or bridge quarterback at the NFL level. He could absolutely be an adequate starter with a good cast around him in time, but the unlikely intersections required for opportunity, time on task at the NFL level, and health make it difficult to bet too big. He’d be a good fit for an under center, play-action scheme that can play off of the dropback passing game with rollouts and bootlegs while taking advantage of his arm fluidity and athleticism. Grade:74.50/100.00, Third Round Value
Shough can execute a wide variety of offenses, from a Spread Coast horizontal offense to an Air Raid vertical attack, to the concepts found [in] pro-style offenses. He has a propensity for generating “WOW” throws and can threaten the entire field as long as he has a smidgen of room to set his feet. He can bail out his offensive line and will give his receivers a chance to make big plays. … The problem is, of course, with Shough’s age and injury history. … Tyler Shough is a grown, mentally and physically mature man – he’s married and has his master’s degree. It’s possible that teams will believe that he is what he is. Or it’s possible that they could see untapped upside and he could be the steal of the draft.
Shough has all the tools to be a starter in the NFL — possibly a very good one. Does he fit with the Steelers? Sure. He doesn’t bring the high level of mobility that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith seems to appreciate, but he can throw well on the run, making him a great choice for play-action, and he can scramble when needed.
While Shough has flaws as a player, he offers a polished, toolsy skill set overall and should be able to contribute right away. I can’t help but think how Bo Nix’s five years in college gave him the poise to handle the NFL early on, leading to a surprisingly excellent rookie campaign for the Broncos.
Shough has the arm and touch to succeed with Pittsburgh’s duo of downfield threats in George Pickens and D.K. Metcalf, and he’ll likely offer more in the middle of the field than Russell Wilson did last season.
He might be a great pick, but when? The injury and age concerns are freakishly huge, but if you believe Shough can be a franchise guy — even if he’s four years older than the ideal — it’s probably worth the risk at some point. Just hope the Steelers do their homework — and they seem to be, with Shough being reported as one of the team’s first top-30 visits of the draft season.
TL;DR: Shough is a talented pocket passer with a big arm, smooth mechanics, and a more polished game than your average college passer. The reason? A whopping seven years in the NCAA, and due to injuries, only one of those seasons was productive. Drafting Shough early is a massive gamble, but he has the tools to start in the NFL.
What are your thoughts on Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
The Steelers legend weighed in on the latest episode Footbahlin
Pittsburgh Steelers fans continue to wait day after day to get the notification on Aaron Rodgers officially signing with Pittsburgh. Almost a month into the new league year, that news has yet to come, and all that has taken place for the last three weeks is speculation and waiting. Everyone seems to have their thoughts and theories on why Rodgers hasn’t signed yet, including Ben Roethlisberger. On the latest episode of Footbahlin, Roethlisberger revealed why he believes Rodgers remains unsigned.
“I think Aaron is secretly still holding out for Minnesota,” Roethlisberger said. “Which is why he hasn’t signed with the Steelers. Why else would you go throw with DK and working out, and blast it to everybody that ‘I’m throwing to these guys,’ but you won’t sign?”
While Roethlisberger may be onto something there, it does look all but certain that Rodgers will end up with the Steelers. As pointed out previously, Rodgers will want to control when the story breaks, which is why Pat McAfee’s live show in Pittsburgh on April 9th is a date Steelers fans should circle. In 2023, Rodgers revealed his plans to play for the New York Jets before getting traded from Green Bay to New York. While most are past getting impatient and are just flat out over and done with this never-ending saga (and understandably so), an end will come.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Keep up with the latest pre-draft visits for the Steelers
With the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine officially in the books, attention now turns to prospect pro days and pre-draft visits.
At the conclusion of the combine, each NFL team is able to bring in 30 prospects for a private visit at the facility between March 4 and April 6. These are commonly referred to as “top-30 visits,” though that phrasing can be somewhat confusing, as a scheduled “top-30 visit” doesn’t necessarily mean a player is ranked in the top 30 on a team’s draft board. No on-field workouts are permitted at these visits, but players can undergo physical exams and conduct interviews.
NFL teams are also allowed to conduct video or telephone with draft-eligible players. Per Giants.com, NFL rules restrict clubs to a maximum of “three video or telephone interviews per player, no longer than one hour in length.”
In addition to the 30 official visits, NFL teams are able to hold visits with local players, as long as they do not provide transportation. A “local” player is determined to be a player who is from or attends college in the “local metropolitan area as defined by a current Rand McNally map.”
Pre-draft visits can be huge indicators of a team’s potential interest in a player, and the Steelers, in particular, have used these visits to their advantage. In 2024, the team had top-30 visits with first-round OT Troy Fautanu, ILB Payton Wilson, OL Mason McCormick and DL Logan Lee and had local visits with C Zach Frazier and CB Beanie Bishop (signed as an UDFA). DB Ryan Watts and WR Roman Wilson were the only two draft selections in 2024 that Pittsburgh did not bring in for a top-30 visit.
Here’s a look at the reported top 30 visits for the Steelers heading into 2025, as well as reported local visits. We’ll be keeping this updated leading up through the NFL Draft.
In this week’s Read & React, Ryan and Ryland discuss if the Steelers’ top UDFA of 2024 can earn a starting job once again in the upcoming season. Also: thoughts on the 2025 quarterback class.
The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and while there’s still plenty to discuss regarding the hundreds of potential Steelers ready to join the pros, Read & React will be starting this column with a new segment that looks back at Pittsburgh’s 2024 season:
Steelers in review: CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Welcome to R&R’s newest segment: Steelers in Review. The need to keep an accurate view of last season can get lost in the news cycle of free agency and the draft. As a result, we’ll be looking at one Steeler’s 2024 season in each segment, noting where they succeeded, where they struggled, and what they’ll bring to the roster in 2024. This week, we’ll be looking at slot cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr.’s rookie year:
RB: Let’s start off by reviewing some of the expectations surrounding Bishop ahead of his rookie year. As an undrafted free agent, he started off as a popular name in the Redman Award debate but opinions were split on if he’d be just a bottom-of-the-roster folk hero or an actual contender for a starting job on defense.
Then two things happened over the course of the preseason: The Steelers never added another possible starter at slot corner despite Cam Sutton’s looming eight-game suspension and Grayland Arnold’s injury, but despite the wide-open opportunity, Bishop never ran away with the job.
I didn’t bother reviewing those preseason games for this article, but here’s my blurb on Bishop from the Redman Award voting article back in August:
The Redman Award frontrunner throughout most of the summer, Bishop beat the odds as an undersized, undrafted free agent to win the Steelers’ nickel cornerback battle. A scrappy defender who provided some highlight-worthy plays in training camp, an injury and a quiet preseason resulted in a hit to the rookie’s winning chances.
Bishop, of course, ended up making the Steelers’ 53-man roster and sticking there all year. The lone remaining challenger for the slot job, Thomas Graham Jr., was relegated to the practice squad and later released. Bishop started in the slot until his role was reduced by the return of Cam Sutton in Week 10 of the regular season.
With the background out of the way, we’ll turn to an evaluation of Bishop’s on-field performance. How did the Steelers use Bishop in 2024?
RP: There wasn’t a ton of variety to Bishop’s usage, and likely for good reason. When the Steelers had him out there prior to Sutton’s return, it was almost exclusively as a nickel/slot corner. PFF’s charting occasionally credited him with some reps at safety based on where he lined up, but his role was mostly consistent.
Watching Bishop’s 2024 tape, I didn’t come away thinking Bishop was a bad corner, but there was certainly tons of room for improvement. Bishop was an undrafted free agent due to his size and questions about his play speed. These show up on his lowlights reel. Too often he was just a beat late on a read, and on these plays he would struggle to recover.
Right now, Bishop is much better in zone than he is in man. Let’s start with some positives before we pile on the negatives. Watching Bishop, his instincts in zone appear much more comfortable than in man. That isn’t to say he doesn’t have problematic moments of hesitation in zone as well, but overall, he looks more confident. Ryland mentioned Bishop’s two-interception game against the Jets, and during the first interception, you can see him lure Rodgers into the throw before quickly flipping his hips and making the play.
Looking back at Beanie Bishop’s first INT against Rodgers. I think what I love most is the way Beanie played this, it locked Rodgers into the matchup for Wilson. Adams probably makes a chunk play on the fade route if thrown, but Bishop’s leverage baited Rodgers to target Wilson. pic.twitter.com/MoehSevfsZ
Unfortunately, Bishop was much less comfortable in man coverage. In the first clip below, Bishop never even gets into his backpedal before KaVontae Turpin is behind him and tearing down the seam for a big gain. In the second play, the ball actually goes to the other side of the field, but watch Bishop at the bottom of the screen. Prior to the snap, he’s still getting corrections from Joey Porter Jr. The Cowboys deploy Turpin out of the backfield, this time running a wheel route. Bishop bites on the flat and gets torched deep.
Bishop was better in zone. Against man, his athletic testing begins to show up and inexperience begins to show up pic.twitter.com/wGacN0i2Vq
Dallas also tried to bully Bishop due to his size. The Cowboys clearly keyed on the Steelers defense having issues with communication, especially on plays involving motion, and they looked to scheme Bishop out of the play on several occasions.
The first thing that stands out is how Dallas would scheme Bishop into traffic. On multiple occasions they took advantage of his struggles fighting through blocks pic.twitter.com/MuxYAhehCI
On the first play below, the Cowboys once again have Turpin in motion. They start to motion him left but he turns back around and sprints into a flat route at the snap. Bishop, who had been trailing Turpin, runs into linebacker Patrick Queen who was dropping into his zone, creating more of a mess and putting Bishop in an impossible position. Bishop gets on his horse to make it to the sideline, but he can’t get there before the first down is picked up, and then makes matters worse with a facemask penalty.
Miscommunication was a team wide problem, but Dallas put Bishop in some difficult spots and took advantage of any missteps or lapses in concentration pic.twitter.com/kfbUwLsV94
The second clip above is a team effort. The Cowboys stack two receivers and a tight end to the right. Bishop, for his part, covers his man well, but there is some miscommunication from the Steelers on how to handle the two other targets. Both Donte Jackson and Queen end up following Jalen Tolbert on the drag route and no one picks up tight end Jake Ferguson. Where the play goes from bad to worse is Bishop is so locked in on CeeDee Lamb — which, understable — that he doesn’t notice Ferguson has made the catch. He actually looks over his shoulder back towards the middle of the field as Ferguson gallops past him. Tough look.
In the third clip, we have the game-deciding play. While I can’t definitely say what the assignments on this play are, I think Bishop is one of a handful of players who could be at fault. The Cowboys are running a crossing routes concept, trying to create a natural rub to spring one of their guys open. On this play, Bishop trails Ceedee Lamb while DeShon Elliott trails Jalen Tolbert. I believe they are running a zone concept, perhaps a hybrid, because while the Steelers have players trailing players in the middle of the field, Jackson at the top of the screen doesn’t follow anyone in particular.
The play was a mess and hard to tell, but I think Bishop is intended to pass off Lamb once he reaches the midpoint of the field, especially with Minkah Fitzpatrick also hounding Lamb on the play. However, Bishop sticks with him a step too long. Tolbert uses Fitzpatrick and Lamb to create a barrier on the trailing DeShon Elliott — who navigates it about as well as can be expected in that situation — and creates just enough separation to make the winning catch. By the time Bishop notices what’s going on, he’s not in a position to make a play and then starts to run towards the backfield for a moment. Steelers lose the game.
That’s all pretty rough. I chose the Dallas game to highlight some of Bishop’s weaknesses. Of the games where he played at least 30 snaps in coverage, the Dallas game was his second lowest-graded game, according to PFF. I didn’t use his worst game, against Denver, because that game came in Week 2 and that feels unfair to a rookie with Bishop’s background. Still, it highlights why Tomlin and Teryl Austin didn’t have many reservations about reducing his role, even with Sutton playing so poorly.
What did you notice in Bishop’s tackling, Ryland? And do you think Bishop has a long-term future with the Steelers? Or have we already seen his best ball?
RB: I watched the entire second half of Bishop’s season for this article and can vouch for what’s in Ryan’s scouting report above. Bishop’s play speed and reaction time in coverage are still a major work in progress, with the rookie struggling in those areas throughout the entire season.
I will add one thing: Bishop ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Big 12 pro day, the fastest of any player there. His RAS shows “elite” speed and “good” agility — so the tools are all there to keep up with NFL receivers. Game speed is obviously vastly different from running in a straight line, but I think as the game slows down for Bishop as he gains experience, we will see some improvements from him in coverage.
As Ryan alluded to in the clip of the interception against Aaron Rodgers, Bishop has flashes of elite hip mobility. I noticed that in another clip, a great pass defensed against the Browns in Week 12. He has an impressive ability to rapidly turn the direction he’s facing to make a play on the ball.
Had to shout out one coverage rep – this PBU against the Browns was great (if you can even see Bishop on this play) pic.twitter.com/I8txkv2p6y
If Bishop can continue to improve his comfort in the Steelers’ scheme, there’s a brighter future ahead in coverage with the tools he has.
But what about Bishop as a tackler? I’d say that was a more consistently strong aspect of his game despite his size. Bishop is small — only 5’9, 182 pounds on the Steelers website — but he consistently showed in 2024 that it doesn’t hinder him much when it comes to bringing down defenders.
Bishop’s first real highlight of the season showed exactly that. With less than a minute left against the Falcons and maintaining a one-score lead in the fourth quarter, he brought down Ray-Ray McCloud in bounds to run the clock down to 13 seconds. The Falcons hurried to the line, spiked the ball, and then T.J. Watt called game on the next play.
While McCloud isn’t exactly a big receiver, you can see what makes Bishop an effective tackler: He generally goes for the legs to avoid bouncing off the ball-carrier. The effort to keep McCloud in bounds also shouldn’t go unnoticed, either.
Bishop’s first highlight as a Steeler shows a lot to like. Good drive on the ball and a low, form tackle to keep Ray-Ray McCloud in bounds with seconds left on the clock. Helped win the game for Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/qzvK9GCHMm
I didn’t see many missed tackles from Bishop in 2024, even if he did occasionally get dragged around a bit before bringing the ball-carrier to the ground. Per PFF, he had a 7.7% missed tackle rate, which ranked slightly above-average among his teammates and better than several high-level starters.
One thing I remember highlighting back when Bishop first joined the Steelers was his drive on the ball. That was evident in his tackling, with Bishop seeing a lot of success coming downhill.
I especially like the first clip below, where you can see Bishop (lined up at the top of the screen in the slot, with a sizable cushion) work through traffic to make the stop. That’s a skill of his that also translates to special teams, further helping his value to the team.
The most impressive aspect of Bishop’s tackling was his work against receiver screens. You’d (reasonably) assume that at his size he’s going to struggle greatly against blockers, but in many cases he found a way to power through them. His tenacity as a tackler is definitely something that’s carried over from his time at West Virginia.
I’ll also highlight some of Bishop’s work blitzing from the slot. He’s not Mike Hilton, but his speed off the edge did wreck some plays (even helping cause the interception in the second clip). I included the last clip because I was a little surprised to see Bishop move the left guard back as far as he did on the rush.
The first clip isn’t overly worrying even if the angle is subpar, but the second is a painful watch. Ultimately, it circles back to some of Ryan’s points about Bishop looking more comfortable in zone coverage where he can see the play unfold in front of him.
He lacked the instincts, awareness, and confidence his rookie year to quickly process and react on defense. As a result, Bishop still had some highlight-worthy plays, but he consistently played slower and more unsure than he’s capable of.
With that in mind, I don’t think we’ve seen Bishop’s best ball yet. Going from a West Virginia UDFA to starting in the NFL Week 1 is a massive change. With a full season and offseason under his belt in the pros, I think Bishop can definitely challenge for the starting spot again and have a much-improved sophomore campaign.
However, he certainly wasn’t good enough in 2024 to lock himself into that role. Brandin Echols was an offseason signing I liked at cornerback who Tomlin mentioned will be gunning for that starting spot as well. I think that competition will be a tough one as Echols brings more polish and experience as a cover corner even if he played most recently on the boundary.
And although the Steelers haven’t shown much interest in the position during the draft process, I wouldn’t rule out the team adding another contender for the slot battle there, either.
At the moment, the Steelers’ starting nickel role is Bishop’s to lose, but it’s anything but a guarantee. With some possible improvements from his rookie year, I think he can develop into a solid starter. At the very least, his 2024 showed some great highlights and a solid performance as a tackler that make him a worthwhile depth piece to keep on the roster.
When should the Steelers target a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft? And would an Aaron Rodgers signing affect that?
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
RP: While I don’t think Aaron Rodgers should have any bearing on whether or not the Steelers draft a quarterback — he’ll turn 42 in December for crying out loud — I would strongly advise them against drafting a quarterback in the first round this year.
Our readers need no reminder that the Steelers forced a quarterback pick in 2022 when they selected Kenny Pickett at 20th overall. Whether you think Pickett was given a fair shake in Pittsburgh or not, it doesn’t change that intel from the draft community indicated he was a player that was incredibly overdrafted. Many teams, if not most, reportedly had Day 2 grades on him at best. It’s hard to come to any other conclusion than the Steelers misread QB market, or worse, didn’t care. Not only were no other quarterbacks selected until the third round, but the player that was reportedly the second-best prospect — Malik Willis — ended up as the third quarterback off the board.
Personally, I would take Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough over Kenny Pickett, but I wouldn’t take any of them in the first round. There are just too many question marks in each of their games, especially with the Steelers’ recent history with developing a quarterback being less than stellar.
I don’t love the idea of taking a quarterback in the third round this year, but I can at least understand it. The Steelers have plenty of holes on the roster, but they aren’t nearly as bad as our comment section would have you believe. This was still a playoff team, and there are still good players on this roster.
Sure, I’d argue shoring up the secondary, the interior line on either side of the ball, or filling out the receiver room might be a better use of resources. But if the Steelers get enamored with one of Dart, Shough, or Milroe, and they’re still available in the third round — or the Steelers swing a trade to get into the second round — I’d be OK with them sitting a rookie behind Rodgers for a year.
But if Rudolph ends up being the starter, and they spend the pick on a quarterback, I’d want to see the rookie before the year is over. I know Tomlin is adverse to change, but in this scenario it would be criminal not to find out what you have before the 2026 class rolls around.
I’m also OK if the Steelers would rather use a Day 3 pick. Kyle McCord has been my deep sleeper in this QB class and I’d be willing to take a swing starting in Round 5. I know some fans here think a Day 3 QB is a wasted pick — I used to have the same opinion — but I’ve warmed to the idea. Most Day 3 picks are lucky to ever make a roster. Look up the Steelers’ draft picks in Round 5 or later in recent years and tell me how many of those players would be worth hanging onto over the chance at finding your QB. Is it likely they find him? No. But it’s also not likely the Steelers will miss out on any All-Pros either.
RB: I think we’re in complete agreement here. Aaron Rodgers at 41 years old shouldn’t make much of difference regarding whether the Steelers do or don’t draft a quarterback, outside of whether or not we get some Skylar Thompson “lol that’s Mason Rudolph’s replacement not minds take it how you want to I am back” memes after the rookie is drafted.
But to play devil’s advocate, the Rodgers signing would indicate the Steelers are still hanging onto some sort of “win now” philosophy, meaning the team may not want to spend one of their two remaining picks on Days 1-2 on a player who ideally will be sitting on the bench for most of the season. So if the team signs Rodgers, I’d guess the odds of Pittsburgh drafting a quarterback late will be slightly higher.
And even if the team does pass on Rodgers, I still have a hard time seeing a quarterback in the first three rounds being a good pick in this weak class. There won’t be good value where the Steelers pick in the first — Jaxson Dart just doesn’t have enough standout traits to be picked that early, in my opinion — while Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough would be defendable options in the third, but each come with massive red flags. Milroe is an elite athlete but still an extremely underdeveloped passer, while Shough has a fun, polished game, but only one good season across seven (yes, seven) years of college football — and three major injuries over that span.
They’re each fun prospects who I wouldn’t hate at No. 83, but I have a hard time believing they’ll be the best available in a surprisingly deep first two days of the draft at other positions.
But Day 3? I hope the Steelers grab a flier at quarterback there regardless of whether Rodgers happens or not. 2026 might be the year the Steelers make a big push for the franchise guy, but taking a dart throw a year early doesn’t hurt, especially given Ryan’s point about how most Day 3 picks don’t pan out anyway.
A late-round name I’ve been a fan of lately is Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, who doesn’t exactly scream upside, but has a good floor as a highly efficient pocket passer who excelled in the middle of the field in 2024. He also toughed it through a partially-torn ACL all year, which is ridiculously impressive. Maybe he’s a starter someday, but at the very least you’re getting a competent backup on a cheap, four-year deal. I like Ohio State’s Will Howard too, but I’m not sure how far he’ll drop.
Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics. What are your thoughts on Beanie Bishop Jr.? When should the Steelers draft a quarterback in 2025? Let us know in the comments! Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia.
D.K. Metcalfrecently caught passes fromAaron Rodgers, who has been a Steelers free agent target for weeks. Although Metcalf scored his coveted extension, being part of Pittsburgh’s Rodgers recruitment did not appear to be his goal upon hitting the trade market in earnest this offseason.
With the Steelers lacking quarterback clarity, it makes sense they were not the seventh-year veteran’s priority landing spot. Though, Metcalf also made it known, per Henderson, he did not want to be traded to the Patriots. Despite New England now having a long-term QB hopeful in Drake Maye, Metcalf was not interested in a deal that sent him there. He follows Brandon Aiyuk in passing on such a deal.
The Patriots showed interest this year, which is unsurprising given their enduring effort to upgrade at wide receiver, but they did not ultimately make an offer. That may well be the case because Metcalf made it known he did not want to end up in Foxborough. The Pats were prepared to pursue him in a trade, Henderson adds. This fit not coming to fruition follows a summer Aiyuk effort that involved the Pats being linked to a $32MM-per-year offer — the highest known extension price during those trade sweepstakes — only to not land on the WR’s list. The Steelers instead emerged as Aiyuk’s top 49ers competition, with the Commanders being a destination as well.
Washington did not come up for Metcalf, but Henderson indicates Houston and Los Angeles did. The Texans and Chargers instead emerged as the wideout’s preferred destinations, confirming a previous report that the receiver had eyed those AFC squads. Though, the Seahawks needed to both find a Metcalf landing spot that appeased the receiver, one willing to meet the team’s price point and one willing to sign off on an upper-crust extension. The Steelers ended up checking those boxes, giving Metcalf a $32.99MM-per-year deal — one coming with $60MM at signing — to end their lengthy WR pursuit.
Given Metcalf’s success in Seattle, it is interesting he requested a move. The team had seen Geno Smith morph from roster afterthought to Comeback Player of the Year. Metcalf’s numbers vacillated during Smith’s time as Seattle’s starter. After a 1,300-yard season in Russell Wilson‘s final healthy Seahawks slate, Metcalf posted two sub-1,000-yard years (2021, 2024).
Last season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerged as Seattle’s top weapon — to the point Mike Macdonaldprioritized an OC who would help reignite Metcalf. Now, he and Smith are out of the picture. Macdonald’s OC search highlighted an interest in retaining Metcalf, but Henderson adds the team weighed the WR’s unhappiness with what it would take to extend him for a second time.
The Texans already have Nico Collins on a big-ticket extension; his $24MM-per-year price — which matches Metcalf’s previous AAV — now looks like a steal. The Chargers jettisoned their two high-priced WR contracts (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams) weeks into Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure. While the Bolts previously came up as a team to watch for Metcalf, Harbaugh’s outfit has kept costs low at the position. Recommitting to the run game, the Chargers did ultimately reunite with Williams this offseason. Not contributing much after the Steelers added him in a trade, the former top-10 pick is back in L.A. on a one-year deal worth only $3MM.
The Pats have temporarily addressed their receiver situation by signingStefon Diggs, a perennial Pro Bowler the Texans showed interest in retaining. While Diggs has an extensive production history, he is also a depressed asset due to coming off an ACL tear at 31. New England’s long-term WR search will likely continue, and the Aiyuk and Metcalf storylines show the difficulties the team has had recruiting here post-Tom Brady.
A report late last month indicated Rodgers communicated to the Vikings they were his preferred landing spot, and some in the organization backed a deal. The team’s plan remains to deploy J.J. McCarthy as the starter, and ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes this aim influenced both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones‘ decisions to leave Minnesota. It has not deterred Rodgers just yet.
The Vikings may also not know if McCarthy is truly ready — after two meniscus surgeries — until he begins to face competition during 11-on-11 settings, at the very least. That would not happen until training camp. That timeline obviously affects the Steelers, even if they have effectively pushed the Giants out of this race. It is worth wondering how big the gap between Rodgers’ views of the Vikings and Steelers are. The bigger the difference in the QB’s opinion of these teams, the longer it would make sense for him to wait.
