T.J. Wattremains without a contract beyond 2025, and his situation is therefore still a talking point as the team returns to the facility. Pittsburgh’s Organized Team Activities began today, and the All-Pro edge rusher was not with the team.
Since both the Steelers (55) and Watt (22.5) led the NFL in sacks in 2021, Pittsburgh has put up middling sack numbers in the past three seasons. Part of that was due to an injury in 2022 that forced Watt to miss seven games, but it was still the case when Watt earned his third sack-title with 19.0 in 2023. Still, ever since his four-year, $112MM extension started in 2021, Watt has accounted for nearly a third of the team’s sack total. He’s also the only player in NFL history (since sacks became an official stat in 1982) to lead the league in sacks in a single season three times.
All this, just to underline how much Watt means to the Steelers’ pass rush. Without him, the team’s top returning sack-getters were Cameron Heyward (8.0), who just turned 36 years old, Alex Highsmith (6.0), and Nick Herbig (5.5). No other returning defender had more than one. Highsmith has flashed big potential in the past (14.5 sacks in 2022), but his output hasn’t been consistent enough for Pittsburgh to rely on him as their primary source of a pass rush in the future. The team also drafted Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in this year’s draft, but expecting the fourth-rounder to eventually replace Watt is a lot to ask.
There really doesn’t seem to be much threat of the Steelers losing Watt, at the moment, though. Despite a down year for Watt and the lack of an acceptable offer from Pittsburgh, both sides seem to want the same things. Per Popejoy, “Watt wants a new contract and a raise,” and “the Steelers want Watt to retire” in Pittsburgh. All that needs to happen, now, is for the two parties to find agreeable terms with which to move forward.
The Steelers didn’t waste much time putting George Pickens’ old uniform number back in circulation.
After issuing the No. 14 to newly-signed rookie wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig on Tuesday, Steelers.com’s Dale Lolley reported early Wednesday that the number has changed hands again; this time to running back Kenneth Gainwell, a 2025 free agent signing.
Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell has switched his number to 14 since it opened up. Had been wearing No. 21. Had worn 14 in Philadelphia.
Gainwell previously wore the No. 14 during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had previously been wearing the No. 21 with the Steelers, which now goes to Lemonious-Craig, per Lolley.
Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired via trade this offseason, also wore the No. 14 before his time in Pittsburgh. It appears he’ll be sticking with the No. 4 as a Steeler.
Gainwell is expected to be the Steelers’ RB3 behind Jaylen Warren and rookie Kaleb Johnson in 2025, even though he’ll see some competition from the veteran Cordarrelle Patterson.
Gainwell rushed for 290 yards and one touchdown last season with a 3.9-yard average. He added 22 receptions for 116 in the passing game, along with 18 kickoff returns.
This week’s Read & React looks back at linebacker Payton Wilson’s 2024 season, then drafts the 10 best players on the roster.
OTAs are here as the NFL season inches closer. This week, Read & React will be taking a look at a young defender who could be stepping into a bigger role in 2025. Plus, we’ll be ranking the top 10 players on the Steelers roster — draft-style! What are the biggest strengths on the team this season?
Steelers in review: LB Payton Wilson
Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images
As always, we’ll be divvying up our review and analysis. Ryland will focus on Payton’s work against the run, and Ryan will examine how Payton fared in pass coverage.
RB: Per usual, I’ll start with a TL;DR of Wilson’s status at this point in the offseason.
Drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wilson, the reigning Butkus Award winner as college football’s best linebacker, was seen as a bit of a steal (and a surprise pick) for Pittsburgh. The team hadn’t exactly telegraphed a need at inside linebacker, but it proved to be a worthwhile selection as Wilson logged 45% of the team’s defensive snaps his rookie year as Cole Holcomb never saw the field due to injury.
How exactly did Wilson, an elite college linebacker with a 9.89 RAS and an absurd 4.43-second 40-yard dash fall all the way to the third round? Multiple shoulder and ACL injuries, including a report (that Wilson later refuted) that he was missing the ligament in his right knee.
Wilson played primarily on passing downs his rookie year, showing encouraging durability with appearances in every game on the Steelers’ schedule. His first NFL season had some ups and downs, but the overwhelming consensus is that the Steelers got a future stud at inside linebacker.
Wilson logged 78 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one interception, and two passes defensed in 2024.
I’ll start off by taking a look at the rookie’s run defense:
Listed at 6’4, 242 pounds on the Steelers website, Wilson has a lean, lanky frame for an NFL inside linebacker. His athleticism is excellent, but there were concerns regarding how he’d hold up against the run game at the NFL level.
Pittsburgh seemingly didn’t entirely trust Wilson in that phase of the game either (it didn’t help that every-down linebacker Patrick Queen has a similar block-shedding weakness), with Elandon Roberts taking most of the run-down workload opposite Queen at inside linebacker last season. And it seems the newly-signed Malik Harrison will be filling that role to some extent in 2025.
However, when watching every Wilson run defense snap in his last handful of games of the season, I came away impressed with how impactful he was. It’s a small sample size, but to me, he played his way to a bigger role next season.
We can get the bad out of the way first. Some of Wilson’s draft profile weaknesses did show up late in the season. He’s a mixed bag taking on blocks, with the athleticism and solid hand usage to disengage when coming from an angle, but not head-on. He can play upright at times and even get occasionally pushed around by tight ends, which isn’t the best sign.
There are also a few missed tackles on his tape — nothing that shows a worrying trend, but Wilson can be a bit of a lunging missile with over-aggressive angles at times who doesn’t always finish the play.
He’s more of a free-flowing playmaker right now rather than a Elandon Roberts-esque brick wall run-stuffer. Sometimes his playing style is more box safety than linebacker. But that isn’t to say Wilson isn’t a physical player. He still had his share of stops in 2024 fighting through blockers.
Wilson’s rare athleticism also let him knife through the defense rather than having to fight through blocks, which often yielded good results. He’s a twitchy athlete with good closing speed that will only improve as he continues to become more comfortable in the Steelers defense.
And his range, as the cliche goes, is truly sideline-to-sideline. Wilson is a high-effort player with special acceleration for a linebacker. There are some excellent reps on his 2024 tape.
Linebacker is a tough position to learn as a rookie, and although Wilson wasn’t tasked with being an every-down run defender, I came away largely impressed with his ability to react to defenses and make plays.
I’d still like to see a bit more consistency and play strength when runs come right at him, but there is every reason to be optimistic about Wilson becoming a more complete NFL starter over his career. If he stays healthy, the future seems bright for the Steelers linebacker.
RP: After doing a handful of these season reviews, it feels like I’ve taken on the role of bad cop. Bickley started with the bad and then washed it down with a spoonful of sugar and positive elements of Wilson in the run game. I’ll be doing the exact opposite with the passing game.
I’ll provide this disclaimer at the top: two things can be true at the same time. On the one hand, I do think pass coverage is the strongest element of Wilson’s game thus far in his career, and I do have high hopes for his future development. PFF graded Wilson as the fifth-best linebacker in coverage in all of football last year, after all. That’s right, not among rookies, but among all linebackers with enough snaps to qualify. That’s outstanding.
That said, looking at his rookie season objectively, while he may have been ahead of the curve compared to most rookie linebackers, there are still plenty of blemishes and moments of hesitation in his game that will need ironing out if he wants to consistently be considered among the league’s best.
Let’s start with the positives. Wilson can flat move. That trait helps him recover from the occasional mistep, and it allows the Steelers to deploy zone schemes they might otherwise not be able to.
THE highlight of Wilson’s rookie season.
He takes a bit of a bad angle at first when pursuing the RB’s route, but has the athleticism to make up for it. Heady play to get his arms up, the INT is a bit flukey, but still a hell of a play pic.twitter.com/M03dZsnalK
In our first clip, Raven’s running back Justice Hill had Wilson dead to rights after Wilson’s initial pursuit angle got cooked by the wheel route. However, Wilson was able to showcase his recovery speed and his spatial awareness to throw his arm up to disrupt the pass was rewarded with an awkward exchange resulting in Wilson’s sole interception of the season.
Later in the season. Not targeted on this route, but watch him bail from the A gap at the LOS and take away the in-breaking route from Chase pic.twitter.com/U1fvb8J8VU
Wilson’s speed is also on display in the clips above and below. In the first clip, the Steelers line Wilson up in the A gap — a formation they loved to have him in — and then ask him to bail out to the deep middle of the field. Wilson executes it perfectly, not allowing Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase enough time to let the in-breaking route develop.
In the second clip, Wilson lines up further back, but the Steelers are still asking him to cover a lot of ground to get from the far right hash and undercut the route on the boundary. Wilson pulls it off and Burrow has to look elsewhere on the play. Could you imagine, say, Elandon Roberts being asked to make that play?
Wilson needed to be on his horse for this one, but he and the corner successfully bracket the TE on the outside as Wilson covers the ground to cut underneath him. This coverage clearly makes Burrow hold the ball and retreat into improv mode pic.twitter.com/mz0VCHWKj5
That speed and fluid movement skills also should allow Wilson to develop into the player who can finally solve the issues the Steelers have long had with tight ends running in the seam.
He wasn’t used this way as often as you’d expect, but watch him take the TE in the seam here after motion by the offense changed up his assignment, no target pic.twitter.com/jll1cMYSh6
Understandably, Wilson was most comfortable as a rookie handling routes near the line of scrimmage. In the three games where I watched every coverage snap (Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati) the majority of Wilson’s time was spent covering running backs and tight ends. When Wilson was at his best, he was able to take away the route or quickly rally for the tackle.
As a LB, the majority of Wilson’s time will be spent taking away routes from TEs and RBs, and he seemed most comfortable with these routes nearer the LOS.
You won’t be able to prevent every quick throw, so it’s good to see Wilson is able to rally and tackle more often than not (tho more on the “nots” later…) pic.twitter.com/PO5cP6QQm3
Wilson wasn’t perfect, however. There were plenty of times where a bad angle, poor tackling form, or moments of confusion and/or hesitation impacted a play negatively.
Take the following plays for example:
So there are a lot of positives to Wilson’s game. However, he still suffered rookie growing pains.
Take this bad angle/overpursuit on Travis Kelce. Prime Kelce woulda turned that into an explosive play pic.twitter.com/or8VYM7jFb
Kelce gets the better of him again on this play, where Wilson is clearly having some pre-snap communication issues. His head is turned, looking behind him at the snap pic.twitter.com/azY09UnsUn
Asking Wilson to keep up with Xavier Worthy isn’t fair, especially with KC getting creative and sending him through the B gap.
Wilson is able to get into trail fairly quickly, but he’s behind just enough that he isn’t able to make a sound tackle and Worthy YACs it up pic.twitter.com/rT7cQSQTcA
Another bad tackle attempt, this time in the RZ against the RB. Wilson tries to wrap the RB up around the shoulders and it does not work pic.twitter.com/RAgZuuATJ1
So clearly, Wilson’s game isn’t without warts. Those were just a handful of negative plays from three games, so you can easily envision where Wilson still has room to grow. He’s not Fred Warner — the best coverage linebacker in the game right now — but he is a plus-player with room to grow.
I’ll end my analysis by taking a page out of Bickley’s first. Here are two plays from the Baltimore game that show Wilson’s ability to learn during the middle of a game. Imagine what another full offseason with the organization can do for him.
I’m still encouraged by Wilson’s future, so we’ll leave with this example of him learning. First clip: He gets picked by the route and actually collides with his teammate. Second clip: we see he’s learned and adapted from his previous mistake later in the game pic.twitter.com/h9yXV94fbr
In an effort to highlight who Read & React thinks the best players on the roster currently are, Ryan and Ryland will be drafting five players each. We’re not filling out any positions or categories, purely picking the players we think are the best at their jobs. We’re also excluding quarterbacks, currently rostered or otherwise, for this process.
It should be noted, rookies were not excluded, but none were selected. We share a mindset that a player needs to prove it on an NFL field first, even if we are excited about their potential, and the results reflect that.
1. TJ Watt, outside linebacker
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
RP: No surprises here with the first pick and what I assume to be a consensus pick for best Steeler on the roster. It should be telling about Watt’s talent that 2024 was considered a “down year” by his standards, yet he still managed 11.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 19 tackles for loss and 27 QB hits.
Since entering the league in 2017, Watt has been a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. In that timespan, he leads the NFL with 108 sacks, with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (102.5) offering the only real competition in a top-5 that is rounded out by retired Aaron Donald (83.0), Houston’s Danielle Hunter (81.0) and Kansas City’s Chris Jones (78.5). Watt’s 33 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries during that time also far outpace the next closest defender, Khalil Mack, in both categories with 24 and 10, respectively.
While a decision about a contract extension looms over the Steelers and Watt this summer, Watt and the Steelers’ track records suggest both sides will find a way to come together on a new deal before the first kickoff of the season. And he’s certainly a player his teammates hold in high regard.
2. Cam Heyward, defensive line
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
RB: The crazy part about “drafting” the 36-year-old Heyward here is that no part of it was a legacy pick. Heyward’s history as a Steeler is absolutely something special, but this activity is about who is elite right now — and that’s a label that still applies to No. 97, even entering his 15th season.
It wasn’t always that obvious following Heyward’s injury-stricken 2023. Before he signed his extension last offseason, there were calls from the fanbase and media to take a pay cut or even retire. Father Time is undefeated, right?
Heyward signed a three-year, $45 million deal in September. Despite worries that it would be an overpay, the veteran D-lineman made it look like an outright bargain following his 2024 season, which included 71 total tackles, eight sacks, and a well-deserved first-team All-Pro nod. Heyward’s bull rush remains among the best in the league, and his run defense is still elite. Just an incredible player.
3. DK Metcalf, wide receiver
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
RP: With the two leaders of the Black and Gold’s defense off the board, this is where the draft format gets interesting. While we’ve yet to see him officially suit up for a Steelers game, I’ll go ahead and pick DK Metcalf.
In 97 career games, Metcalf totaled 438 receptions for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns. Metcalf set several franchise records in Seattle, and his single-season highs of 90 receptions (14th), 1,303 yards (11th), and 12 touchdowns (T-3rd) would all rank as some of the best in Steelers history.
The Steelers are betting that Metcalf can continue that production for his new team, and they paid him handsomely to be just that. If you want a full breakdown of Metcalf’s strengths and limitations, I did a Film Room breakdown shortly after the news of his trade was announced.
4. Chris Boswell, kicker
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
RB: Boswell — a kicker — might seem like a mild surprise to take this early. But if you return to our criteria (“players we think are the best at their jobs”), I’d argue I got an absolute steal with the fourth pick here.
In fact, you could easily argue that no Steeler was better at their job than Boswell last season, who earned a first-team All-Pro nod as the league’s best kicker. His 41/44 record backs that up, including 13 makes of 50-plus yards and a perfect 35/35 on extra points. And Boswell scored all of the Steelers’ offensive points in two of the team’s wins last season, going six-for-six on both occasions.
Oh yeah, he came in clutch with a 43-yard emergency punt in Week 1, too.
Boswell’s 2024 should go down as one of the best, if not the best, single season for a kicker in team history. His consistency, as well as the pure volume of points he scored last year, should not be taken for granted.
5. Zach Frazier, center
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
RP: Outside of Watt and Heyward, it’d be hard to find a player Steelers fans agree on more than center Zach Frazier. Frazier, a four-year starter at nearby West Virginia, was practically a fan favorite before he was even selected by the Steelers. Pre-draft mocks frequently had the former Mountaineer headed to Pittsburgh, and Frazier wasted little time living up to the hype.
Frazier was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team as well as the recipient of the Steelers’ Joe Greene Great Performance Award, which is the organization’s award for the best-performing rookie.
Frazier started 15 games and was a stabilizing force on an offensive line that battled injuries all season and had to adjust to two different quarterbacks starting games. PFF had Frazier graded as the 6th overall center (77.9), and his grades in run blocking (80.5, 5th) and pass blocking 68.6, 10th) were both top-10 grades for a center, good enough for top marks in a relatively loaded draft class at his position. Frazier’s 2024 performance already has beat writers predicting he’ll earn his first All-Pro selection in year two.
Frazier’s future in Pittsburgh is bright.
6. Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
RB: Fitzpatrick has gradually slipped out of superstardom with only one interception over his last two seasons. He’s certainly not above criticism, but ask yourself: Just how many current Steelers would you draft over the three-time first-team All-Pro? The No. 6 pick feels fair.
Fitzpatrick isn’t as dynamic as he was during his incredible stretch of play from 2019-2022, but he’s still in his prime at 28 years old and playing at a high level.
Turnover production is notoriously inconsistent; it can’t be the only way we judge players. Fitzpatrick has been tasked with copious amounts of single-high safety play in recent years and has stood out as a reliable open-field tackler. He put up 96 combined tackles last season and has been a constant in a secondary that’s had a carousel of names in the starting lineup over the last several years.
Turn on the tape and you’ll see a safety who’s still well above average in man coverage and a very good zone defender. Fitzpatrick is without a doubt still one of the top players on the roster.
7. Joey Porter Jr., cornerback
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
RP: While some labeled Porter’s 2024 season a disappointment, I still consider him one of the emerging young talents in the NFL. His 56.3 PFF coverage grade (92nd among qualified CBs) paints a bleak picture, but I don’t think Porter’s season was as bad as that makes it seem.
Ask around who some of the best young corners in the league are, and I wager the list would include names like:
Porter’s ball skills have always been a question mark in his game, and he’s hot and cold as a tackler. Still, he’s the best young corner the team has brought on in years and is not that far off from his peers in many key metrics. Steelers fans should be happy to have him on the team.
8. DeShon Elliott, safety
Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images
RB: This pick might feel a bit rich, but it’s hard to find many Steelers defenders who were more impactful than Elliott in 2024. He wasn’t a big-name free agent addition last season, but he sure played like one.
Look, Elliott had some struggles in man coverage last season, exacerbated by a particularly brutal showing in Week 18 against the Bengals, but he filled up the rest of the stat sheet: a career-best 108 total tackles, one interception, six passes defensed, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries over his debut year as a Steeler.
And in the box, he was a consistent playmaker, impressing as both a sure tackler and an aggressive enforcer near the line of scrimmage with an 87.8 run defense grade from PFF — elite for a defensive back. Tone-setters like Elliott are a necessity for turning good defenses into great ones.
9. Alex Highsmith, outside linebacker
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
RP: The 2024 season is one Highsmith would probably like to forget. Forced to miss six games due to injury, Highsmith played in less than 16 games for the first time in his career. He finished the year with a career-low 45 combined tackles, and his sacks (6.0) and QB hits (13) were at the lowest they’ve been since his rookie season.
With just one season of double-digit sacks to his name (14.5 in 2022), Highsmith may never be an elite pass rusher, but he’s still a pretty damn good one.
Among edge rushers, Highsmith finished right behind Watt for PFF’s seventh-highest pass rush grade — as a fun side note, Nick Herbig finished 4th. That high grade is in large part due to Highsmith’s 35 pressures (31st) and 17.5% pass rush win rate (19th), both ranking near the top of the league for an edge defender, despite all the missed time.
Highsmith’s contributions against the run are equally impactful. Once again, compared against all other edge rushers, Highsmith’s 78.3 PFF grade against the run (13th), 18 stops (T-19th), and 5.3% missed tackle rate (23rd) are all impressive reflections of his standing among the league’s best and most versatile edge defenders. He may be second-fiddle to Watt for Pittsburgh, but Highsmith would be the best player on a lot of NFL defenses.
10. Patrick Queen, linebacker
Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images
RB: I had a tough time deciding between Pat Freiermuth and Queen here, but ultimately I went with the Steeler who consistently logged 100% of defensive snaps each game and has a second-team All-Pro under his belt.
Queen got off to a slow start in 2024, not looking like the big-money linebacker the Steelers brought him in to be. But although the Pittsburgh defense had some struggles down the stretch, Queen found his footing as the season progressed.
He’s never going to be the most imposing presence as a run-stopper, with his size preventing him from consistently shedding blocks, but Queen’s range is as-advertised. He’s a hyper-athletic tackling machine who impressed with his fluidity in coverage in the all-22 I reviewed for this article.
Like Payton Wilson, I think Queen should look even better in 2025 behind a revamped Steelers defensive line. 2024 left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths, but if the Steelers defense stays healthy next season, it’s a group worth getting excited about.
Final Teams
Ryan
T.J. Watt
DK Metcalf
Zach Frazier
Joey Porter Jr.
Alex Highsmith
Ryland
Cam Heyward
Chris Boswell
Minkah Fitzpatrick
DeShon Elliott
Patrick Queen
Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics in the comments. How would you rank the players in our top 10? Do you think another player is more deserving? What are your expectations for Payton Wilson in his second season? Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia, or email us at steelersreadnreact@gmail.com
The former first-round pick with a clear shot at his former team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the hope he would become the team’s next franchise quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger had retired just months earlier. The Steelers began the season with Mitch Trubisky as the starter, but made the switch to the University of Pittsburgh product midway through their Week 4 matchup with the New York Jets.
The Steelers went 14-10 with Pickett as the starter, but he and the offense struggled to ever get anything going. It was only after Pickett got injured that the Steelers’ offense got off the ground. Mason Rudolph started the team’s final three regular-season games in 2023, scoring 30 points in two consecutive contests – a feat the Steelers hadn’t accomplished since 2020. This, along with reports that Pickett refused to dress as the backup for Rudolph in Seattle, were just a few of several dominoes to fall leading up to his eventual trade after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson last March.
Pickett spent the 2024 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, serving as the backup to Jalen Hurts as Philadelphia won the Super Bowl. The Eagles traded him to the Cleveland Browns in March, marking a return to the AFC North for Pickett. Speaking at Browns OTAs, the former Steeler took a not-so-subtle shot at Pittsburgh while talking about his time in Philadelphia.
“I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly,” Pickett said. “I think I was shown how it’s supposed to be done, really from the top down. When you get a chance to see what it’s supposed to look like and how it should look, on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays, I think that’ll pay dividends.”
“I was shown how it’s supposed to be done.”
Direct shot at the Steelers from Kenny Pickett on his time in Philadelphia
Should Pickett win the starting job in Cleveland, that return to Pittsburgh in a Browns uniform will certainly be a big talking point ahead of the matchup.
There are few, if any, Pittsburgh Steelers under more pressure in 2025 than left tackle Broderick Jones. The former first-round pick out of Georgia has spent the last two seasons flip-flopping back and forth between tackle positions, spending the vast majority of his time on the right side.
The Steelers made it clear, though, that Jones was drafted to be a left tackle. With Troy Fautanu playing on the right side, the Steelers can put Jones back in his usual spot. One thing that has been easy to spot is Jones’ slimmer figure. The former Bulldog said he’s slimmed down this offseason.
Jones has dropped 20 pounds, going from 325 pounds to 305.
“I wanted to come back a little leaner because it gives me a chance to gain weight going into training camp and throughout the season instead of coming back heavy and then having to lose weight just to gain it back,” Jones said. “It’s just a hard process. So I just wanted to focus on coming back at a good enough weight to where I can maintain, but also gain if I have to.”
Having a full offseason knowing he will be the left tackle is certainly going to do Jones a lot of good, as will being back at his natural position. A lot of the Steelers’ success depends on how well Jones performs protecting whoever is under center. His process this offseason seems to be a good one that will hopefully yield the results Pittsburgh needs.
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.
(From Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley): After being closed for the 2024 season, there was an official ribbon cutting for the return of the Steelers themed roller coaster, with it back in action for the amusement park’s 2025 season.
“We missed it,” said Ryan Huzjak, the Steelers vice president of sales and marketing. “It was an exciting process to get it up and running and see it go through it’s first season. We have been patiently waiting for all of the improvements to be made so it can be up and running consistently. We are excited for the re-opening and hopefully a long run.”
The Steel Curtain, Pennsylvania’s tallest roller coaster, was shut down for maintenance “to increase its reliability and longevity” last year after opening in 2019. Now, it’s back for 2025. You can view the Kennywood amusement park hours here.
Lots of work is happening on Steel Curtain at Kennywood. The ride received many new supports during the off-season, along with a redesigned logo, and the train is currently back on the track. The ride is scheduled to reopen Summer 2025.
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko): It’s why the Steelers’ starting strong safety decided that when he signed his two-year, $6 million contract last offseason that he wanted to involve himself with young people in his new city. And, specifically, he wanted to target mental health as a means by which to make an impact.
“It can be difficult for kids to even want to express themselves,” Elliott said. “Knowing how people might try to perceive you or make fun of you for having certain emotions. Or crying. Or looking for outside sources or outside help to be able to express how you really feel.”
Per the website of Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens, the organization Elliott partnered with, they provide “youth and families in the Greater Allegheny County area with a safe space where youth can be creative and expressive as they navigate their role in their community and in the world.”
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): The Pittsburgh Steelers have added a new coach for their OTA sessions this offseason. Derrick Mason, the assistant defensive backs coach at Johns Hopkins, posted on X that this is his first day with the team.
Farabaugh notes that it’s not expected to be a long term hire for the team, but rather a learning opportunity for Mason. How long he’ll be with the team is unknown.
Mason is entering his third season with John Hopkins; prior to that, he was a high school coach, most recently an assistant at Meade High School in Maryland. Last year, John Hopkins went 12-1 in the regular season. You can view Mason’s coaching profile (last updated in 2024) here.
(From Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald): Massive bogus void year salaries have allowed teams to get around rules surrounding renegotiations while also escaping certain salary cap treatments. Certain teams are tanking or finding ways to carry over massive amounts of cap room to increase the ability to spend the following year. Per game bonuses hidden as NLTBE incentives. Even insurance premiums could be a point of discussion.
I think it is clear that as the NFL approaches their next CBA they have already identified areas that they may want to discuss tweaking to try to bring things back to how the NFL functioned and spent from 2011 to 2018. Some teams would certainly be strongly against these changes but many I think would support changing things if it means finding ways to reduce player compensation and bring costs down more in line to what the NFL owners felt was fair about a decade ago.
Fitzgerald’s article dives into the implications of some comments NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made during last week’s owners’ meeting in regards to salary cap spending and league revenue splitting. The current NFL CBA runs until March 2031, so a lot can change between now and then, but early talking points hint at owners wanting more of the league’s revenue, and potential changes to “loopholes” in the NFL’s salary cap system.
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): Beanie Bishop confirmed to reporters that he started OTAs as the starting slot cornerback after practice on Tuesday. That is hardly a surprise, given the other options on the roster, as Bishop started 8 games for the Steelers in that role a year ago.
Bishop looked a bit different, too. It was a leaner, more explosive version of Bishop. He spent his entire offseason in Pittsburgh working with the Steelers’ strength and conditioning staff to re-work his body. His diet changed, too, so he could drop the fat.
While the entire summer is still ahead of us, Steelers’ cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. seems to be starting out on the right foot. Despite Pittsburgh signing Brandin Echols, a corner with inside/outside versatility, to a two-year, $6 million deal in free agency, Bishop is opening OTAs as the starter in the nickel and is expected to put up a good fight to stay there.
Can Beanie Bishop Jr. hold on to the starting job at slot cornerback?
Bishop tested well athletically coming out of college, but his game speed, especially in man coverage, didn’t look the part last season with the Steelers. But in zone, Bishop had some good moments, and he was consistently scrappy as a tackler despite his size. If he can improve his reaction time in coverage from his rookie season, there’s a good chance he can beat out Echols, who I’d classify as a better cover corner right now, in the training camp battle.
Echols is a good player in his own right, but he has been a backup for most of his career and his inside/outside ability (mostly outside last season) might force him into a different role, especially if the Steelers suffer any injuries on the boundary. If Bishop is as explosive as advertised this year, I like his chances to hold on to the starting slot cornerback job entering the season.
What are your thoughts on Beanie Bishop entering his second season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below!
“That’s a joke,” Bradshaw said. “That to me is just a joke. What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year? Are you kidding me… That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark. Whisper to the gods out there.”
Here is audio of Terry Bradshaw going off on the Steelers considering Aaron Rodgers on 103.7 The Buzz’s Morning Mayhem Show ️ #Steelers#NFLpic.twitter.com/j2YdPryRCP
It’s very clear that Bradshaw doesn’t want to see Rodgers don the Black and Gold in 2025, and this isn’t the first time that he has been outspoken about Rodgers. Back in the 2021 season, when COVID-19 was still a factor in the NFL season, the Hall of Fame quarterback criticized Rodgers for not being completely open about his vaccination status.
“I’d give Aaron Rodgers some advice,” Bradshaw said on Fox NFL Sunday live from the Naval Academy. “It would have been nice if he’d just come to the Naval Academy and learned how to be honest. Learned not to lie. Because that’s what you did, Aaron. You lied to everyone. Unfortunately, we’ve got players that pretty much think about themselves, and I’m extremely disappointed in the actions of Aaron Rodgers.”
The discussion on FOX about the Rodgers situation
Jimmy: “I’m disappointed in his selfish actions.”
Howie: “Possibly putting your teammates in jeopardy is selfish.”
Terry: “Let me give Rodgers some advice, it be nice if he came to the Navel academy and learn how to be honest.” pic.twitter.com/O9rT6kDNXm
Queen shared his thoughts when asked about the Steelers quarterbacks.
The first day of Steelers OTA’s is underway, and you know we couldn’t take a day off from mentioning QB Aaron Rodgers.
Unsurprisingly, Rodgers was not at the opening day of OTA’s, as he’s yet to decide on his NFL future. However, his potential future teammate, Patrick Queen, was not shy when it came to discussing the polarizing signal-caller.
Queen said “the little fan in him” grew up a fan of the future Hall of Famer.
Patrick Queen: “I’m happy with the (quarterbacks) we have here, but the little fan in me… I grew up a fan of Aaron Rodgers.” pic.twitter.com/bigPcGIfsH
In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time until players get tired of answering questions about a dude who isn’t even on the team. Mason Rudolph is currently taking snaps with the first team, and for what it’s worth, his teammates continue to support the idea of him being under center the opening week against the New York Jets.
Although there probably aren’t many players on this roster who admired him when they were kids, there’s certainly a level of respect for Rudolph – as just two seasons ago he led the black and gold to the playoffs – something Rodgers has failed to do his last three seasons.
While there wasn’t any tackling and stars such as T.J. Watt were not present, offseason team activities still serve as the first real look the 2025 roster.
As a result, I scoured the internet (more specifically, X/Twitter) to find all of the interview and practice clips I could find. There isn’t a lot to take away from the first day of OTAs, but it is a temporary fix if you’ve been missing the Pittsburgh Steelers over the offseason.
Steelers WR DK Metcalf wasn’t among the receivers at the first day of OTAs (video of those here below), but Pat Freiermuth said Metcalf has been around frequently during the early offseason phases. pic.twitter.com/IiRN8qtbVO
As always, make sure to stay tuned to Behind the Steel Curtain for offseason and OTA content in the upcoming weeks. Steelers OTAs run May 27 through June 5, with veteran mandatory minicamp running June 10-12.
What are your thoughts on the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments.
