It’s never a great thing when following a playoff game, all that can be talked about is how one-sided and awful the officiating was. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened following the divisional round matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. Two calls in particular drew the ire of fans, analysts, and commentary alike.
Will Anderson was called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes on a third down, which led to the Chiefs kicking a field goal and getting three free points. Later on, the Texans were flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting Mahomes as he slid, even though they hit one another in the helmet rather than Mahomes. Mahomes than flopped out of bounds later in the game to try and draw another flag, which surprisingly didn’t work. Cam Heyward talked about the controversial calls in the latest episode of Not Just Football.
“Yeah, Mahomes is going to get calls,” Heyward said. “He’s been an MVP in our game and he sells tickets. As a defense, you know you’re under a microscope when you play him. The second they think it’s questionable, it’s probably getting thrown. And he sells with the best of them. He’s the Bruce Bowen, he’s the Manu Ginobili where they’re flopping and flailing their arms out there.”
Over their last 11 playoff games, the Chiefs have never had more penalties than their opponents, which has many fans proclaiming that there is clear and obvious favoritism
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Doing so in the NFL is the definition of complacency. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers bring back Russell Wilson, they would be telling their fans they are more than happy with how this past season went and that having no standard is the new standard.
Wilson appeared on The Pat McAfee Show where he said he and the Steelers have had preliminary talks about the future. He also added that he wants to remain in Pittsburgh and retire a Steeler. And while Wilson had a great start to his Steelers career, it ended with five consecutive losses, none of which the Steelers scored more than 17 points. He is going to be 37 in 2025 – there is no reason for the Steelers to bring Wilson back, and if they do, it says a horrible message to the fans. It sends a message of “We are happy with how the season turned out, and we are going to do this exact same thing again.” They didn’t fire any coaches. They didn’t make any changes. Bringing Wilson back as the starter would have Pittsburgh all but hitting repeat on 2024 with no long-term solution in sight and a low ceiling for the foreseeable future.
What else should they do? I’ll revert back to what I’ve said for the last several weeks – re-sign Justin Fields. He’s 11 years younger, he played well in his six starts last season, and he has a far higher ceiling than Wilson at this point. Surround him with weapons offensively with all the cap space you have and give him a year to show whether or not he can be the franchise answer. If he is, then mission accomplished. If not, then at least you tried and have pieces in place for whomever you bring in for the 2026 season.
There is a large difference between re-signing Wilson and re-signing Fields. We don’t know if Justin Fields is the answer – we do know Russell Wilson is not. And in an era where the likes of Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold turn their careers around and prove themselves as capable starting quarterbacks, not giving Fields a real shot and just resorting back to a low-ceiling, high-floor soon-to-be-retired veteran would be malpractice.
As the Steelers’ high-floor/low-ceiling routine extended through another season, the team again has a decision to make at quarterback. After pulling the plug on the Kenny Pickett experiment late in the 2023 season, Pittsburgh identified a cost-effective but unremarkable solution in the Russell Wilson–Justin Fields tandem. Mixed results emerged.
Although Wilson provided a boost to help the team reach 10-3, Pittsburgh crumbled as its schedule stiffened down the stretch. After five straight losses closed out the Steelers’ season, Mike Tomlin was noncommittal about the futures of his top two passers. Wilson has expressed interest in staying on multiple occasions, while Fields is nearly 11 years younger and would provide more intrigue through a longer-term lens. It may be an either/or situation, but one of them coming back seems more likely than the team pursuing an outside free agent.
As it stands in January, veteran Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly writes that is is “highly unlikely” the Steelers sign an outside QB free agent to start. The team has two experienced starters under contract through March, holding exclusive negotiating rights with Wilson and Fields until the legal tampering period starts March 10. It looks more probable than not the team will determine which of the QBs it wants to keep working with, rather than start over with one of this year’s outside FA options. A report earlier this month pointed to Fields being perhaps the team’s more appealing target of the two incumbents.
Sam Darnold would represent this year’s prize, and his difficult finish may give the Vikings pause about potentially unholstering the franchise tag. More affordable options would include Kirk Cousins (once the Falcons release him) or Daniel Jones. Cousins would likely follow Wilson’s path by signing a vet-minimum deal, as the Falcons will be on the hook for his salary once he is cut. Jones also could be a Vikings bridge option if Darnold proves too pricey to tag or re-sign, but other teams will show interest. Beyond the underwhelming non-Fields contingent of 2021 first-rounders — Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones — a host of veteran backup types would round out the QB market. Aaron Rodgers could also loom, though the 41-year-old star has not determined if he will play a 21st season. Rodgers would represent an interesting variable here, even if, as PFR readers’ recent stance reminds, a fit with the Steelers would be a bit difficult to foresee.
The Steelers will have a major say in how the QB market plays out this year, with Fields and Wilson being perhaps the top two non-Darnold names available. Fields did not threaten Wilson’s job security after being benched midseason, but he might hold greater appeal due to his age (26 in April). Wilson is 36, and his post-Seattle performance has left much to be desired. That said, the Steelers’ failure to add a dependable No. 2 wide receiver undoubtedly affected Wilson, especially against better competition. With George Pickens‘ future with the organization potentially in doubt, the team will have WR questions to answer once again.
Holding a first-round pick around usual territory (21st this year), the Steelers have limited options in the draft. While one NFL scouting director predicts (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler) the team will draft a quarterback high, choosing one this year would remind — to a degree, at least — of the Pickett selection due to the criticism directed at this QB crop. Beyond Shedeur Sandersand Cam Ward, the likes of Jalen Milroe (Alabama) andJaxson Dart(Ole Miss) would be available. Supply-and-demand issues may push the SEC arms up the board, but neither currently profiles as a surefire Day 1 draftee.
Illustrating the much-rumored gulf between this year’s top two college prospects and the field, Mel Kiper Jr.’s first ESPN.com mock predicts Ward and Sanders will be gone within the top three and no other signal-callers will go in Round 1. Free agency, then, will be an important component of Pittsburgh’s latest QB plan. The Steelers will have until March 10 to keep either Fields or Wilson off the market. Otherwise, they will be competing with other suitors to retain one of the QBs.
Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Planning for the 2026 NFL Draft is already underway….
The NFL Draft will be coming to Pittsburgh next year. For those who like to plan ahead, the NFL has officially announced the dates of the event: April 23-25 of 2026.
As always, the draft will be following a three day structure: the first round on Day 1, rounds 2-3 on Day 2, and rounds 4-7 on Day 3.
The press release on the Steelers website offered some location information: “There are still plenty of details to come, with activities expected to take place on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, including Acrisure Stadium, and Point State Park. Among the activities that will take place is the NFL Draft Experience, a free fan festival that includes exhibits, games, musical performances and more.”
Pittsburgh can expect a lot of attendance at the event — in 2024, draft host Detroit set an NFL record with over 700,000 fans visiting over the draft’s three days.
The NFL announced Pittsburgh as the 2026 host city back in May of 2024. This year, the draft will be held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Round 1 will kick off on April 24, 2025.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, kicker Chris Boswell, and special teams ace Miles Killebrew are still expected to represent the Steelers at the event.
Watt dealt with an ankle injury in the final few games of the season. Despite not missing many plays, he was clearly not 100%.
The Pro Bowl Games will take place this year in Orlando, Fla. from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. The games will be televised on ESPN, with the Sunday flag football game also being available on ABC.
Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt is officially back in the mix for some extra hardware to close out the season, announced as a finalist for 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday. It marks the fourth time Watt has been named a finalist for the award over the past five seasons, with his only win coming in the 2021 NFL season.
Among the other finalists for DPOY were Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson and Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II. Baun, Hendrickson and Surtain are each seeking their first DPOY award, while Garrett and Watt are seeking their second.
Fans may consider Watt’s nomination somewhat surprising given what was a relatively disappointing 2024 campaign. After starting the year hot with 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six tackles for a loss over the first five weeks, Watt failed to register a single stat over his final two games of the season — no sacks, no tackles, no QB hits.
His 11.5 sacks in 2024 marked the fewest he’d had in a season where he’d played 15+ games saying back to his rookie season in 2017. He did, however, lead the NFL in forced fumbles (6) while tallying 19 TFL, 27 QB hits and 61 combined tackles.
The winner of Defensive Player of the Year (and the rest of the AP Award winners for 2024) will be announced at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, February 6, hosted at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana. It will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET on Fox and NFL Network, as well as available for live stream using NFL+.
Miles Killebrew makes his second straight Pro Bowl Games.
Another Steeler will be joining T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Chris Boswell at the 2025 Pro Bowl.
Per a team announcement, Steelers safety and special teams ace Miles Killebrew has been officially named to this year’s Pro Bowl Games as an alternate in the special-teamer category. Killebrew will be replacing the Patriots’ Brenden Schooler, who will not be attending due to an injury.
This marks Killebrew’s second straight Pro Bowl.
Killebrew didn’t record any blocked punts in the 2024-25 season, but he still recorded 13 total special teams tackles and was the Steelers’ special teams captain.
The 2025 Pro Bowl Games, held in Orlando, Fla., will take place on the weekend between the AFC and NFC Championships and the Super Bowl, starting on Thursday, Jan. 30 with the “Skills Showdown,” and ending on Sunday, Feb. 2 with a flag football that starts at 3 p.m. ET.
Both events will be televised on ESPN, with the flag football game also being available on ABC.
The veteran quarterback wants to stay in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed poised to make a deep playoff run this season. They started 10-3 and Russell Wilson had a massive game against the Bengals, throwing for over 400 yards and helping the Steelers put up 44 points. However, the Steelers lost their last five games and failed to score more than 17 points in each contest. Wilson is no longer under contract with the Steelers, but he made it clear he wants to remain in Pittsburgh in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I’ve got so much more in me, man,” Wilson said. “My goal is to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers a long time and hopefully finish my career there.”
Russell Wilson: “I’ve got so much more in me, man. My goal is to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers a long time and hopefully finish my career there.” https://t.co/23d0ei6rLa
The Steelers running it back with Wilson would signal all the wrong things. It would scream that they are complacent with being above average and don’t have any real standards or goals, and the fanbase deserves better than that.
The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have one quarterback on their roster – Skylar Thompson (sad trombone noise).
2025 needs to be the year the Steelers get truly serious about finding a long-term answer at quarterback. In terms of who those options will be, these are my personal rankings for what Pittsburgh can do at the quarterback position.
1. Justin Fields
He makes the most sense. He was in the system last year, he played well in the six games he started, and can be brought back for cheaper than just about every other option possible. Sign him to a two-year deal, load up the offense around him, and give him the opportunity to prove he is their franchise quarterback. If he is, great – you did it. If he isn’t, then at least you’ll know ahead of a quarterback-heavy 2026 draft class.
2. Matthew Stafford
This one feels like somewhat of a long shot so I didn’t put it at No. 1, but if the Steelers can get Stafford, they should make it their top priority. The Rams could be looking to move on from Stafford ahead of March before he is due a $4 million roster bonus and look toward the future. Should Stafford become available, he would skyrocket to the top of the list. Even at age 37, he is still playing high-level football. Pittsburgh could also bring over Cooper Kupp to compliment their receiving corps.
3. Sam Darnold
Darnold had a career-renaissance in Minnesota this past season, throwing for over 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns with a passer rating north of 102. I like Darnold, but I fear a few things when it comes to the potential of him being the quarterback. For starters, was 2024 just a one-year wonder type of situation? And two, he won’t have a great play designer and play-caller like Kevin O’Connell in Pittsburgh, not does have have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. If Pittsburgh loads up on receivers, then this could make sense. But even so, the worries would remain.
4. Kirk Cousins
Cousins didn’t have the season he was hoping for in Atlanta, but he will likely be available for cheap money once the Falcons release him. He certainly wouldn’t be my first choice, but he’s not quite the worst one, either.
5. Aaron Rodgers
If Rodgers was three years younger, then he would be higher on the list. Even after a season where he threw 28 touchdowns, he’s 41 and would likely just be another one-year rental.
6. Russell Wilson
No. Just no. If they bring Wilson back, they are just admitting they are completely happy with what happened this past season and no one would have nay reason to be excited for 2025. No disrespect to Wilson, but he would be the worst veteran option.
Kiper, like many others in the mock-draft-sphere, projects Pittsburgh to opt for a wide receiver in Round 1, projecting the Steelers to draft Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka with the 21st overall pick.
Egbuka was the fourth wide receiver selected in Kiper’s debut mock — or, perhaps technically third? — behind Colorado WR/CB hybrid Travis Hunter (to the Browns at No. 2), Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan (to the Raiders at No. 6) and Missouri’s Luther Burden III (to the Cowboys at No. 12).
On Egbuka’s fit with the Steelers, Kiper shares:
The last time the Steelers took a receiver in Round 1 was 2006, when they drafted Santonio Holmes at No. 25. But unless things drastically change in free agency, Pittsburgh has to break that streak. There aren’t enough reliable pass catchers in this offense. The Steelers don’t have a surefire WR2 behind George Pickens, and the offense isn’t going to improve until they do something there, no matter the QB.
Egbuka caught six passes for 64 yards in Monday’s national championship win, putting him over 1,000 yards on the season (1,011). It was also the second time in the past three years that Egbuka caught double-digit touchdowns (10). He’s a great route runner with speed and would eat up targets in the Steelers’ offense.
Per NFL Mock Draft Database, a website that analyzes NFL mock drafts from around the sports media landscape, Egbuka has emerged as the consensus pick for the Steelers at No. 21 among the 594 mock drafts analyzed at the time of this writing.
Egbuka, a former five-star recruit (and top WR recruit in the 2021 class per 247Sports) played all four seasons at Ohio State, including two seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards and 10+ scrimmage touchdowns. He’s the Buckeyes’ all-time reception leader (205) and second all-time receiving-yard leader (2,868), just behind Michael Jenkins. Meanwhile, his 24 receiving touchdowns rank seventh all-time for the historic university — just one shy short of Santonio Holmes, the last Ohio State wideout the Steelers drafted, who also happened to be selected in the first round.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, the 22-year-old wideout offers plenty of fluidity as a route runner and offers something the Steelers’ offense could sorely use in the passing game — reliability. His skill set over the middle of the field, having played primarily out of the slot at Ohio State (73.2% of snaps per PFF), would be a huge asset for the Steelers and a great complement to the splash plays George Pickens offers along the perimeter.
Interestingly, Egbuka’s NFL comp coming out of high school was listed as former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Needless to say, the Steelers’ history of first-round picks out of Ohio State in the 2000s has been stellar, including the selections of Holmes (2006), DT Cam Heyward (2011) and LB Ryan Shazier (2014). Could Egbuka be the next home run?
