Big Ben Good To Go For Week 3
After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, Ben Roethlisberger is not in jeopardy of missing Week 3. The Steelers will have their 18th-year quarterback against the Bengals. Big Ben returned to full practice Friday. He will not have his top receiver available, however. Although Diontae Johnson‘s late-game injury was not believed to be serious, Mike Tomlin pushed back on the prospect the third-year wideout would quickly surmount his knee problem. The Steelers have declared their leading receiver out for Sunday. The third-year pass catcher has run into myriad injury issues as a pro, missing games or parts of games with several maladies last year. The Steelers have contract-year wideout James Washington set to step in as a full-timer.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Dealing With Pectoral Injury
The Steelers continue to deal with injuries, and we can now add Ben Roethlisberger to the list of the walking wounded. Mike Tomlin revealed today that his starting quarterback is dealing with a left pectoral injury.
The head coach wasn’t sure when Roethlisberger specifically suffered the injury during the Steelers Week 2 loss to the Raiders. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, the 39-year-old was hit 10 times (including a pair of sacks), and Tomlin made it clear that the team had to do a better job of protecting their quarterback.
“He took too many hits.,” Tomlin said (via Pryor). “We can run the ball better. We can get the ball out of his hand quicker. We can stay on schedule and not get behind the sticks and get in situations where the line of the game is so far that that that enhances the rush.”
Through his first two games of the season, Roethlisberger has completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 483 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. If he was forced to miss time, the team could turn to Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins.
Roethlisberger isn’t the only Steelers player dealing with an injury. T.J. Watt left Sunday’s game, while wideout Diontae Johnson suffered an injury on the final play of the game. Devin Bush and Joe Haden missed Sunday’s contest with groin injuries.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Matt McCrane
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Jaryd Jones-Smith, T David Sharpe, CB Linden Stephens
- Released: LB Blake Gallagher, T Foster Sarell, P Johnny Townsend
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: C Lamont Gaillard
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Davion Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Damion Ratley
- Released: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Shawn Davis, DL R.J. McIntosh
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson, OL Jacob Capra
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Hardy Nickerson
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: LB Micah Kiser
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Ameer Abdullah
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Drake Jackson
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Steven Parker
- Released: TE Ryan Izzo
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Richard Rodgers
- Released: C Harry Crider
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Taco Charlton (story)
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Dee Virgin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR John Hurst, CB Rashard Robinson
Steelers Sign Taco Charlton To Practice Squad
The Steelers have signed Taco Charlton to their 16-man practice squad, per an official club announcement. The defensive end will look to impress on the practice field and see his first live action of the 2021 season.
Charlton, once a highly-touted first-round pick of the Cowboys, flamed out quickly in Dallas. After just two-plus years with the Cowboys, he moved on to the Dolphins and did his best work in 2019 — five sacks in ten games. He had a decent 2020 with the Chiefs too, up until he broke his leg in November. He finished out with two sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble for KC. However, the 26-year-old (27 in November) wasn’t able to make the cut.
His first opportunity could come quicker than expected since T.J. Watt is dealing with a groin injury. Fortunately for the Steelers, the latest word is that Watt should be able to play on Sunday against the Bengals.
Steelers Place Tyson Alualu On IR
The Steelers have placed defensive lineman Tyson Alualu on injured reserve, per a club announcement. There’s no word on his timetable just yet, but the veteran will be out for a minimum of three weeks. 
Alualu was forced out early on Sunday and fitted for a cast later that day. The Steelers went on to lose to the Raiders, 26-17. They’re now at the .500 mark heading into Week 3 when they’ll face the rival Bengals.
It’s a rough break for the Steelers’ D-Line since Alualu is their starting nose tackle. As you may recall, the 34-year-old was moments away from leaving the Steelers for Urban Meyer and the Jaguars in the spring. Instead, he had a change of heart and re-upped in Pittsburgh.
Alualu was the 10th overall pick of the Jags way back in 2010. He’s never lived up to his draft status, but he’s still been a solid player up front. That includes some quality work last year when he played on ~44% of the team’s defensive snaps and finished with 38 tackles, two sacks, and five passes defended. He received very strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his work as a run defender.
For now, the Steelers will turn to Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis for help. And, to further fill in, they’ve promoted defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux from the practice squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/20/21
Today’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Wynton McManis, CB Jordan Miller
New York Jets
- Promoted: S Adrian Colbert
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DL Henry Mondeaux
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Travis Jonsen, LB Kevin Minter
Steelers LB T.J. Watt Got Three Fully Guaranteed Years On Extension
One of the major sticking points between T.J. Watt and the Steelers was the organization’s refusal to fully guarantee contracts beyond the first year of the pact. Well, the team ignored their policy today. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the Steelers organization fully guaranteed three years of Watt’s extension.
[RELATED: Steelers, T.J. Watt Agree On Record-Setting Extension]
To review: the star linebacker inked a new four-year, $112MM deal with the Steelers, including $80MM guaranteed. $35MM of that guaranteed money came via a signing bonus, while the other $45MM will be handed out in each of the next three years. Watt’s $1MM 2021 base salary is predictably guaranteed, as is his 2022 base salary ($24MM) and 2023 base salary ($20MM). Watt has identical $21.05MM base salaries in both 2024 and 2025, neither of which are guaranteed.
The Steelers were willing to move past their stubborn financial policy, but it’s still uncertain if Watt is an exception or a changing of philosophy. As Florio notes, today’s move could simply be an “aberration” instead of a “trend.”
Florio also explored how those three fully guaranteed years compare to the NFL’s other top defensive deals. Watt will earn that $80MM through the first three years of his contract; Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa will receive $78 million through the first three years of his extension, while Watt also outpaced Bears linebacker Khalil Mack ($73.7MM through three years) and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ($62.546MM through three years).
Interestingly, Watt may have actually left money on the table. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, Watt’s agents believed they could squeeze the Steelers for more cash, but Watt simply went into the office of Steelers president Art Rooney to tell him that the deal was done (Twitter link). He then excused himself to go work out.
Steelers, T.J. Watt Agree On Record-Setting Extension
The NFL has a new highest-paid defensive player. Days away from Week 1, the Steelers and T.J. Watt ended their impasse. Watt agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth more than $112MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Watt will receive $80MM fully guaranteed on a contract that averages more than $28MM annually, Rapoport adds, taking the younger Watt superstar past Joey Bosa among defenders. This certainly looks like a big win for the All-Pro Steelers edge rusher, after he and the Steelers haggled over guarantees at the 11th hour.
Watt’s fully guaranteed figure also tops Bosa’s $78MM on a deal that saw the Steelers break their precedent of not including guaranteed money beyond the first year of extensions. This will bring the two-time All-Pro defender back into the fold ahead of his fifth season. Watt’s pact also surpasses Ben Roethlisberger‘s for guaranteed money in Steelers history; Big Ben’s 2015 extension included $60.75MM guaranteed at signing. Roethlisberger spent this week lobbying for the team to get a Watt deal done, whatever the cost.
The accomplished outside linebacker resumed practicing in full this week, after he went to the increasingly popular hold-in measure during training camp. While Watt only partially went through with a hold-in, participating in non-team portions during preseason workouts, the Steelers have put this matter to rest by rewarding a homegrown talent.
This will be Watt’s age-27 season. Thursday’s agreement prevents a 2022 franchise tag and will tie him to the Steelers through the 2025 campaign. Pittsburgh prefers to finalize its extensions ahead of the regular season. The team deviating from its usual guarantee structure will surely be of interest to Minkah Fitzpatrick, who will be on track for a market-setting extension next year.
Although Watt led the NFL with 15 sacks last season, his 61 quarterback hits placed him well apart from everyone else. No other player compiled more than 45 (Bosa) in 2020. Watt’s 2017 arrival has coincided with the Steelers leading the NFL in sacks in each of the past four seasons. On a Pittsburgh team that lost a few key starters — including longtime outside linebacker starter Bud Dupree — in free agency, Watt will be counted on to reprise his dominant form.
Latest On Steelers LB T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt still doesn’t have a new contract, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects that his star linebacker will get his desired deal and will be at practice tomorrow.
“I remain optimistic that something is going to get done from a deal perspective,” Tomlin said today (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “That aside, you know, I’m expecting him to work tomorrow. I’m proceeding with the assumption that he’s going to work tomorrow. You know, that’s kind of the approach that I’m taking.”
However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport isn’t as confident (Twitter link). Watt’s status for tomorrow’s practice is “up in the air,” something that’s especially relevant considering the Steelers’ “practice-to-play” philosophy. Rapoport notes that the Steelers and Watt’s camp had “intense contract negotiations” throughout the summer, and the Steelers are holding fast to their organizational philosophy of not engaging in contract talks after Week 1. Rapoport warns that this deal could take a “very, very long time” and “could get difficult,” meaning Watt could play out the season on the final year of his contract.
So, there’s two matters at hand: Watt’s status for Week 1 and Watt’s extension. Assuming the Steelers stick to their guns, Watt won’t see the field this weekend unless he practices. If Watt sticks to his guns, he won’t practice until he gets a new deal. The main holding point at the moment is guaranteed money, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Twitter. Rapoport provides additional context, citing that the Steelers’ refusal to give anyone full guarantees after the first year of an extension. Watt is presumably pushing for more guaranteed cash.
Watt is currently set to hit free agency following the upcoming campaign. There’s a good chance the former first-rounder becomes the highest-paid defensive player in league history, which would mean an AAV of over $27MM with roughly $80MM in full guarantees. Watt’s performance to date justifies that type of expenditure. Stout against the run and pass, the 26-year-old (27 in October) graded out as Pro Football Focus’ third-best edge player last season out of 108 qualifiers. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, and he has averaged about 14 sacks a year since his sophomore campaign.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/21
We’ve compiled today’s practice squad moves below:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Qadree Ollison
- Released: C Sam Jones
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB John Brannon
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Josh Woods
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: QB Jake Browning
- Released: P Drue Chrisman
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Bobby Hart
New York Giants
- Signed: WR C.J. Board, OT Korey Cunningham
- Released: DB Jordyn Peters, G Kenny Wiggins
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Henry Mondeaux, LB Delontae Scott, WR Tyler Vaughns
- Moved to IR: WR Rico Bussey
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Gavin Heslop
- Released: TE Mark Vital
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: K Jose Borregales
Washington Football Team
- Signed: OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
- Released: C Jon Toth