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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Give Mike Tomlin Extension

April 20th, 2021 at 8:24am CST by Sam Robinson

After guiding the Steelers back to the playoffs, Mike Tomlin received another extension. The 15th-year head coach agreed to terms on a three-year deal Tuesday, one that ties him to the team through the 2024 season. This marks Tomlin’s sixth Steelers extension and his first three-year re-up since 2012.

Tomlin’s most recent contract ran through 2021. The Steelers, who famously have only had three head coaches since 1969, will continue their run of stability into the mid-2020s. Tomlin’s new deal comes shortly after the Steelers and longtime GM Kevin Colbert agreed to terms on another extension. Colbert’s new contract runs through 2022.

The Steelers managed an 8-8 record in 2019, doing so despite Antonio Brown‘s messy departure and Ben Roethlisberger‘s early-season elbow injury. They improved upon that mark last year, starting 11-0 and going 12-4. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks for a fourth straight season, powering the team back to the postseason. While the team endured another disappointing playoff exit, Tomlin has continually placed the Steelers in the NFL’s upper echelon. His next challenge may be daunting as well.

Pittsburgh has lost a few starters and has yet to formulate a true post-Big Ben plan, redoing their 18th-year quarterback’s contract ahead of his age-39 season. Roethlisberger struggled down the stretch and committed five turnovers in the wild-card loss to the Browns. The team ranked last in rushing and is retooling its offensive line, with multiple starters — including perennial Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey — moving on. Tomlin will also have a new offensive coordinator in 2021. The Steelers replaced Randy Fichtner with Matt Canada.

Tomlin’s new deal will allow him to coach into his 50s, should he choose to do so. He will match Bill Cowher this season, by coaching the Steelers for 15 years. While Tomlin has a ways to go to match Chuck Noll‘s 23-season tenure, he remains on solid ground.

Steelers To Draft RB In First Or Second Round

April 18th, 2021 at 10:01am CST by Rory Parks

Given that their running back room is currently comprised of Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, and free agent signee Kalen Ballage, we expected that the Steelers would be on the lookout for running back help in the draft. And as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, GM Kevin Colbert will indeed select a collegiate running back, and he will most likely do so in the first round.

Running back is no longer seen as a position that must be filled with a first-round draft choice, unless the prospect in question is an obvious Pro Bowl talent. But while the Steelers’ league-worst rushing total of 1,351 yards in 2020 could be at least partially explained by the pass-heavy offense quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was operating, the team wasn’t effective when it did choose to run the ball. Pittsburgh’s 3.6 YPC average was also the worst mark in the NFL, so it’s clear that a major upgrade is in order.

Three-year starter James Conner recently signed with the Cardinals, and while he received a modest contract from Arizona, the Steelers — who are revamping their rushing attack under new OC Matt Canada and new OL coach Adrian Klemm — simply wanted to go in a different direction. Plus, Conner is not necessarily the explosive player that Pittsburgh believes it can land in the draft.

With the No. 24 overall selection, the Steelers should have a shot at at least one of the top two RBs in this year’s draft: Alabama’s Najee Harris and Clemson’s Travis Etienne. Harris is a powerful runner who is just as effective between the tackles as he is on the perimeter, and he has developed into a reliable receiver over the course of his collegiate career. Etienne, meanwhile, is a threat to break off a big play whenever he touches the ball, and he would make an excellent chess piece for Canada as he seeks to exploit favorable matchups against opposing defenses.

Dulac says that if the Steelers pass on an RB in the first round, they will certainly grab one in the second. Top Day 2 prospects include UNC’s Javonte Williams — who probably won’t fall to Pittsburgh’s second-round choice at No. 55 overall — fellow Tar Heel Michael Carter, and Ohio State’s Trey Sermon.

Chargers, Falcons, Steelers, Texans, Jets To Skip OTAs

April 16th, 2021 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:57pm: Add the Jets and Texans to this list. They are the 13th and 14th teams to reveal players will not show up Monday. Veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweeted the Texans voted not to attend. Though, the Jets (Twitter link) join the Chargers and Falcons by pointing out that “many players” have agreed to do so. Some are likely to attend workouts.

3:47pm: Three more teams joined the lot of those who have pledged to pass on the NFL’s in-person OTAs this spring. The Chargers, Falcons and Steelers indicated all or most of their players will not attend workouts at team facilities.

The Bolts and Falcons’ statements said “many” of their respective players will not attend workouts (Twitter links), while the Steelers’ statement (on Twitter) provided no such qualifier.

Thus far, these three join the Broncos, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Bears, Browns, Giants, Patriots, Lions and Raiders in vowing to stay away from team facilities this offseason. The Steelers’ statement indicated the protocols that were in place last season are not entirely present for the NFL’s offseason program, creating confusion. Teams can begin holding onsite offseason workouts Monday, and more than half the league’s franchises are set to do so.

The NFL and NFLPA have been discussing offseason protocols for several weeks. No resolution has come, leading union president J.C. Tretter to call for these boycotts. The Chargers, Steelers and Falcons will proceed virtually, though some players — presumably the ones with workout bonuses — will likely show up. It will be interesting how teams navigate this matter after the draft. Draft picks and UDFAs can gain more from onsite offseason work, with the latter group not exactly in position to shun developmental opportunities. How rookies proceed may influence how certain veterans do as well.

For now, however, there are 12 teams who have come forward to say they will stay away from OTAs due to COVID-19 concerns. That list may continue expanding ahead of Monday.

Steelers Re-Sign Vince Williams

April 14th, 2021 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have agreed to re-sign Vince Williams (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). The linebacker had other offers, Fowler hears, but he ultimately chose to stay in Pittsburgh. 

The Steelers cut Williams earlier this year to save $4MM against the salary cap. It wasn’t an easy call for Kevin Colbert & Co., as Williams had spent his entire eight-year career in black and gold.

After entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013, Williams spent the early part of his career as a part-timer. But, for the last four years, he’s served as a starter. In 2020 ,he appeared in 14 games (all starts), racking up 70 tackles, 14 for a loss, and three sacks. His most noteworthy season came in 2017, when he notched eight sacks despite lining up as an inside linebacker.

The remainder of Williams’ last deal — a three-year extension worth $18.6MM — was too rich for the Steelers’ blood, but he managed to find middle ground with management. Now, he’ll look to add to his career tallies of 479 tackles and 20.5 sacks while staying with the only team he’s ever known.

Steelers Re-Sign Joshua Dobbs

April 14th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have re-upped quarterback Josh Dobbs, per an announcement from his agent. The quarterback will return on a one-year deal, giving him a chance to backstop Ben Roethlisberger in 2021.

Dobbs, 26, spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Steelers, including a 2018 campaign where he completed six of his 12 pass attempts for 43 yards and one pick in five games. In the fall of 2019, he was shipped to the Jaguars for a 2020 fifth-rounder. At the time, he was a candidate to take over for injured Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles. Instead, Gardner Minshew ran away with the gig and turned in a surprisingly strong rookie season. Dobbs never got into a game with Jacksonville, but he did get to return to the Steelers as a waiver wire pickup last fall.

Despite having two stints with the Steelers over multiple seasons, Dobbs has only attempted a grand total of 17 passes in the NFL. His spot on the Week 1 roster is far from guaranteed, especially given the presence of Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph.

James Conner Underwent Surgery

April 13th, 2021 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Running back James Conner underwent surgery this offseason to address a turf toe-type injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This would help to explain his prolonged and ongoing stint in free agency. 

[RELATED: Cardinals Meet With Conner]

The good news is that Conner’s injury was “very moderate,” according to sources who spoke with Rapoport. Apparently, this took place off of the field while Conner was “riding in a recreational vehicle.” He’s expected to be at 100% health by June, so he should be good to go in advance of training camp.

The Cardinals recently met with the Steelers free agent, a sign that his market is picking up. He’s coming off of a quietly productive year that ended with 721 yards on the ground and six scores, plus 35 grabs for 215 yards. If not for a positive COVID-19 test that cost him some time down the stretch, Conner might have cracked 1,000 yards.

Conner’s best work came in 2018, when he ran for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 4.5 yards per tote average. He was still pretty efficient this past year though, posting a 4.3 ypc.

NFL Distributes Performance-Based Payouts

April 10th, 2021 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Since 2002, the NFL’s performance-based pay system has rewarded low-salary players who exceed their expected playing time. This year, due to the pandemic, the league and the players’ union negotiated a gradual payout schedule, one that will meter out the money between now and 2024.

All in all, the league divested $8.5MM per club. This year’s top earner is Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa, a 2018 third-round pick who played every single snap for the eventual champs. Cappa will now receive an extra $622K on top of his $750K base salary for 2021. Per the union’s records, 25 other players also topped $500K, including Cardinals tackle Kelvin Beachum ($604K), Bills cornerback Taron Johnson ($579K), Rams guard Austin Corbett ($573K), Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye ($572K), Bears tackle Germain Ifedi ($571K), Steelers offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor ($568K), Vikings offensive lineman Dakota Dozier ($561K), Ravens safety DeShon Elliott ($557K) and Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead ($555K).

The full list, going team-by-team, can be found here, courtesy of the NFLPA.

Steelers Not Planning To Trade Up For QB?

April 9th, 2021 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Among QBs in his age range, Ben Roethlisberger stands alone. The other two 2004 first-round QBs — Eli Manning and Philip Rivers — retired. So did Drew Brees. Tom Brady relocated, and the Packers drafted Rodgers’ would-be heir apparent in Jordan Love. The Steelers, however, are still Roethlisberger-dependent. They will not trade up from No. 24 to draft a quarterback, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (subscription required), who notes that it would not be too surprising if Roethlisberger ended up staying on for his age-40 season in 2022 while the organization figures out its long-awaited plan.
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