Pittsburgh Steelers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Art Rooney II: Ben Roethlisberger Needs To Alter Contract If He Wants To Come Back

January 28th, 2021 at 1:50pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Everything we had heard indicated Ben Roethlisberger wants to come back for one more run in 2021, and that much was confirmed today by Steelers owner Art Rooney II. However, Rooney made clear it’s far from a done deal on Pittsburgh’s end.

Rooney said they can’t do it at Big Ben’s current salary, and that Ben knows that, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (Twitter link). Roethlisberger is currently set to have a $41.2MM cap hit for next season, which is obviously out of sync with the state of his play down the stretch this past campaign. “I think we’d like to see Ben back for another year if that can work, but as we’ve said, there’s a lot of work to be done to see if that can happen. There may need to be decision to be made for that to happen,” Rooney said cryptically, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

It sounds like Roethlisberger is going to need to take a significant pay cut, or at least alter his contract to add non-guaranteed years that would reduce his 2021 cap hit, if he wants to play another season in Pittsburgh. As for a potential successor, Rooney said “I think when you look at our room, we’ll have to add somebody to the room this offseason. We’ll look at all the opportunities we have to do that,” Pryor tweets.

Roethlisberger returned from elbow surgery this past year and initially led the team to an 11-0 record, but the offense completely unraveled in the second half as Big Ben was unable, or unwilling, to consistently push the ball down the field.

Roethlisberger isn’t the only key member of the organization who has his future up in the air, as GM Kevin Colbert is on a year to year arrangement and has flirted with retirement. That being said, Rooney did say as of right now he believes Colbert will be running the front office in 2021, Pryor tweets. “I feel like Kevin is going to come back, but who knows,” he said.

Rooney acknowledged the team is in a tough cap situation, especially with the cap expected to fall next year due to COVID-19 related revenue losses. What exactly will happen with Roethlisberger, 39 in March, seems uncertain, but at least we know for sure now that he isn’t retiring.

Rooney made it sound like the team isn’t exactly thrilled to be running it back, but in all likelihood this will end with Roethlisberger and the team agreeing to an altered contract, and we’ll see Big Ben under center come Week 1.

$0 Guaranteed In Dwayne Haskins’ Steelers Deal

January 26th, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers took a flier on quarterback Dwayne Haskins last week with an inexpensive one-year deal. His $850K contract includes no guaranteed money, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

It’s a pretty big drop for the former first-round pick, though he’ll still be earning cash from his previous Washington deal. Ultimately, for Haskins, it’s an opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business in Ben Roethlisberger and rebuild his stock.

Haskins dazzled evaluators with his arm strength coming out of Ohio State. As a pro, he was a flop. In 2020 — his second year with WFT — Haskins averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Head coach Ron Rivera released Haskins after his terrible Week 16 showing, putting him on the open market just two years after being selected No. 15 overall.

The Panthers also offered a deal to Haskins, which was also believed to be for the minimum. After Teddy Bridgewater‘s trying year in Carolina, that could have been a better opportunity for Haskins to get on the field. Then again, the Panthers could use this year’s No. 8 pick on a QB, pushing any free agent pickup to the bottom of the depth chart.

Coaching Notes: Chargers, Steelers, Ravens, Taylor, Marrone

January 25th, 2021 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

After adding Joe Lombardi as offensive coordinator and Renaldo Hill as defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley has found the coach who will lead his special teams unit. The Chargers announced this evening that they’ve hired Derius Swinton as their special teams coordinator.

The 35-year-old has made his way up the coaching ranks over the past decade-plus, spending time with the Rams, Chiefs, Broncos, Bears, 49ers, Lions, and Cardinals. He served as San Francisco’s special teams coordinator in 2016, and he helped the 49ers improve their kickoff return average by nearly six yards that season.

We’ve already heard of some other additions to the Chargers’ coaching staff. The team added Joe Barry as their defensive passing game coordinator, and they’ve hired Frank Smith to be their new offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Let’s check out some more coaching notes…

Today, the Steelers officially announced the promotion of Matt Canada to offensive coordinator. Canada served as quarterbacks coach during the 2020 season, and Ben Roethlisberger finished with one of the lowest interception rates (1.6) and sack totals (13) of his career. As Teresa Varley of Steelers.com points out, Canada helped implement jet sweeps and pre-snap motions to the Steelers’ offense.
The Ravens have added D’Anton Lynn as their new defensive backs coach, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (via Twitter). The 31-year-old previously spent time on the Jets, Bills, Chargers, and Texans coaching staff, and he earned a promotion to Houston’s defensive backs coach for the 2020 campaign.
Press Taylor won’t be back in Philly next season. Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles won’t be retaining their quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator. The 33-year-old had been with the organization since the 2013 season, and after serving as QBs coach in 2018 and 2019, he took on the additional role of passing game coordinator in 2020. The Eagles passing game was dreadful this past season, ranking either 31st or 32nd in the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt, and interceptions.
Doug Marrone is joining the Alabama coaching staff as offensive line coach, per a team announcement. Marrone, of course, spent the past four seasons as the Jaguars head coach, including a 2017 campaign that saw him make the AFC Championship. The 56-year-old has plenty of familiarity with new Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, as the two coaches worked alongside each other during their stints with Georgia Tech back in the 1990s.

Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey Likely To Retire

January 24th, 2021 at 5:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Even assuming Ben Roethlisberger decides to play another year in 2021, this era of Steelers football is undeniably coming to an end. Long-time center Maurkice Pouncey has told teammates he’s likely retiring, sources told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).

Dulac adds that barring a change of heart the official decision could come soon. It seemed like this was a strong possibility, especially after Roethlisberger’s actions after their playoff loss to Cleveland seemed to indicate he knew it would be his last game with Pouncey. Assuming nothing changes, it’ll wrap up a truly legendary career in Pittsburgh. Pouncey was the 18th overall pick back in 2010, and has spent his entire decorated career with the team.

He earned a Pro Bowl berth and second-team All-Pro selection as a rookie, and added plenty of other accolades over the next decade. All told, he’ll hang up his cleats having made nine Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams in 11 seasons. The only two years he didn’t make the Pro Bowl were when he only played one game in 2013 and missed the entire season in 2015.

Outside of those two injury-riddled campaigns he’s been pretty durable, starting at least 13 games in each of the other nine years. Pittsburgh’s O-line as a whole regressed this year, as the once dominant unit is getting up there in age.

It’s the second big retirement of the day after news of Greg Olsen calling it a wrap broke earlier Sunday. All of us here at PFR wish the Florida product all the best with whatever comes next.

Steelers To Interview Pep Hamilton For OC

January 22nd, 2021 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

We heard last week that the Steelers were expected to promote Matt Canada to offensive coordinator to replace Randy Fichtner, but that is not a done deal just yet. As veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson was first to report (via Twitter), Pittsburgh requested an interview with Chargers quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton for its OC position, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that the Steelers will meet with Hamilton today.

This jibes with a recent report from Dulac, whose sources indicated that Canada was a “candidate” for the OC gig but that nothing had been finalized. Obviously, the Steelers are still in search mode, which means that Hue Jackson is presumably still in the running as well.

Hamilton certainly has a more extensive NFL resume than Canada, who was in the college game for his entire career except 2020, when he joined the Steelers as their QB coach. Hamilton, meanwhile, served as the Colts’ OC from 2013-15, and he has also had stops with the Jets, 49ers, Bears, and Browns.

After two years working under Jim Harbaugh as the University of Michigan’s assistant head coach/passing game coordinator, and after an ill-fated gig as the head coach and GM of the XFL’s DC Defenders, the 46-year-old Hamilton rejoined the NFL ranks in 2020, when he hooked on with the Chargers. The success of rookie QB Justin Herbert has helped Hamilton boost his stock, as he is also a candidate for the Dolphins’ OC position.

If he joins the Steelers, Hamilton will be tasked with getting more out of a unit that finished 25th in the league in total offense in 2020 despite the presence of some highly-talented weapons. He will also try to develop the games of potential Ben Roethlisberger heirs Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.

Steelers’ Vance McDonald Retires From NFL

January 22nd, 2021 at 8:14am CST by Zachary Links

Vance McDonald announced his retirement on Friday morning. The longtime Steelers tight end says that he will focus on faith and family in the next chapter of his life.

“My family and I are so grateful for everything NFL football has provided us in our life—all the memories both good and the difficult, the relationships and friends we’ve made along the way, the life lessons the game provided both me and my loved ones,” McDonald said in a statement. “It’s always been our dream and mission to leverage the platform given us through the NFL to help serve and uplift others along the way, and we will continue to find ways to serve others as we begin this next chapter of our lives. I am proud to retire a Steeler.”

McDonald first entered the league as a second round pick of the 49ers in 2013. In 2017, the Niners shipped him to the Steelers where he would turn in some of his best performances. McDonald’s signature season came in 2018, when he tallied 50 catches for 610 yards and four touchdowns.

“I am appreciative of Vance’s contributions during the last four years of his career that he spent in Pittsburgh,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “He was a class act on and off the field, leading many of our efforts in the community while also being a voice for our social justice efforts and the community work during the pandemic.”

McDonald leaves with 181 catches, 2,036 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns for his career. We here at PFR wish him the best in retirement.

Coaching Notes: Rams, WFT, Jets, Falcons, Broncos, Steelers

January 21st, 2021 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams have found their new special teams coordinator, as the team announced that they’ve hired Joe DeCamillis. The veteran coach will be replacing John Bonamego, who’s transitioning to a senior coaching assistant role.

DeCamillis brings 32 years of NFL coaching experience, including the past four years as the Jaguars special teams coordinator. During his stint in Jacksonville, the team traditionally ranked top-10 in many special teams categories, and in 2019, DeCamillis helped guide punter Logan Cooke and kicker Josh Lambo to becoming the first teammates to lead the NFL in net punting average and field goal percentage.

Prior to working with the Jaguars, the 55-year-old spent time as special teams coordinator with the Broncos, Bears, and Cowboys, and he also spent time on the Falcons and Giants coaching staffs.

Bonamego, 57, joined the Rams last February. He spent the 2019 season as special teams coordinator of the Lions, and he was Central Michigan’s head coach between the 2015 and 2018 seasons.

Some more coaching notes from around the league…

Jennifer King is expected to become a full-time offensive assistant on Washington‘s coaching staff, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). This makes King “the first full-time Black female coach in NFL history,” per The Athletic. The Guilford College product spent the 2020 season as a full-year coaching intern on Ron Rivera‘s staff.
It’s looking like new Jets head coach Robert Saleh has finalized his offensive coaching staff. We previously heard about the hirings of Mike LaFleur as offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp as quarterbacks coach, John Benton as offensive line coach, and Rob Calabrese as passing game specialist. ESPN’s Rich Cimini passed along a few names we can add to the list, including wide receivers coach Miles Austin, running backs coach Taylor Embree, and tight ends coach Ron Middleton. As Cimini notes, the staff doesn’t feature a whole lot of experience, with Calabrese, Embree, and Austin serving as first-time NFL positional coaches.
The Falcons are expected to hire Charles London as their new quarterbacks coach, reports NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). It’s a bit of an interesting hire, as London has spent the last nine years serving as a running backs coach with the Texans, Bears, and Penn State. However, the 45-year-old does have experience as an offensive assistant/quality control coach with the Titans and Bears.
Mike Klis of 9News in Denver tweets that Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins has drawn interest “from around the league as offensive coordinator.” The 50-year-old has consistently served as an NFL running backs coach since the 2008 season, spending time with the Chiefs, Cardinals, Bills, Lions, 49ers, and Bears.
Mike Tomlin interviewed Hank Fraley for the Steelers OL coach gig, reports Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette (via Twitter). Fraley actually started his NFL career in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2000. Following a playing career that saw him appear in 142 games (mostly with the Eagles and Browns), Fraley has served as a coach at both the collegiate and professional level, including a recent stint as the Lions offensive line coach.

Steelers To Sign Dwayne Haskins

January 21st, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Dwayne Haskins has a new home. On Thursday, the Steelers agreed to sign the quarterback to a one-year deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Steelers met with the former first-round in the morning and quickly decided to bring him on board. It’s likely a minimum-salary deal for Haskins — or something close to it — so this is about as low-risk as it gets. Haskins was horrendous in Washington, but he was the No. 15 overall pick less than two years ago.

Haskins dazzled evaluators with his arm strength coming out of Ohio State. The cannon is still there, though his decision making — both on and off the field — was questioned in Washington. Head coach Ron Rivera released Haskins after a terrible Week 16 showing. Just one week prior to that, Haskins was photographed maskless at a birthday party.

Now, Haskins has a chance at NFL redemption. He won’t be starting, but he will have an opportunity to learn from one of the best in Ben Roethlisberger.

Steelers Interviewed Hue Jackson For OC Job

January 21st, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers interviewed former Browns head coach Hue Jackson earlier this week for their offensive coordinator vacancy (Twitter link via Dianna Russini of ESPN.com). However, it doesn’t seem that Jackson will get the job, since quarterbacks coach Matt Canada has been ticketed for a promotion.

At one point in time, Jackson was regarded as one of the NFL’s top offensive gurus. Then, he went 3-36-1 record across two-and-a-half tumultuous seasons with the Browns and his stock plummeted. The Browns placed much of the blame on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson, naturally, sees things differently. Jackson has been out of the NFL picture ever since, save for a brief return to the Bengals as an assistant to Marvin Lewis in late 2018.

While his work as a dual head coach/OC with the Browns was ineffective, Jackson did lead the Bengals to a No. 2 ranking in offensive DVOA in 2015, his last season as strictly an offensive play-caller. Jackson won’t make his comeback in Pittsburgh, but other teams could still consider the veteran coach in this cycle.

Dwayne Haskins To Visit Steelers

January 21st, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins will meet with the Steelers on Thursday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The former first-round pick could provide quarterback depth and upside for Pittsburgh on a low-cost, low-risk deal.

The Panthers also kicked the tires on Haskins recently, though that meeting ended without a deal. No one’s expecting greatness from Haskins — at least, not immediately — but he would likely come on a minimum-salary contract.

Before his late-season release, Haskins averaged 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. After getting dumped by Washington, Haskins mutually parted ways with agent David Mulugheta. He’s since caught on with Goal Line Football agency and his new reps are searching for his best fit.

Washington had high hopes for Haskins in 2019. Ultimately, his Week 16 performance in 2020 was the final straw. Starting in place of Alex Smith, Haskins completed just 50% of his throws for 154 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was leapfrogged by Taylor Heinicke and responded poorly, prompting head coach Ron Rivera to show him the door.

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