Ben Roethlisberger Resumes Throwing
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has insisted he’s going to come back and play, and he took a big step in the right direction this week. Big Ben has resumed throwing footballs, as you can see in this video the team tweeted out. 
Pittsburgh’s leader underwent surgery for a season-ending elbow injury back in September. Roethlisberger had “a significant checkup on the elbow Friday in Los Angeles” according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com, and apparently that checkup went pretty well. There were some rumblings a couple of months ago that Roethlisberger might never play again, but the passer quickly issued a statement to shoot down those results.
Ever since then everything has been trending in the right direction, and all signs seem to point toward Roethlisberger taking the field in 2020. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin just expressed confidence in his availability, and GM Kevin Colbert made similar comments a couple of weeks ago. The Steelers had high hopes for last season, but they were quickly dashed when Roethlisberger went down with his injury.
The defense became one of the league’s best units which kept them afloat for a while, but ultimately shaky quarterback play from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges brought them down. There seems to have been hope within the organization that Rudolph would be the heir to Roethlisberger, but the Oklahoma State product certainly didn’t show anything last year to inspire much confidence. Even assuming Roethlisberger makes a full recovery he’s turning 38 next month, and the Steelers will likely have to address the position at some point in the near future.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Landry, Steelers
A change of plans for Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Initially, Landry said he would go the rest-and-rehab route for his lingering hip issue. Instead, he went under the knife recently to correct the problem, per a team announcement.
The Browns expect Landry to make a full recovery for the 2020 season, so this shouldn’t impact their plans very much. And, even though there’s a new regime in Cleveland, Landry (and Odell Beckham Jr.) are expected to remain in the fold, giving Kevin Stefanski as many offensive weapons as possible.
Landry, 28 in November, played through the pain in all 16 games last year. In fact, he’s never missed a game in his six-year career. The LSU product – who finished out with 83 catches, 1,174 yards, and six touchdowns – has three years to on his five-year, $75.5MM deal.
More from the AFC North:
- Even after inking nine contract extensions over the past year, the Ravens could have more on the way. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic looked at the club’s remaining extension candidates, including outside linebacker Matt Judon and defensive tackle Michael Pierce. Center Matt Skura hasn’t been talked about as much, but he could also be in line for a fresh deal as he nears unrestricted free agency. The former UDFA gave the Ravens consistent play in the middle up until his major knee injury in November. The injury might complicate things a bit, but he expects to be back in time for training camp.
- Alex Van Pelt is the Browns‘ new offensive coordinator, but he’s not sure if he’ll be the one calling the plays (via WKYC). That responsibility could be kept by Stefanski, who previously donned the headset for the Vikings.
- Steelers cornerback Artie Burns has switched to Drew Rosenhaus, as Liz Mullen of SBJ tweets. Burns, a former first-round pick who had his fifth-year option declined by the team, will be a free agent in March. In 2019, he appeared in just ten games and started only once.
- Another pending Steelers free agent – linebacker Bud Dupree – will be switching representation (Twitter link via Mullen). For now, all we know is that Dupree is parting ways with CAA. In the next few days, we should know who his agent will be. Dupree’s stock is pretty high after he registered 11.5 sacks in 2019, though the Steelers could cuff him with the franchise tag.
Steelers Hire Ike Hilliard As WRs Coach
Some high-profile names emerged during the Steelers’ search for their next wide receivers coach. The franchise interviewed multiple other candidates but tabbed Ike Hilliard for the position Tuesday.
The longtime NFL wideout spent the past six seasons as the Redskins’ receivers coach. He beat out ex-Steelers wideout Jerricho Cotchery and South Carolina receivers coach Bryan McClendon for the post. Those were the known candidates for the position. Darryl Drake‘s tragic death last summer prompted the Steelers to use an interim coach in this role last season, and Hilliard will succeed Ray Sherman in leading Pittsburgh’s wideouts.
Like Cotchery, Hilliard played 12 NFL seasons. The 1997 top-10 pick worked as a starter for the Giants for most of his career, before finishing with four Buccaneers seasons. Hilliard’s first season in Tampa Bay, 2005, doubled as Mike Tomlin‘s last of five seasons on the Bucs’ staff. In his coaching career, the Hilliard worked with the Dolphins, Bills and Redskins (two stints) after beginning his run in the short-lived United Football League.
The Redskins saw four receivers eclipse 800 receiving yards during Hilliard’s tenure, with rookie Terry McLaurin being the most recent. McLaurin, who missed two games, posted 919 yards and came within seven yards of breaking Gary Clark‘s 34-year-old Redskins rookie record. In Pittsburgh, Hilliard will have young players like James Washington and Diontae Johnson to further develop.
Steelers’ Tomlin On Big Ben, AB
In an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, head coach Mike Tomlin touched on some of the biggest storylines surrounding the Steelers this offseason. A quick rundown of the highlights:
- Despite missing the bulk of the 2019 season with detached tendons in his arm, Ben Roethlisberger has vowed to come back stronger than ever in 2019. In the interview, Tomlin expressed unwavering confidence in Big Ben’s road to recovery. “I have no hesitation,” Tomlin said when asked about Roethlisberger’s availability for the 2020 season (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Recently, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert echoed those sentiments. The Steelers will not be among the many clubs engaged in this year’s QB carousel, though it stands to reason that they’ll consider quality backups and prospects who can be groomed for the future.
- Antonio Brown is seeking to restore his reputation and return to the NFL, but he won’t be getting a second chance with the Steelers. “We have no current business interest at this time,” Tomlin said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor). No surprise here – even before Brown’s personal life went into a tailspin, the wide receiver spent his final Steelers seasons at odds with Tomlin, Big Ben, and other key figures within the organization. It’s hard to see a path for Brown to get back to football, but he says that he’ll be in attendance at the combine later this month in hopes of talking with NFL teams.
- After his reinstatement, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett stood by his claim that Steelers QB Mason Rudolph uttered a racial slur to ignite the infamous brawl. Rudolph has rejected those claims and Tomlin stands with him. “I think his reputation needs to be defended and defended aggressively,” Tomlin said (Twitter link via Pryor).
Latest On Steelers, Ryan Shazier
- The Steelers have kept Ryan Shazier on their roster for each of the past two years. That may well be the plan for 2020 as well. Owner Art Rooney II confirmed (via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) the Steelers “would love” to have Shazier back. The injured linebacker has worked as a mentor of sorts to the team’s young players the past two years. The Steelers have kept Shazier, 27, on their roster despite his inability to play; a league-minimum salary of $820K would likely come his way if the team uses the same arrangement in 2020. Shazier, whom GM Kevin Colbert confirmed has shown “significant improvement” in his workouts since the 2019 offseason, is not expected to be ready to play in 2020.
Latest On Myles Garrett, Mason Rudolph
- Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who was recently reinstated by the NFL, maintains that Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph prompted last year’s brawl with the use of a racial slur, as ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter writes. Rudolph’s camp, meanwhile, continues to strongly reject those accusations. Late last week, his camp responded with a statement (Twitter link) implying that a lawsuit could be on the way. “He is now exposed to legal liability,” Rudolph’s lawyer wrote.
- Former Steelers star Antonio Brown says he plans to attend the NFL’s draft combine later this month in hopes of drumming up interest and returning to football.
Javon Hargrave Hires Drew Rosenhaus
Javon Hargrave is preparing for free agency, so the nose tackle hired new representation. The lineman has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, according to the agency on Twitter.
Following a standout career at South Carolina State, the Steelers selected Hargrave in the third round of the 2016 draft. The lineman has spent his entire career with Pittsburgh, missing only a single regular season game. Hargrave built off his breakout 2018 campaign, finishing 2019 with 60 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble.
While the Steelers will presumably look to retain their defensive tackle, it may be tough. For starters, the team is already eyeing limited cap space, and the organization will also be looking to retain Bud Dupree. While the team could manipulate some current contracts to open up additional space, they’ll still be restricted.
Plus, the front office previously handed out significant contracts to Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward, so it’s uncertain if they’ll want to invest even more money on the defensive line. Considering Hargrave’s new representation, he probably won’t be taking any kind of discount.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert On Contract Status, Ben Roethlisberger
Last summer, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert indicated he did not want to enter into a multi-year extension with the team, as he prefers to take things on a year-to-year basis. Earlier this month, the 63-year-old signed another one-year contract with the club to remain in his general manager post through the 2020 campaign.
But in a meeting with Steelers beat writers today, Colbert indicated he is not thinking about quitting anytime soon. “As long as the Rooneys and the Pittsburgh Steelers want me to be a part of this organization and it’s a good thing for our family, we’ll be here,” Colbert said. “I’m not looking to ever go anywhere else again as long as the Rooneys and the Steelers are interested in me” (Twitter link via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com).
So while Colbert may prefer the flexibility that his one-year extensions afford him, it sounds as if he will continue to lead the Pittsburgh front office for as long as the team wants him to and for as long as his personal life permits. And for good reason. Colbert joined the Steelers in 2000, was promoted from director of football operations to GM in 2010, and has helped build two Super Bowl-winning teams and 12 playoff squads over the years.
In his conversation, Colbert also discussed the status of QB Ben Roethlisberger. We heard in December that Big Ben is expected to make a full recovery from surgery to reattach three tendons in his right arm, and Colbert said today that he believes Roethlisberger’s rehab is going in the right direction (Twitter link via Pryor). The veteran signal-caller has a checkup in Los Angeles on February 21.
Colbert further indicated that the injuries that plagued JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and Vance McDonald last year would not impact their long-term availability (Twitter link via Pryor). And in other Steelers news, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that the Steelers are expected to hire a new WR coach any day now. The team is deciding between Jerricho Cotchery and Bryan McClendon.
NFL Upholds Steelers Mason Rudolph $50,000 Fine
The NFL is finally done litigating the infamous fight between the Browns and Steelers on November 14th of last season. The fight’s signature moment came when Browns defensive end Myles Garrett swung Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph‘s helmet at his bare head. The league’s discipline, which included numerous fines and suspensions for players on both teams, was headlined by an indefinite suspension of Garrett. It was reported earlier today that the league reinstated Garrett and, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the league finally reviewed Rudolph’s appeal of his $50,000 fine and upheld their original decision.
When the news of Garrett’s reinstatement originally broke, one of Garafolo’s colleagues at the NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, noted a previous report from Garafolo that Rudolph’s appeal had yet to be decided due to a backlog at the league office. However, Garafolo quickly responded to Rapoport citing “a source” that informed him the decision to uphold Rudolph’s fine had indeed been made.
At the time of the incident, Garrett claimed Rudolph used a racial slur, which sparked his angry outburst. However, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the team told Garrett to keep the allegation between him and the league before his disciplinary meeting. The allegation leaked to the media nearly a week after the incident and the league claimed they found no evidence to substantiate Garrett’s claims. Regardless, Rudolph did appear to instigate Garrett in the incident and thus, was fined $50,000.
Steelers Interview Jerricho Cotchery For WRs Coach Position
The Steelers went without a full-time wide receivers coach last season, it coming on the heels of Darryl Drake‘s tragic death. The franchise is now looking at candidates to take over, and one is a familiar name to the franchise.
Jerricho Cotchery interviewed for the post on Friday, according to Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cotchery is battling at least one other candidate for the job. South Carolina assistant Bryan McClendon spent Monday in Pittsburgh interviewing for the post, according to Dulac and Fittipaldo.
This would be return for Cotchery, who played for the Steelers from 2011-13. He caught a career-high 10 touchdown passes in his final Steelers season. Also playing with the Jets and Panthers in a 12-year career, the 37-year-old NFL retiree jumped right into coaching. Not long after Super Bowl 50 — his final NFL appearance — Cotchery caught on with the Panthers as their assistant wide receivers coach. He spent three years in that role, helping the likes of D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.
The Steelers used Ray Sherman as Drake’s successor on an interim basis last season. McClendon, 36, spent the past five years with the Gamecocks, working as their offensive coordinator in 2018 before being demoted back to wideouts coach last year. McClendon coached South Carolina’s receivers in four of the past five seasons.