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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Minority Owners Pushing For Coaching Change

January 16th, 2018 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

After this weekend’s defeat at the hands of the Jaguars, some Steelers minority owners are pushing for the team to fire coach Mike Tomlin, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. This group of 13 limited partners has no authority over the management of the team, but they “have a pipeline” to main owner Art Rooney and they intend to make their case. Mike Tomlin (Vertical)

It’s unlikely that this baker’s dozen of shareholders can push out Tomlin by themselves, but they could theoretically influence Rooney to make a move if he is giving any thought to making a change. It’s not clear if that is on Rooney’s radar, even after the disappointing loss to Jacksonville.

Tomlin, of course, led the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory after the 2008 season and guided the team back to the title game after the 2010 campaign. In Tomlin’s eleven seasons at the helm, the team has missed the playoffs only three times and has never finished worse than .500. The Steelers are also not known for making hasty decisions with their coaches. The team has had only three coaches since 1969 – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Tomlin.

 

NFL Future/Reserve Contracts: 1/15/18

January 15th, 2018 at 8:35pm CST by GregGoldstein

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Cleveland Browns

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Martavis Bryant Wants To Return To Steelers

January 15th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by GregGoldstein

In a turn from a few months ago, it appears as if Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant wants to return to his team in 2018. Coming off a stunning defeat at the hands of the Jaguars in the AFC Divisional round, the 26-year-old expressed that he has now moved away from trade demand that he made back in October, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

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The former 2014 fourth round pick should’ve been eligible for free agency this offseason, but he’ll remain under contract for one more year after he sat out the entire 2016 season due to suspension. Bryant’s desire to be moved before the trade deadline stemmed from rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s increased role in the offense. However, Bryant expressed doubt that he would want to leave the only team he’s ever known because of the track record that Pittsburgh has for winning.

“What’s changed from mid season? For one, Bryant acknowledges it would be hard to start over and wants to win a Super Bowl here,” tweeted Fowler.

The change of heart should be refreshing for an organization that is about to undertake a rough contract negotiation with free agent running back Le’Veon Bell. But with Ben Roethlisberger saying he’ll return in 2018, the Steelers need all the weapons they can get if they hope to bounce back in the playoffs a year from now. Aside from Bell, Mike Tomlin‘s offense is set to return every starter from this past season.

Bryant was inconsistent for most of this season, catching 50 balls for just over 600 yards and three scores. All of which marked the lowest totals in his three seasons in the NFL.

Steelers Agree With Grimble, Canaday On Extensions

January 15th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by GregGoldstein

A day after the Steelers were shockingly bounced from the playoffs, the team has already begun shaping their 2018 roster. The team announced this afternoon that they have signed backup tight end Xavier Grimble and long snapper Kameron Canady to one-year contract extensions.

Xavier Grimble (Vertical)

Grimble, 25, played in his second season in the NFL this past year. The tight end had a minimal role on the offense, catching just five passes for 32 yards and a touchdown this past year. He’s firmly behind fellow tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald on the Steelers’ depth chart entering the offseason.

Canaday, 24, signed with Pittsburgh last February, but was released in May after the team drafted another long snapper this past April. However, the Canaday was ultimately brought back for training camp and went onto win the job in the preseason, going on to play in all of the Steelers games in 2017.

 

Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell Discusses Future

January 14th, 2018 at 7:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this week, Le’Veon Bell threatened to retire or sit out the 2018 season if he was franchised. However, following the Steelers loss to the Jaguars today, the running back emphasized that he’d like to remain in Pittsburgh.

Le'Veon Bell (vertical)“Of course,” Bell said when asked if he wanted to return to the Steelers next season (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell). “I never want to leave this city, but obviously, circumstances and things like that. But I definitely don’t.”

The Steelers are expected to slap Bell with the franchise tag for the second straight season, which means the running back would earn around $14.5MM. Despite the fact that that value would be the highest salary of Bell’s career, the Pro Bowler is pursuing a lucrative long-term contract. The running back is reportedly also eyeing a deal that would account for his importance in the passing game.

After compiling 67 yards on the ground and 88 yards through the air, Bell admitted that he wasn’t thinking of his next contract following the disappointing loss.

“Just the fact that I lost a game, I kind of feel the same way. All four games we lost this year, I feel the same way,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about it. I’ll go back, and tomorrow when I wake up, it might cross my mind, but I haven’t made it that far yet.”

Bell also noted that the Steelers have the right roster to make another run at a Super Bowl championship.

“I think we get everyone healthy, it can even be more special,” he said. “Give credit to [Antonio Brown]. He went out there at whatever percent and still gave his all. Obviously, wasn’t himself. Still made plays. Being incredible. Guys like that, you can’t come across all the time.”

Ben Roethlisberger Plans To Return In 2018

January 14th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking after today’s Divisional Round loss to the Jaguars, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told reporters that he plans to continue his NFL career in 2018.Ben Roethlisberger

“I don’t know everybody’s contract situation, but I know the guys up front are signed, and that’s good for me,” said Roethlisberger. “So I look forward to next year with those guys.”

Roethlisberger, 35, mulled retirement prior to the 2017 campaign, and further reports indicated he could consider hanging up his cleats again this offseason. But following a season which was largely in line with his career norms (64.2% completion rate, 28 touchdowns, 92.4 quarterback rating), Roethlisberger sounds as though he’s eager to return in 2018.

As Roethlisberger alluded to, Pittsburgh’s starting offensive line is signed through at least 2018. But one of Roethlisberger’s key weapons — running back Le’Veon Bell — is a pending free agent and has threatened to retire if he’s franchise-tagged for a second consecutive season. Changes could theoretically occur on the Steelers’ coaching staff, as well, as Roethlisberger’s relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Haley is said to be especially strained.

The Steelers don’t have much of a succession plan to replace Roethlisberger for the long term, as neither backup Landry Jones or 2017 fourth-round pick Joshua Dobbs are considered realistic starters. As such, Pittsburgh has been eyeing 2018 draft-eligible quarterbacks closely, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link), and could select a passer in this year’s draft.

Steelers Notes: Brown, Bell, Haley

January 14th, 2018 at 10:15am CST by Rory Parks

Antonio Brown is likely to play in the Steelers’ divisional round contest against Jacksonville this afternoon, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports, although Schefter adds that Brown’s injured calf is not close to being fully healed. The league’s top wideout, who is one month removed from the partially torn left calf muscle that forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season, will go through pregame warmups to test the calf, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, every expectation is that Brown will play and will play regularly. Brown was forced to miss Friday’s practice because of an illness, but he was a full participant in practices on Wednesday and Thursday, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets that Brown’s illness will not impact his playing status [Twitter update: Brown is active, per Schefter].

Now for several more notes on the AFC North champions:

  • His idle threats notwithstanding, no one expects Le’Veon Bell to retire or sit out the 2018 season if he is hit with the franchise tag for the second straight year, least of all the Steelers themselves. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link), the Steelers are indeed expected to put the franchise tag on Bell, which has been a foregone conclusion for some time now. As Rapoport observes, Pittsburgh has historically refused to cede to the demands of players who threaten to sit out, and he does not expect the club to change it standard operating procedure for Bell. If Bell does play 2018 under the tag, he will have earned roughly $26.5MM over the 2017-18 seasons, while he would have earned $30MM if he signed the long-term deal the Steelers offered him last year. Nonetheless, we will still need to wait to see what the future holds before we can say for sure whether that was a wise financial move for Bell.
  • We heard at the end of December that the relationship between Ben Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley is strained, but Rapoport goes one step further, saying that the relationship “is in as bad of a place as it’s been in years.” Nonetheless, Roethlisberger has thrived under Haley’s leadership, which puts the Steelers in something of a bind. Haley’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Pittsburgh will need to decide whether it wants to bring him back and hope he and Big Ben can put aside their personal differences since the on-field product has been so good, or whether it wants to move on. Of course, the decision could be made for the Steelers if Roethlisberger makes good on his threat to retire, or if offensive line coach Mike Munchak gets a head coaching job elsewhere and brings Haley with him, which Rapoport says is a distinct possibility.
  • Speaking of Munchak, who has already interviewed with the Cardinals for their head coaching job, we heard this morning that he could be a dark horse candidate for the Giants’ HC vacancy.

Antonio Brown To Be A Game-Time Decision?

January 12th, 2018 at 7:02pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Steelers have been without star wideout Antonio Brown since the middle of their week 15 contest against the Patriots. While the team expected that the 29-year-old would be ready for their divisional round contest, Brown is set to be a game-time decision on Sunday, a source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

Antonio Brown (vertical)

Brown has been recovering from a partially torn calf muscle, but the injury has lagged perhaps longer than Pittsburgh expected. The veteran receiver relies on quickness and sharp cuts rather than sheer strength, so this particular injury could have even more of an impact than it would on other bigger star playmakers.

The eight-year vet had produced what could have been his best statistical year during the regular season. He caught over 100 passes in 14 games and his 1,533 yards ranks third-most for a season in Brown’s career. The All-pro also reeled in nine touchdowns in 2017.

However, the Steelers wouldn’t be without weapons should Brown miss their first playoff game. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Martavis Bryant and Jesse James would be the primary receiving threats in his absence. Obviously Ben Roethlisberger would rely on star running back Le’Veon Bell even more with Brown on the sidelines.

Le’Veon Bell Threatens To Sit Out 2018 Or Retire If Tagged

January 11th, 2018 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barring something drastic changing by March, the Steelers are going to use the franchise tag on Le’Veon Bell for a second straight year.

If the parties fail to work out a deal by the July deadline, Bell could threaten a hard-line stance. The Pittsburgh ball-carrier said Thursday he would consider sitting out the entire 2018 season or retiring rather than play on the tag again, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, adding Bell would probably retire if he did sit out an entire season.

“It will eventually come down to me playing on the tag or not,” Bell said, via Fowler. “They tag me again, it will be me [saying], ‘OK, do I want to play on the tag or do I not want to play on the tag?’ That’s what it comes down to. If I was a free agent and they let me go, be a free agent, then yeah, I’m going to go explore free agency, test the market.”

A second Bell tag would be for around $14.5MM, guaranteed once the tender is signed, so Bell would be walking away from the highest salary of his career and a figure no other running back can come close to matching in a season.

Bell will turn 26 in the offseason and will be coming off a 404-touch season — by far the most of his career — and plays a position where bouncing back from these high-workload campaigns has proven difficult.

“Just get the numbers straight, exactly where we want them. I’m not going to settle for anything,” Bell said, via Fowler. “I know what I do and what I bring to the table. I’m not going out here getting the ball 400 times if I’m not getting what I feel I’m valued at.”

Bell referencing touches could reflect he’s again hoping for a deal that also takes into account his role as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 wide receiver, which came up during the sides’ latest round of negotiations. Bell’s camp reportedly turned down an offer that would have paid him $30MM over the 2017 and ’18 seasons, so playing on back-to-back tags would end up costing him. And having not agreed to a deal this year deprives him of a key prime season that could be used in negotiations. But it’s undeniable how valuable he is to the Steelers, who have never had a running back prior to Bell land on two All-Pro first teams.

“I’ve made a lot of money; I’m happy where I’m at; I’ve got a good family — I don’t really need to play football,” Bell said. “Right now, I’m just kind of doing it because I love it. Now, I’ve done everything but own a Super Bowl …

“I don’t necessarily care about the money aspect of it. I just want to be valued where I’m at. If I am playing this game, I want to set standards for all the other running backs behind me, like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, guys like that. I’m a guy they can kind of look at. I feel I can do that. I’m in a position where I can do that, and I’m going to do it.”

Antonio Brown To Be 100 Percent Vs. Jags?

January 7th, 2018 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The three weeks of rest look to have Antonio Brown ready to return to action after a partially torn calf sidelined him.

While the Steelers’ top weapon was set to be ready to return to action for the team’s second-round game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) the four-time All-Pro wide receiver’s calf setback is not much of a concern presently.

Brown is expected to be back at full strength, with Rapoport saying he could have played today had Pittsburgh been required to, for the Steelers’ rematch against the Jaguars next Sunday.

Prior to Brown going down in Week 15 against the Patriots, he had not missed a regular-season game due to injury during his run of four consecutive All-Pro distinctions. Brown did, however, miss a 2015 divisional-round game because of a concussion. The Steelers, who have also seen injuries to Le’Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger injuries limit the team at key junctures over the past three seasons, will at least enter this year’s playoff bracket with each of their cornerstone performers healthy.

Despite missing 2 1/2 games, Brown led the NFL with 1,533 receiving yards.

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