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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Place Le’Veon Bell On IR

November 2nd, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 1:24pm: The Steelers have officially placed Bell on injured reserve, ending his season, the team announced today. Pittsburgh has signed running back Isaiah Pead to take Bell’s spot on the roster.

SUNDAY, 9:09pm: The Steelers were able to get Ben Roethlisberger back in the lineup in time for today’s game against the Bengals, but star running back Le’Veon Bell was carted off with a knee injury. The team was optimistic that it is only an MCL injury with no damage to the ACL based on the initial exam.

However, the MRI showed that Bell had a significant MCL injury, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). According to Schefter, the team will continue to evaluate the injury, but he is expected to be placed on season-ending injured reserve.

With Bell out, DeAngelo Williams should take back the starting role that began the season in. He carried the ball 41 times in the first two games with Bell serving a suspension, but had only 13 attempts in the subsequent five games in a backup role, before filling in today after the injury. He had 71 yards on nine carries, including a 55-yard rush for his season long.

Dri Archer and Jordan Todman are the other runners on the active roster. Fitzgerald Toussaint is on the practice squad, but the team will likely bring a number of backs in to work out this week.

Former Rams halfback Isaiah Pead will be the first to work out for the Steelers, visiting the Steelers tomorrow, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport believes the team could sign him and get him acclimated to the team quickly.

Update On IR-DTR Players

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.

Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.

Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:

  • Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
  • Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
  • David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
  • Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
  • Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
  • Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
  • Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
  • Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
  • Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”

While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.

Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.

Workout Notes: Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars

October 28th, 2015 at 5:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts from around the NFL..

  • The Jets worked out defensive end Lawrence Okoye, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Okoye, a former University of Kentucky discus hurler, had previous stops with the 49ers and Cardinals.

Earlier updates:

Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/15

October 27th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

St. Louis Rams

  • Signed: DE Gerald Rivers, LB/DE Zach Hodges (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Coaching Rumors: Dolphins, Pagano, Texans

October 27th, 2015 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A report this weekend indicated that Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is expected to receive consideration in the offseason for the Dolphins‘ head coaching job. However, asked if there’s any truth to those Haley rumors, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) replied, “None.”

It isn’t the first time that Salguero has shot down a Dolphins-related report from La Canfora — during the 2014 offseason, La Canfora reported that the club was exploring trades involving players like Mike Wallace and Dion Jordan, which Salguero’s sources emphatically denied. It’s not entirely clear if the team was indeed considering deals back then, but the Dolphins ultimately traded Wallace a year later, and probably wish they had moved Jordan as well.

In this case, the performance of the Dolphins and interim coach Dan Campbell down the stretch will play a significant role in what candidates Miami considers after the season — if the club continues to look as good as it has in Campbell’s first two games, it’s hard not to imagine the team hiring him on a full-time basis.

Here are a few more coaching notes and rumors from around the NFL:

  • While Chuck Pagano‘s job in Indianapolis isn’t totally safe, it’s highly unlikely that the Colts will make a change this week, tweets Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star is skeptical that firing Pagano is the answer to turning things around for the Colts.
  • If the Colts do decide to make an in-season change, that move is most likely to happen during the club’s Week 10 bye, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole identifies offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, assistant head coach Rob Chudzinski, and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen as the four in-house candidates to replace Pagano.
  • In the wake of Monday’s report that head coach Bill O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith disagreed on whether Ryan Mallett should be cut, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk examines the Texans‘ organizational structure, suggesting that it will likely continue to cause problems. In Smith’s view, it may be time for either the head coach or GM – or both – to go. For what it’s worth, following Mallett’s release today, Tania Ganguil of ESPN.com tweeted that Rick Smith was always on board with the decision, but disagreed about the timing of the move, which would’ve left the team with just one active veteran quarterback.
  • The Lions‘ firing of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi should officially put head coach Jim Caldwell on notice, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
  • The Eagles are almost certainly giving DeMarco Murray more playing time than Ryan Mathews because of the difference between the two players’ contracts and guaranteed money, and that’s just one example of how Chip Kelly‘s moves as a GM are hampering him as a head coach, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw, Dan Labbe, and Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group debate whether Browns head coach Mike Pettine should be on the hot seat in Cleveland.

Extra Points: UK, Steelers, 2013 Draft, CTE

October 24th, 2015 at 9:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest from around the NFL as the seventh Sunday of the season inches closer:

  • The NFL’s commitment to play more regular-season games in the United Kingdom is stronger than ever and the league wants to expand from three contests per year there to 16, The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci reports. First, the league has to increase its popularity in the UK – something it’s clearly in the process of doing. In fact, ratings for NFL programming doubled in the UK from 2013 to ’14 and participation in amateur American football has grown 15 percent each year since 2007, per Carucci. “My goal is to make sure we have a fan base in the UK that can support a full season of games,” said Mark Waller, the league’s executive vice president of international. “The biggest demonstration of fandom is if you have your own team. So, for me, the ultimate goal would be that at some point we have a team here, because I think that’s the best way the fans can express their passion.”
  • The Steelers placed Cortez Allen on season-ending injured reserve this week, leaving questions as to whether the 26-year-old has played his final game for them. Given the Steelers’ paucity of corners, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review expects Allen to remain with the team in 2016. If not, the Steelers could cut him before June 1 and save $1.7MM. Allen, the Steelers’ top-paid corner, missed five games last year and will ultimately sit out 15 this season.
  • Linebacker Barkevious Mingo has been a significant disappointment since the Browns used the sixth overall pick on him in 2013. However, he’s hardly an unusual case when it comes to that year’s draft class, writes John Kuntz of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “It’s one of the weakest (drafts) we’ve seen in the last 10 years,” added CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler.
  • The league will help fund new research beginning in January on the possible link between sports-related concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), an incurable brain disease, according to The Associated Press. The research will focus on retired jockeys, whose brain trauma rates are higher than ex-football players’. Michael Turner, medical director of the Concussion Foundation, stated: “Collaboration with the NFL will significantly accelerate the research we are doing with retired jockeys and help establish if there is any independent evidence that concussion has a long-term impact on health.”

AFC Notes: Steelers, Browns, Jets, Pats

October 24th, 2015 at 7:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some news and notes from around the AFC:

  • While Ben Roethlisberger might be healthy enough to play Sunday, he’s set to be inactive and the Steelers will start Landry Jones at quarterback. The decision to keep Roethlisberger off the field for another week was influenced by both a desire to steer him clear of the Chiefs’ pass rush (specifically Justin Houston and Tamba Hali) and Pittsburgh’s need to have him as healthy as possible for a Week 8 showdown with AFC North-leading Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).
  • The Browns’ defense has been a colossal disappointment this season (31st in yards per game, 24th in points), but there is disagreement from within as to why, Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Some members of the defense have questioned the scheme, while coordinator Jim O’Neil has pointed to a lack of execution on the field. Whatever the problem is, things could get worse Sunday against Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley – who is averaging a stellar 5.7 yards per carry and looks primed to bludgeon Cleveland’s last-ranked ground defense.
  • Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan was known for hyping up games against AFC East rival New England during his time in New York. His successor, Todd Bowles, has a calmer outlook as his 4-1 club looks to seize first place in the division from the 5-0 Pats on Sunday. “We’re going to take the same approach we’ve been taking,” Bowles said, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “You don’t get up or down for one game because it means you haven’t been playing hard in the first place.”
  • The Patriots’ cornerback stable has spent a great deal of time in flux going back to the offseason: Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington – all of whom played key roles last year – are gone, two replacements were cut during the summer, and another (Tarell Brown) landed on season-ending injured reserve earlier this month. Luckily for the Pats, the emergence of Logan Ryan in a starting role opposite No. 1 corner Malcolm Butler has helped their secondary avoid any serious turmoil, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.
  • The Jets were so hard up for a replacement for injured punter Ryan Quigley that they didn’t even work out Steve Weatherford before signing him Saturday, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/15

October 24th, 2015 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts and other moves:

  • The Chargers added quarterback Brad Sorensen to their practice squad and jettisoned center/guard Michael Huey from the 10-man outfit to make room, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). The 27-year-old Sorensen’s spent time with the Chargers and Titans since 2013.
  • To help their thinning cornerback depth, the Saints signed corners Akeem Davis and Sammy Seamster from their practice squad and cut receivers Joe Morgan and T.J. Graham to make room, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. No. 1 Keenan Lewis will miss another game due to a hip injury, along with an illness, and Damian Swann is also out. In parts of five seasons with the Saints, Morgan has 471 career receiving yards and three TDs. The 2011 undrafted free agent made five starts for the Saints in 2012. Active for two games for New Orleans this season, starting one, Morgan’s been cut three times this year, but Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com notes he or Graham could be brought back next week. The 25-year-old Davis played in 13 games for Washington last season, and the 24-year-old Seamster participated in two for the Dolphins in 2014. Both are set for special teams duty Sunday, Woodberry reports.
  • The Raiders brought up Shelby Harris from their practice squad to bolster defensive line depth, waiving safety Tevin McDonald in a corresponding maneuver, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. A 2014 seventh-round pick of the Raiders’, Harris has experience at defensive tackle and end and played in one game last season. Oakland defensive fronters Denico Autry and Justin Ellis are out and doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, respectively, creating the opportunity for Harris. A frequent inhabitant of this space, McDonald will likely return to the Raiders’ practice squad if he clears waivers, Bair reports.
  • Ben Roethlisberger‘s status for Week 7 is leaning more toward out than questionable, with the Steelers promoting quarterback Tyler Murphy from their practice squad, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Roethlisberger’s missed three straight games after going down in Week 3 with a knee injury and enters Sunday’s game against the Chiefs with a questionable designation. Murphy, a 23-year-old undrafted quarterback/wide receiver hybrid out of Boston College who’s been active in two games in 2015, took the scout-team snaps on offense for the Steelers this week and has one catch for 16 yards this season. In the event Roethlisbeger is held out again, Landry Jones will start, per La Canfora, with Michael Vick and Murphy backing him up.
  • In a corresponding move to make room for Murphy, the Steelers placed cornerback Cortez Allen on injured reserve, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Allen’s been inactive for the Steelers since Week 2 with a knee injury. The 27-year-old ex-fourth-round pick started seven games for Pittsburgh last season and has six career interceptions for the team that drafted him.
  • Brandon LaFell looks set to make his 2015 debut with the Patriots; the team plans to activate the wideout from the PUP list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). LaFell missed the Pats’ first five games with a lingering foot injury. LaFell recorded 953 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions in his New England debut last season.
  • The Titans promoted wide receiver Rico Richardson from their practice squad and released veteran backup tight end Chase Coffman to make room, Jim Wyatt of Titans Online reports (on Twitter). Richardson represents the Titans’ fifth wideout, while the team previously was carrying more tight ends — Coffman, Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, Phillip Supernaw and Craig Stevens — than receivers. With Harry Douglas out for Week 7 with sore ribs, Tennessee had a need for a healthy receiver, tweets Wyatt. A former Bengals third-round pick, Coffman’s caught just 14 passes in six seasons. The 24-year-old Richardson’s played in just one game — in 2014 with Tennessee.

AFC Notes: S. Smith, McClain, Revis, Manziel

October 21st, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been speculation the Ravens might try to talk wide receiver Steve Smith out of his plan to retire after the season or that Smith will change his mind. However, the veteran says that nothing has changed. “I’m on schedule for what I discussed earlier in the year,” the wide receiver said, according to Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Here’s more from the AFC..

  • If Smith is still retiring, the Ravens should trade him to a contender, Mike Florio of PFT opines. The Ravens are at 1-5 and, for all intents and purposes, they’re probably done in 2015. Florio suggests that the Packers would be a great fit for a savvy veteran like Smith.
  • Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has worked out or visited eight teams since being cut on September 5th, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran’s latest visit was to the Steelers on Wednesday, per Yates. McClain’s recent visits have also included the Bears and Saints.
  • Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter), that he never expected to return to the Patriots this past offseason. “No, the number was too high,” the corner said.
  • Johnny Manziel should be on paid leave from the Browns for his recent altercation with his girlfriend, Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports writes. Manziel’s girlfriend declined to press charges over the matter and the all of the facts are still unknown, but Brennan feels that the former Texas A&M star should be sidelined until everything comes to light.
  • On the Quick Slants podcast, CSNNE’s Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry, and Adam Hart discussed the Patriots secondary and the possibility of making an addition via trade.

AFC Notes: Jags, K. Williams, Pouncey, Bills

October 21st, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars‘ current agreement to play one home game per season in London expires in 2016, but it sounds like team owner Shad Khan, along with the NFL, may be getting ready to make an announcement on that subject. According to Conor Orr of NFL.com, Khan said he didn’t “want to scoop anything,” but hinted that an announcement regarding a new agreement for the Jaguars’ international games may be forthcoming.

As we wait for news on the Jags, let’s round up a few more AFC notes…

  • Speaking to reporters today in London, Bills head coach Rex Ryan acknowledged that Kyle Williams‘ knee injury is “significant,” as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Williams is currently expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks with a PCL issue, though Ryan’s comments may suggest that the injury is even more serious.
  • Reports last week indicated that Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was expected to undergo a second operation, potentially jeopardizing his season. However, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Pouncey didn’t undergo a second procedure on his broken left fibula, and Tomlin is still expecting the veteran center to return this season, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry eyes 12 teams with potential quarterback instability on the horizon, identifying the Broncos, Chiefs, Jets, Texans, Browns, and Bills as the AFC teams without a long-term option set in stone.
  • Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who remains on the non-football injury list for now, appears ready to return to practice today, and could be activated to Buffalo’s 53-man roster if and when the team determines he’s ready, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
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