Steelers To Waive WR Denzel Mims
After residing on the trade block for multiple seasons, Denzel Mims eventually made his way to Pittsburgh after his initial 2023 relocation — from New York to Detroit — did not pan out. The Steelers are now moving on from the former second-round pick.
Adding Mims to their practice squad in early October, the Steelers rostered the 2020 draftee for the season’s remainder and gave him a reserve/futures deal in January. Eight-plus months after Mims’ Pennsylvania arrival, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes the Steelers are moving on. The team will waive the fifth-year veteran Tuesday.
The Steelers had given Mims another developmental opportunity of sorts, not elevating him from their P-squad for any games last season. Mims then received a mid-January invitation to stick around for the 2024 offseason. While the Steelers have some major questions at wide receiver beyond George Pickens, they appear to have determined Mims will not be part of the post-Diontae Johnson solution.
In addition to the Johnson trade, the Steelers released the underperforming Allen Robinson earlier this offseason. The team did not add a surefire starter in free agency, with Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson coming closest to matching that description, but did use a third-round pick on Washington’s Roman Wilson. The Steelers’ extensive track record for developing Day 2 wide receiver draftees speaks for itself, but if Wilson is not ready to go early, the team has some questions alongside Pickens.
Mims, 26, was unlikely to be a major factor in Pittsburgh’s effort to assemble a new batch of Pickens complements. He could not land a regular role with the Jets and continued to wind up in trade rumors. Mims did amass 357 receiving yards as a rookie, but his 2021 and ’22 seasons did not combine to match that total. After the Jets dealt the Baylor product to the Lions in a pick-swap deal involving 2025 sixth- and seventh-rounders, the sixth the Jets were to receive did not end up conveying due to Mims failing to make Detroit’s active roster. The Lions reached an injury settlement with Mims after placing him on IR in August, paving his way to Pittsburgh.
Two of the Steelers’ WR candidates — Jefferson and Scotty Miller — followed new OC Arthur Smith from Atlanta, while Mims arrived during Matt Canada‘s final days with the club. The Steelers gave Mims the futures deal before hiring Smith. Mims is obviously running out of chances, though it would not be shocking if the 6-foot-3 target secured a chance with another team before or during training camp.
Steelers Will Not Extend G James Daniels In 2024
As Cameron Heyward extension uncertainty looms, it does not appear the Steelers have ruled out a fourth contract with their stalwart defensive lineman. It does, however, look like they are passing on another agreement with one of their interior O-line starters — for 2024, at least.
The topic of a James Daniels extension surfaced earlier this offseason, but the two-year Pittsburgh starter effectively shut this issue down by confirming (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly) the team does not plan to extend him before the season. Considering the Steelers do not do in-season extensions, Daniels is set to play out his contract year.
Daniels should have an opportunity to cash in once again as a free agent in 2025; despite this being the former Bears second-rounder’s seventh NFL season, he will only be 27 by the time the market opens next year. The Steelers confirming they want to have him play out the three-year, $26.5MM deal to which he is attached raises the stakes for the Iowa product.
The Steelers moved on from the two other veteran O-linemen they signed in 2022 by cutting both Chukwuma Okorafor and Mason Cole in February. Those moves came months after the team traded Kevin Dotson to the Rams. Dotson has since fetched a three-year, $48MM deal to stay in Los Angeles. This bodes well for Daniels, whose 2025 departure could leave the Steelers vulnerable at guard.
Pittsburgh, which went 27 years between first-round tackle investments before drafting Broderick Jones in 2023, has used Round 1 choices on tackles in back-to-back years. The team is set at those spots, and second-rounder Zach Frazier will be viewed as likely to take over at center. The team signed Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2023. The former Eagles blocker is going into his age-31 season. With Daniels four years younger, he profiles as a pricier option on his third contract.
Pro Football Focus rated the Iowa alum 33rd among guards last season and 24th in his Steelers debut. ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted Daniels ninth among guards in 2022. The six-year NFL starter has missed just two games as a Steeler. Given the number of eight-figure-per-year guard paydays that came to pass in March, Daniels has a big opportunity ahead. Counting Landon Dickerson‘s extension, six guards — Dickerson, Dotson, Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson, Damien Lewis, Jon Runyan Jr. — all signed deals at or north of $10MM per year this offseason. The salary cap will rise once again next year.
The Steelers used a fourth-round pick on Mason McCormick this year. Although the team found a gem in Dotson out of Round 4 back in 2020, it would be interesting if it was already earmarking a spot for McCormick in 2025. The Steelers hold exclusive negotiating rights with Daniels until March 2025, and while the Rams did use those well by coming to terms with Dotson before free agency started, Daniels playing out his contract year would put him in a position to raise his value and hit free agency.
As it stands, the Steelers appear prepared to let that happen. While the team has a low-cost quarterback situation for 2024, it has been tied to interest in extensions for Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields. One of the QBs almost definitely will not be back, but the Steelers may need to factor in a bigger quarterback contract to its calculous next year. With several big-ticket deals on the books for defenders, that complicates matters for players like Daniels.
Latest On Steelers’ T.J. Watt
Cameron Heyward has received plenty of attention this offseason with his Steelers future in doubt. A fellow mainstay along the team’s defensive front is T.J. Watt, who is under contract for two more years. 
[RELATED: J.J. Watt Open To 2024 Steelers Deal]
The latter is playing out the four-year, $112MM extension he inked in 2021. That pact has proven to be a sound investment for Pittsburgh to date; Watt earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in his first season after inking the deal by matching Michael Strahan‘s single-season sack record. He has earned a pair of Pro Bowl invites and another first-team All-Pro nod since then. Entering his age-30 campaign, though, Watt is unsure of how much longer his career will last.
“I don’t know if I want to play forever, but who knows? It is too hard to say,” the former first-rounder said, via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (subscription required). “J.J. [Watt] always said he didn’t want to play super long, then things happened and he ended up playing longer. I won’t know until that moment comes. I feel great right now, so I am kind of just living in the moment.”
The younger Watt brother was limited to 10 games in 2022 due to a torn pectoral muscle. He rebounded well last year, though, leading the league with 19 sacks. His career total in that regard sits at 96.5, and it will be expected to continue climbing as long as Watt remains healthy. The Wisconsin alum’s base salaries over the next two years are not guaranteed, and another year of strong production would help his leverage for a second monster extension depending on his long-term outlook.
As Kaboly notes, the Steelers will limit Watt’s reps in training camp with the goal of keeping him in peak health for the start of the regular season. Managing his offseason workload could become commonplace as the years go by with Pittsburgh (similar to many other teams) aiming to reduce wear and tear prior to the regular and postseason. Watt noted he has yet to win a postseason contest in his decorated career, and for at least the time being that will be his main focus.
Steelers GM Omar Khan Addresses Fifth-Year Option Decision On RB Najee Harris
The Steelers elected not to pick up Najee Harris‘ fifth-year option this offseason, leaving him on track for free agency in 2025. Pittsburgh’s lead back thus faces an uncertain future, but the door is open to an agreement keeping him in Pittsburgh beyond the coming campaign. 
Harris would have been due $6.79MM in 2025 had the option been exercised, something the Steelers were once expected to do. Instead, his play this year will go a long way in determining his value on the open market. When speaking about the decision, general manager Omar Khan confirmed the Alabama product could still find himself in the team’s plans.
“It was a business decision that we had to make,” Khan said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan (h/t NFL.com). “But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. Just because we didn’t pick it up doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee long term… We just felt right now that was the right decision for everyone. I love Najee. I’d love to have him here long term.”
The second-year general manager noted last summer that the nature of the modern quarterback market has a dramatic effect on roster-building at other positions. QB prices continue to rise, and running backs are prime candidates to be limited to rookie contract investments from a team perspective. That is the case for both Harris and Jaylen Warren at the moment, and the latter has proven to be an efficient backfield option in two years to date (5.1 yards per carry average vs. Harris’ 3.9).
Pittsburgh has a rather cost-effective QB room for at least one year, but new deals will be needed to keep Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields in place for 2025 and beyond. Neither passer should be expected to approach the top of the position’s market on a Steelers re-up, but devoting additional cap resources to one or both would limit the funds available to retaining Harris. Running backs in general have struggled to land lucrative multi-year deals in recent years, and it would be interesting to see if team and player pursued a short-term agreement of some kind down the road.
A Harris re-signing would not come as a complete surprise, and Khan’s remarks confirm it will at least be considered. Plenty is still to be determined, of course, and how the Steelers value the running back position with Khan at the helm will be worth watching closely as the 2024 season unfolds leading into a potential Harris departure.
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Open To 2025 Free Agent Departure
It has become clear this offseason that Cameron Heyward is seeking a new deal from the Steelers. If an extension agreement is not reached, he could enter the 2025 offseason as a free agent. 
Heyward is due a $16MM base salary this season, the final year of his $65.5MM 2020 contract. The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year winner has spent his entire 13-year career in Pittsburgh, and he hopes to remain with the Steelers for years to come. No hometown discount should be expected, though, which leaves open the possibility of an agreement not being reached in time for the start of the season.
In that case, the 35-year-old would play out the 2024 campaign as a walk year. His latest comments on his future confirm he is immediately focused on the coming season, one which will be critical in establishing his value. Heyward saw his production drop in an injury-shortened 2023 slate, and multiple core muscle surgeries have taken place aimed at providing the opportunity for a rebound. A strong showing this year would help boost Heyward’s stock on a new Steelers accord or one sending him elsewhere.
“I have talked to my wife, and we know the reality, and we have had those talks, and she said it could be fun to play somewhere else,” the three-time All-Pro said, via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required). “If that is what is needed to be done, then so be it. But I am still enjoying the ride here this year.”
Heyward is seeking a two-year extension, something which would greatly strengthen his chances of playing out his full NFL tenure as a Steeler. That could, of course, still wind up being the case. His comment certainly points to an openness to exploring the market, though, meaning the progress of negotiations during the summer will be an interesting storyline to follow.
Pittsburgh has a mix of veterans (Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams, Dean Lowry) and recent draft additions (DeMarvin Leal, Keeanu Benton, Logan Lee) along the defensive interior. Heyward will have a large role to play once again in 2024 as the leader of that group, but whether or not that will double as his final Pittsburgh campaign remains to be seen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/12/24
Here are Wednesday’s minor NFL moves:
Detroit Lions
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Craig James
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Austin Trammell
- Waived: G Jack Anderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Luq Barcoo
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: NT Buddha Jones
Steelers Extend HC Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin‘s Steelers tenure will continue for the foreseeable future. The team announced on Monday that their Super Bowl-winning head coach has signed a three-year extension.
As a result of this move, the 52-year-old is under contract through the 2027 campaign. He enters the coming season as the league’s longest-tenured head coach, having been at the helm of the Steelers for the past 17 years. That stretch has yet to feature a losing season, although it also encompasses a notable drought for postseason success. Considering owner Art Rooney II‘s comments in January, however, this move comes as no surprise.
Tomlin’s future has faced questions recently, with speculation swirling in the winter about the possibility of taking a year off from coaching before returning to an NFL sideline. Not long after Pittsburgh’s wild-card elimination, though, Tomlin confirmed he would remain in place for 2024. Per tradition in his case, he will not enter a lame duck situation, instead moving forward with considerable term on his deal once again.
“Mike Tomlin’s leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach,” a statement from Rooney reads. “Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success.”
The Steelers won the Super Bowl during Tomlin’s second year at the helm, returning to the title game two years later. The team has posted double-digit wins during the regular season seven times since then, but translating that into a deep playoff run has proven to be challenging. Pittsburgh last won a postseason contest in 2016, enduring a five-game losing streak which includes this year’s loss to the Bills.
The 2024 offseason has seen plenty of changes for the Steelers, including the arrival of a new offensive coordinator (Arthur Smith). Tomlin drew criticism for the length of Matt Canada’s tenure in that role, but Smith’s arrival is expected to produce an upgrade in rushing success. Pittsburgh’s offense will also feature new faces along the O-line and, of course, a much different looking quarterbacks room than 2023. How Tomin handles the playing time of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be a key 2024 storyline for the team.
Tomlin sits in a tie for 12th on the NFL’s all-time wins list with 173. If he remains in place through the length of this new pact, he will continue to climb the ranks in that regard while also remaining in Pittsburgh for 21 seasons. That would place him two years shy of Chuck Noll‘s all-time franchise record.
“I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh,” Tomlin said in a statement. “We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy. I am very excited to get the 2024 season underway and provide our fans with a memorable year.”
Steelers Sign Zach Frazier, Complete Rookie Signings
The Steelers have completed their draft pick signings. The team announced that they’ve signed second-round center Zach Frazier to his four-year rookie contract.
The West Virginia product got into 47 games during his collegiate career, including a 2023 campaign where he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after not allowing a single sack. That performance helped put him firmly on the NFL map, and he was ultimately the second center off the board (behind Graham Barton) when he was selected at No. 51.
“They’re getting a hard worker who is going to give everything he has to the organization to win football games,” Frazier said in a team statement. “I couldn’t be more excited.”
The Steelers moved on from Mason Cole this offseason, opening a starting spot for Frazier. Considering the rookie’s versatility (he played both center and guard in college), the Steelers could shift Frazier around if necessary. The Steelers will also feature another rookie starting OL in first-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu.
Today’s move completes the Steelers’ draft pick signings. The team’s entire draft class includes:
- Round 1, No. 20: Troy Fautanu (OL, Washington) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 84: Roman Wilson (WR, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 98 (from Eagles): Payton Wilson (LB, NC State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 119: Mason McCormick (G, South Dakota State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 178 (from Cardinals through Panthers): Logan Lee (DT, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 195: Ryan Watts (CB, Texas) (signed)
Steelers Notes: Fields, Harris, WR2
Last month, there was some chatter that Steelers quarterback Justin Fields could see some action as a kick returner in 2024, with special teams coordinator Danny Smith raising the possibility at a team meeting. Steelers beat reporters were quick to throw cold water on the notion, and Fields himself recently did the same.
While acknowledging that Smith did indeed bring up the idea of having him return kicks, Fields said, “nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong. Coach Danny was basically just trying to send a message that no matter who you are, you could be on special teams. He just used that as an example” (via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
Even if Fields is not deployed as a third phase player, his athleticism could be an asset in other ways, especially since Russell Wilson is expected to at least open the regular season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. However, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted during a recent chat with fans, head coach Mike Tomlin is not fond of taking out his starting QB to run gadget-type plays. Of course, the team would not necessarily need to remove Wilson from the game in order to take advantage of Fields’ athletic gifts, so it will be interesting to see whether OC Arthur Smith designs a package of plays for Fields as the 2021 first-rounder tries to unseat Wilson and prove that he can be the club’s long-term starter under center.
In that same conversation with fans, Dulac predicted that the Steelers will extend running back Najee Harris. Back in January, we heard that Pittsburgh was planning to exercise Harris’ fifth-year option, which would have kept him under club control through 2025. However, the Steelers ultimately reversed course and declined the option, which puts their RB1 on track to hit free agency next year.
Harris has been a model of durability and consistency throughout his three-year professional tenure, starting all 17 regular season games and topping 1,000 rushing yards each year. On the other hand, his heavy usage and efficiency issues — he has a career YPC rate of just 3.9 — likely informed the team’s decision to decline his option.
Despite their passing on the option, we heard that the Steelers would nonetheless be open to working out a deal that would keep Harris in the fold beyond 2024. The team’s policy of not negotiating contracts in-season and Harris’ own public frustrations with running backs having to settle for team-friendly pacts would seem to work against such a deal coming to fruition, so Dulac’s prediction is a noteworthy one.
Speaking of predictions from longtime Pittsburgh beats, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic says it would demonstrate “a lack of awareness and urgency if [the Steelers] don’t add a legit No. 2 [wide receiver] before the season starts,” and he believes the club will do just that (subscription required). Kaboly does not hazard a guess as to whom the Steelers might pursue, and 49ers GM John Lynch said his team is no longer talking trades involving Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk (Pittsburgh was one of the clubs eyeing Samuel).
Needless to say, a trade could come together at any time, and the trade market would seem to be a more likely source of WR2 talent than the free agent pool at this point in the year. At present, Hunter Renfrow (who is more of a slot option) and Michael Thomas (who has not turned in a healthy, productive season since 2019) profile as two of the top free agents available. In the meantime, players like Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway, Denzel Mims, and third-round rookie Roman Wilson are competing for reps behind George Pickens.
Cameron Heyward Seeking Two-Year Extension, Wants To Finish Career With Steelers
Cameron Heyward has made it known he wants another Steelers extension, and the team typically completes deals with its re-up candidates before Week 1. As of now, the standout defensive lineman remains tied to the four-year, $65.6MM contract he signed back in 2020.
The Steelers have Heyward tied to a $16MM base salary and $22.4MM cap number this year, with the deal expiring after the 2024 season. Coming off an injury-plagued season, Heyward has still been one of the best defensive linemen in Steelers history. He ripped off a run of six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro nods (three as a first-teamer) from 2017-22 and does not look to be planning a near-future retirement.
Heyward is believed to be targeting a two-year deal ahead of his age-35 season, according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required). This comes after a Heyward comment in January that did not guarantee he would even return for the 2024 season. The 2011 first-round pick signing a fourth Steelers contract would drop his 2024 cap number, but no agreement appears imminent.
Heyward did, however, return to OTAs this week after missing some time due to this contract situation. And he has no designs on testing free agency in 2025.
“There has been communication but nothing really to report on right now,” Heyward said of contract talks. “There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys. I want to be one of these one-helmet guys. There is a hunger and desire there, but that doesn’t mean hanging it up and calling it a career. I have more bullets to fire.”
Teaming with T.J. Watt to form one of the NFL’s best inside-outside pass-rushing duos in the modern era, Heyward said (via Kaboly) he is aiming to play through at least 2026. That would explain the two-year extension pursuit. It is not known what the Steelers have offered, if anything, at this point, but Heyward is coming off a down season.
The longtime interior D-lineman missed six games and underwent two surgeries — both groin procedures, the second of which coming just after the season — in a five-month span. Heyward finished last season with just two sacks and six tackles for loss, numbers out of step with the upper-echelon work he displayed in recent years. It would make sense if the Steelers were hesitant about authorizing another extension, seeing as Heyward’s production dipped during his injury-shortened season. Heyward is also the NFL’s oldest active D-lineman, though he is just two months older than the Saints’ Cameron Jordan.
The latter 2011 first-round draftee’s two-year, $26.5MM extension could be a roadmap for the Steelers, even if the two Cams do not function in the same role despite both technically labeled defensive ends. The Steelers’ 3-4 scheme features extensive inside-rushing work from Heyward, whereas Jordan has operated as an edge rusher throughout his career. Both Heyward and Jordan made the Pro Bowl each year from 2017-22.
The D-tackle market, after a 2023 boom that created a second tier and then this offseason’s Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins pacts, has changed dramatically since the Steelers extended Heyward in 2020. The impact defender — attached to a $16.4MM-per-year number — has dropped to 20th at his position in terms of AAV.
“I am looking to be here,” Heyward said. “The value is what we decide, but I think, for me, I want to be valued at my position. I understand I came off a rough season, but I don’t think it is a step down of where I can play. I think when I’m at the top of my game, I’m still a top-five player at my position. I play the run and the pass and I bring leadership, and it’s not anything I discount.”
Unless a new deal comes together quickly, Kaboly adds Heyward is not certain to participate in Pittsburgh’s minicamp. The veteran will attend, however. He staged a hold-in back in 2020, as a new CBA with language designed to curb holdouts was ratified, before signing his four-year extension.
The Steelers have both Watt and Alex Highsmith signed to big-ticket deals, and Minkah Fitzpatrick remains tied to a top-three safety accord. The team gave Patrick Queen a three-year, $41MM contract in March. The team is saving considerable money at quarterback due to its Russell Wilson–Justin Fields setup. With Diontae Johnson off the roster, no eight-figure-per-year contract is present on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers.
This setup opens the door for defensive spending, but the Steelers’ front office will need to gauge how much more Heyward contributions it can expect as he aims to play into his late 30s.