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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Agree To Terms With CB Joey Porter Jr., Finalize Draft Class Deals

July 25th, 2023 at 4:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers have become the latest team to wrap up their rookie deals in advance of training camp. Second-round corner Joey Porter Jr. has agreed to terms on his first NFL deal, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Porter’s case was quite unique, since he was selected with the No. 32 pick. The Dolphins’ forfeited Day 1 selection made the Penn State alum a second-rounder despite his draft slot traditionally being that of a first-rounder. The matter of guaranteed money in particular emerged as a sticking point as negotiations went on, with Porter having a legitimate case to secure a fully guaranteed pact.

That did not take place, but he still secured a signficant financial windfall. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets that the first three years of the four-year, $9.62MM deal are guaranteed in full. Porter will receive a signing bonus of just under $4MM, and, like a number of high-profile members of the 2023 draft class, he will see it paid in full upfront.

The son of former Steelers player and coach Joey Porter, the 22-year-old should be expected to immediately hold down a starting spot. The CB room underwent signficant changes in Pittsburgh this offseason, with free agent signing Patrick Peterson representing the most accomplished veteran amongst the additions made. Corner was long thought to be a position of need entering the draft, and things fell perfectly into place for the Steelers to add left tackle Broderick Jones with their first selection and Porter with their second.

The latter spent four years in college, during which time he established himself as one of the top members of a deep corner class. While Porter only recorded one interception, he routinely displayed the physicality made possible by his 6-2, 200-pound frame. Translating that to the NFL level will go a long way in helping a new-look Steelers secondary attempt to bring the team back to the postseason.

Here is the full Steelers’ draft class:

Round 1, No. 14 (from Patriots): Broderick Jones, OT (Georgia) (signed)
Round 2, No. 32 (from Bears): Joey Porter Jr. CB (Penn State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 49: Keeanu Benton, DT (Wisconsin) (signed)
Round 3, No. 93 (from 49ers through Panthers): Darnell Washington, TE (Georgia) (signed)
Round 4, No. 132 (from 49ers through Panthers): Nick Herbig, LB (Wisconsin) (signed)
Round 7, No. 241 (from Vikings through Broncos): Cory Trice, CB (Purdue) (signed)
Round 7, No. 251 (from Rams): Spencer Anderson, G (Maryland) (signed)

Bears, Jaguars Interested in CB Arthur Maulet

July 23rd, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Parks

After being released by the Steelers in May, cornerback Arthur Maulet is beginning to garner some interest on the free agent market. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jaguars and Bears have inquired on the 30-year-old defender (Twitter link).

Fowler notes that Maulet actually requested his release from Pittsburgh, a request that was presumably made after the club signed another corner, Chandon Sullivan. Like Maulet, Sullivan primarily works in the slot.

As with most players who find themselves unattached at this time of year, Maulet has his share of flaws. Pro Football Focus assigned him a subpar 56.5 overall grade in 2022, which made him the 90th-best corner out of 118 qualifiers. He has never fared partiularly well in the eyes of PFF’s metrics, and last season, he allowed a 61.5% completion rate and a 105.5 QB rating as the closest defender (though both of those marks were actually improvements over his 2021 work).

Nonetheless, cornerbacks are always in demand. The Bears currently have 2022 second-rounder Kyler Gordon penciled into their primary slot role, but Gordon fared even worse than Maulet in PFF’s grading system, ranking as a bottom-10 corner and earning an abysmal 46.4 coverage mark. Plus, there is very little depth behind Gordon, so Chicago’s interest in Maulet is understandable.

Tre Herndon may be the Jaguars’ top slot option at the moment, but like Maulet and Gordon, he was also a liability in coverage last season. Jacksonville has designs on another playoff run, and the club may want to add some nickel depth beyond sixth-round rookies Christian Braswell and Erick Hallett.

At the very least, Maulet can offer that depth, along with special teams acumen (he led the Steelers in ST tackles in 2022). The former UDFA out of Memphis may have multiple offers on the table, as he is reportedly weighing his options and plans to sign soon.

In 2022, Maulet recorded 59 total tackles and two interceptions, both career bests.

Steelers Extend OLB Alex Highsmith

July 19th, 2023 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers are authorizing another big-ticket extension on their defense. Alex Highsmith is no longer going into a contract year, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting he and the Steelers have agreed on a four-year extension (Twitter link). The Steelers are working fast here, having announced the contract.

Long rumored to be an extension candidate in Pittsburgh, the young edge rusher agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth $68MM. This will lock down the T.J. Watt sidekick through the 2027 season. Highsmith, who is coming off a career-best season, will collect $27.7MM guaranteed and earn $38MM over the deal’s first two seasons, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Highsmith will turn 26 next month.

Both team and player had conveyed optimism about this deal being done for months. Back in December of last year, an extension for the former third-round pick became a likelihood. The Steelers prefer to hammer out deals with their extension candidates the summer before their contract years, which always made this the likeliest window for the Highsmith accord to transpire.

“I know I am a Pittsburgh Steeler through and through, and just to be a part of this amazing organization for four more years means the world to me, to my wife, to my whole family,” Highsmith said, via Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “This is where I want to be. This is where I want to play ball.”

Pittsburgh came into the week with Watt’s $28MM-per-year deal topping the edge defender market and Minkah Fitzpatrick tied to the No. 2 safety contract. With Cameron Heyward still on a lucrative extension, the Steelers continue to make major investments in their defense. No longer carrying a franchise-QB contract, the Steelers are taking advantage of Kenny Pickett‘s slot deal. They have agreed to extensions with Highsmith, Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson over the past year.

The Steelers franchise-tagged Bud Dupree in 2020, keeping him for a sixth season, but began to develop his successor by using a Day 2 pick on Highsmith that year. Highsmith began his career behind the 2015 first-rounder but replaced him alongside Watt after a November ACL tear. Dupree left for the Titans in 2021, and Highsmith began a steady ascent. That climb crested last year, when the Charlotte alum produced a 14.5-sack season that included an NFL-leading five forced fumbles. Highsmith has 22.5 career sacks.

This agreement marks a bit of a throwback move for the Steelers, who are now one of just two teams carrying two top-10 edge rusher contracts (along with the Chargers). Pittsburgh had followed the traditional setup of rostering one highly paid edge in recent years, but the organization does have experience in this territory. Pittsburgh had both James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley on veteran extensions in the early 2010s, with Harrison signing his first extension in 2009 and Woodley joining him in 2011. This arrangement lasted three seasons (2011-13) before the team parted ways with both players (Harrison later returned to the team, while Woodley did not).

Eleven of Highsmith’s 14.5 sacks last season came when Watt was active; the younger pass rusher was slightly less effective during the All-Pro’s time rehabbing a partial pectoral tear. But the Steelers have come to view Highsmith as a core player as well. Watt has also avoided notable injuries aside from his September 2022 setback. This contract, which matches Shaquil Barrett and Chandler Jones for the 10th-most lucrative (AAV-wise) pact among outside rushers, confirms that commitment and could represent value for the team.

Barrett and Jones signed those deals in 2021. Highsmith could have taken his chances with a strong contract year that moved him past the $20MM-AAV barrier as a 2024 free agent. But the Steelers would have had the franchise tag at their disposal as well. With Highsmith committing to the team long term, the Steelers have two prime-years edge rushers locked in for many seasons.

Steelers TE Darnell Washington Unlikely To Play Signficant Role In 2023

July 15th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers added an intriguing member to their tight end group during the draft by selecting Darnell Washington. Their incumbents at the position appear likely to delay his ascent into a significant role as a rookie, however.

Washington was one of several members of a celebrated TE class in 2023 after his three-year career at Georgia. He won a pair of national titles with the Bulldogs, and set new personal marks in receptions (28), yards (454) and touchdowns (two) in 2022. The 6-7, 270-pounder’s draft stock was aided primarily by his high degree of success as a run-blocker, though, and that will no doubt be his path to playing time early in his NFL career.

Pittsburgh has 2021 second-rounder Pat Freiermuth in place as their top pass-catching tight end. The 24-year-old recorded 732 yards last season, the sixth-highest figure in the NFL at the position. He will be complimented by veteran Zach Gentry, whose strength as a run blocker earned him a one-year deal in free agency to remain with the Steelers. The presence of those two will lead to a slow approach on the team’s part as it pertains to Washington.

“It takes a little bit of pressure off Darnell because of what you’ve got in that room,” tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts said, via Joe Rutter of TribLive.com. “As he comes in, he can come in slowly and be allowed to grow. As he does that, I think he can be a real problem for people to handle.”

Washington, 21, saw his draft stock take a hit due to a foot injury, but his stellar Combine performance convinced the Steelers to add him to an already young skill-position group. Many tight ends shoulder small workloads in their rookie campaigns, and the depth at the position in Pittsburgh will give the team the luxury of time in developing Washington. His long-term potential remains intriguing given his size and athleticism, though.

His former Georgia teammate, left tackle Broderick Jones, is likewise in danger of beginning the 2023 season out of the starting lineup. The latter faces considerable expectations after the Steelers traded up to select him in the first round, but veteran Dan Moore impressed during the spring. Padded practices will commence during training camp, giving Washington an opportunity to earn a larger workload ahead of his rookie season.

2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team

July 14th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.

Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
  2. Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
  3. Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
  4. Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
  8. Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
  9. Houston Texans: $31.72MM
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
  11. Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
  13. Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
  14. Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
  15. New York Giants: $22.74MM
  16. New England Patriots: $21.82MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
  19. Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
  20. San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
  21. Cleveland Browns: $16MM
  22. Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
  24. Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
  25. Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
  27. New York Jets: $7.95MM
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
  30. Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $593K

No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.

Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.

Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.

The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.

The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.

While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense

July 12th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:

  1. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
  3. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
  4. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
  5. Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
  6. Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
  7. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
  8. C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
  9. Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
  10. Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
  11. Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
  12. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
  13. Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
  14. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
  15. Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
  16. Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
  17. Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
  18. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
  19. Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
  20. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
  21. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
  22. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
  23. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
  24. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
  25. Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM

The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.

As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.

Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.

Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.

New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.

The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

J.J. Watt Contemplated Joining Steelers In 2021

July 9th, 2023 at 2:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.J. Watt is set to join CBS as a broadcaster this season to begin his next football chapter, but the future Hall of Famer recently reflected on his free agency in 2021. That process nearly resulted in a deal which would have allowed him to team up with his brothers in Pittsburgh.

Watt was one of the league’s most high-profile free agents that offseason, with his historic Texans tenure having come to an end. A Steelers accord would have allowed J.J. to play with fullback Derek Watt and fellow edge rusher T.J. Watt. The latter inked a monster extension that year, though, averaging $28MM per season (the highest AAV ever given to a pass rusher, and the still the second-highest figure amongst all NFL defenders to this day). The elder Watt was hesitant to have his own free agency interfere with the Steelers’ extension for T.J.

“They were on the list,” Watt said of the Steelers when reflecting on his decision-making process (Twitter link). “It certainly would have been awesome to play with my brothers, but T.J. was also going through the contract situation there, so the last thing I wanted to do was come in and take any money away from his contract.”

In the end, J.J. Watt inked a two-year deal with the Cardinals and he finished his career in Arizona. Returning to full health, he remained highly productive with 12.5 sacks on the year. Rather than extending his career in another new home, however, he elected to go out on a personal high note and hang up his cleats.

The Steelers have certainly not been short on edge production during T.J. Watt’s tenure, though adding his brother to the mix would have given the team even more firepower in that regard. Instead, the past two seasons in particular have seen Alex Highsmith emerge as not only a bonafide starter, but a pass rusher due a substantial raise on a new Steelers deal. Talks on the extension front are ongoing, but mutual interest exists to get a contract worked out this summer, perhaps as early as training camp later this month.

Provided Highsmith is on the books beyond 2023 when the new season kicks off, Pittsburgh will remain in good hands in the pass-rushing department for years to come. The prospect of J.J. Watt finishing his career as a Steeler is certainly one which will lead to what if-type questions being asked now and in the future, though.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  8. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  9. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  10. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  11. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  12. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  13. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  14. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  15. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  16. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  17. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  18. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  19. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  20. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  21. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  22. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  23. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  24. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  25. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  26. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  27. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  28. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  29. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  30. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  31. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  32. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Latest On Steelers’ ILB Situation

July 1st, 2023 at 4:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers will have quite a different look at inside linebacker in 2023 than they had in 2022. Free agency took a toll on the room in the offseason but still helped them to reload a bit at the position. In a mailbag Q&A this week, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic addressed the question of whether or not Pittsburgh did enough to address the position this spring.

First, let’s address the losses. All three of the team’s top contributors at inside linebacker departed in free agency in the offseason. Myles Jack was heading into the second year of the two-year contract he had signed to join the Steelers last year, but the team, instead, decided to release the veteran linebacker to open up about $8MM of cap space. After being allowed to test his market in free agency, Devin Bush signed a one-year contract in Seattle. Lastly, Robert Spillane, who served as a spot starter and factored heavily into the defensive rotation last year, also found his way to free agency, departing for Las Vegas.

That left three holes atop the roster at inside linebacker, including two starting spots. For one spot, the team signed former Commanders linebacker Cole Holcomb. A fifth-round pick for Washington back in 2019, Holcomb was an immediate starter as a rookie. This wasn’t the first time that Holcomb had surpassed expectations as, in college, he earned a scholarship after initially walking on at North Carolina. He’s now started 48 of the 50 games he’s appeared in, but injuries have kept him from appearing in a possible 16 additional games. Most crucially, he missed 10 games in 2022 due to a knee injury in November and foot surgery that ended his season in December. If healthy, though, Holcomb can certainly perform as the team’s top linebacker. His best season saw him rank as the league’s 23rd best linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in 2020, and despite his injuries, he ranked 35th in 2022.

Another spot was filled by former Patriots and Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts. An eighth-year veteran, Roberts had a bit of a breakout year in 2022. After seeing his role diminish over his final years with the Patriots, Roberts found a way to improve over each season in Miami. Finally starting in every game of the season in 2022, Roberts recorded career-highs in total tackles (107), tackles for loss (10), and sacks (4.5) and tied a career-high in quarterback hits (6). He’s never graded out highly by PFF standards as a full-service linebacker, but last year, Roberts topped all NFL linebackers with an 89.2 pass rushing grade.

Pittsburgh is planning on filling the third hole internally by putting more responsibility on the shoulders of Mark Robinson to fill Spillane’s role from last year. A seventh-round pick for the team in 2022, Robinson only appeared in four games last season, making two starts in the final two games of the year. The Steelers have taken their time with Robinson, who had only played one season at linebacker in college after switching from running back. The team seems confident in Robinson’s ability to step up in Year 2. They relied on him last year in the team’s last two games against the Ravens and Browns, two run-heavy teams, and he may play a similar role this year.

For depth at inside linebacker, the team brought in Nick Kwiatkoski and Tanner Muse. Kwiatkoski has past experience as a full-time starter but hasn’t started a game since the 2020 season. Muse is primarily a special teamer.

So, did the Steelers do enough to address the losses at the position? It may be too soon to say whether they’ve successfully filled the holes in the roster. They did a lot, and the holes are filled, but whether they’ve been filled effectively has yet to be determined. Kaboly does think that the team has done enough to at least satisfy the demands of the roster. He doesn’t believe that the team will continue to pursue Kwon Alexander or other free agents, barring injury to the three players above. Unless Holcomb, Roberts, and Robinson make it clear that they can’t handle the duties of the position, Kaboly believes that “the 90 they have is the 90 they will bring to camp.”

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