Category: 2022 Steelers season

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had signed safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to a new five-year contract, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Here are our four big takeaways from this signing.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have several key starters entering the final year of their respective contracts this offseason. One of those is wide receiver Diontae Johnson. It’s no secret Johnson does not want to play this season on the final year of his rookie contract. Johnson is set to make just over $3 million in 2022.

This offseason has been a fascinating one for wide receivers. There have been several guys getting massive new contracts and you can bet Johnson has kept a close eye on those numbers. But there are two things working against Johnson.

First up, Johnson has one big season under his belt. Johnson finished the 2021 season with 106 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. All of which led the team. But one big season doesn’t net you a huge contract. Especially not with the Steelers. JuJu Smith-Schuster had an even better season in 2018 in terms of catches and yards and the team never even considered a contract.

Additionally, the Steelers added two playmaking wide receivers in the 2022 NFL draft. The team could easily wait to see what they have in Calvin Austin and George Pickens before committing long-term to Johnson. Especially with a new quarterback.

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Cast your vote and tell us if you think the Steelers will give Johnson a new contract this offseason or will he hit free agency.

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We all know that depth is vital for any NFL team. Aside from the inevitable injuries, the proliferation of sub-packages on offense and defense means key reserves see starter snaps. Here are four backups for the Pittsburgh Steelers who might not start but should be key to the team’s success this season.

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Despite the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to move on without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, expectations for this team don’t change. Be competitive, push for the playoffs and win games.

This means every man must do his job from the coaches to the players. But which player is under the most pressure to perform this season?

The easy answer here is whoever ends up being the quarterback whether it’s Kenny Pickett or Mitch Trubisky. But there are other players on the roster who will feel the pressure as well.

The top of the line is inside linebacker Devin Bush. Injuries and underperformance since being drafted have now come to a head and he’s playing for a new contract. Now more excuses for the guy the Steelers traded up to get.

Another linebacker who puts the pressure on himself is T.J. Watt. Coming off of his first Defensive Player of the Year award, Watt has set his own bar incredibly high and says he has work to do.

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Cast your vote and let us know which player you think has the most pressure to perform this season.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers closed minicamp on Thursday and we are back with our latest predictions for who will be the starters in the base 3-4 defense as well as top sub-package defenders. You can check out our predictions for the offense as well. Let us know in the comments who you think will start this season.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers first mandatory minicamp in the books, we decided to update our projected starting offense for the regular season. Let us know in the comments if you think this is what things will look like in September.

Few teams find and develop talent at wide receiver the way the Pittsburgh Steelers do. Let’s take a look at who they have on the roster heading into training camp.

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No matter how good a quarterback is in college football, there is a huge leap once they get into the NFL. In many cases, rookie quarterbacks will lean heavily on the veterans around them to help get them acclimated to the speed and complexity of the NFL game.

But for new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, he doesn’t see that as the responsibility of fellow Steeler Mitch Trubisky or Mason Rudolph. After practice on Wednesday, Pickett made it clear it is his job to take in all he can and learn from the veterans but he doesn’t see it as their job to help him unless he asks for it.

Pickett was the Steelers first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft and for Rudolph and Trubisky, they know it is only a matter of when and not if Pickett is in the starting lineup. All three guys are working to take the spot vacated when Ben Roethlisberger retired, which on its own is a monumental task.

Kenny Pickett was asked about being mentored by veterans Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph… #Steelers @937theFan pic.twitter.com/TSiny9qFpJ

— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) June 8, 2022

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I suppose we can call this whole situation with Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris, “weight-gate” if we want. On Tuesday, Harris addressed the media after practice and he wanted to clarify some rumors about his weight he believed were stared by the media.

Harris originally took exception when social media showed concern over the fact he’s currently at 242 pounds after being listed at 232 pounds last year by the team website. His frustration at the reports was misdirected because they were just basing their opinion on what the team had. Can’t really fault anyone for believing the team.

No one ever questioned Harris’ level of physical conditioning. Whether it is 232lbs or 242lbs, there’s little doubt Harris carries the weight well. But this isn’t about if Harris is fat. Is he fast? I suppose quick is a better word. Last season Harris was the worst in the NFL in yards per carry before contact and plenty of that was his fault. 242 pounds doesn’t matter if you are a half step slow to the crease, where playing at say 230 pounds gets you there faster.

“Ya’ll making it seem like I’m fat as hell.”

Najee Harris just discussed all the talk about weight gain. Says that he played at 242 pounds last year. #Steelers @937theFan pic.twitter.com/NGlXyuga0R

— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) June 7, 2022

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