Tag: OTA’s

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren focused on a Super Bowl, not a contract

Jaylen Warren is more worried about a Super Bowl than he is a contract.

With a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive line, the Pittsburgh Steelers run game has a chance to be special this season. The addition of Arthur Smith means a new commitment to the run game and drafting two top-tier offensive linemen gives Pittsburgh the potential for a top offensive line.

That run game is going to be led by the tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The two combined for 1,819 rushing yards last season with questionable offensive line and quarterback play.

Both guys are also set to hit free agency at the end of the season. Harris is an unrestricted free agent and the feeling is he will not be re-signed. Warren is a restricted free agent meaning he doesn’t have much leverage with the team for 2025.

Warren was asked about a contract extension after OTA practice and he gave exactly the answer you want to hear. He says he’s more worried about a Super Bowl than he is about a contract. If the Steelers do not re-sign Harris at the end of the season, Warren suddenly holds all the cards as the team’s lead running back.

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Steelers GM Omar Khan has ‘no regrets’ not releasing Cameron Heyward

Steelers GM Omar Khan doesn’t regret not releasing Cam Heyward.

Omar Khan had choices with veteran defensive end Cam Heyward. The Pittsburgh Steelers general manager could’ve released him and saved $16 million in salary cap ($6.4 in dead money), but he chose to let things play out.

For Heyward, that meant skipping most organized team activities (OTAs) while seeking a contract extension. There’s been communication, according to Heyward, but he hasn’t gotten one (yet). Still, he opted to show up at the practice field on Wednesday with two sessions remaining.

Does Khan regret not releasing the 35-year-old? According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, not one iota.

“He has no regrets at all,” Dulac answered in a June 5 chat transcript. “The Steelers intended to honor the final year of his contract and they still do. That’s what made Cam’s threat to skip OTAs for a contract extension seem so curious.”

Whether Heyward will practice when mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday is a different story. He could be a hold-in, but we’ll see next week.

Another option Khan had was to ask Heyward to take a pay cut, as they’ve done with Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis, James Harrison and others in the past.

According to Over the Cap, the Steelers have just north of $16 million in salary cap space, so there’s really no need to ask him to — unless that is, they finally grab a top-tier receiver.

Yeah, it’s a touchy subject.

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Steelers DT Cam Heyward wants to be a ‘one-helmet guy’

Cam Heyward was back to practice on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward returned to practice. This is the first time Heyward has been to OTAs this offseason and it gives cause for encouragement that the Steelers and Heyward are closing in on a contract extension.

After practice, Heyward addressed the contract and while he sounded optimistic he did note that there isn’t a contract as of now but he definitely wants to continue playing and he wants to continue playing for the Steelers.

“There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys,” Heyward said. “I want to be one of those one-helmet guys. There’s a hunger and a desire there, but that doesn’t mean just hanging it up and calling it a career. To me, I have more bullets to fire and I’m excited to do that.”

Heyward struggled through a nasty groin injury in 2023 that forced him to miss six games and play hurt in almost as many. He finished with just two sacks, the worst since his second year in the NFL. Heyward is No. 2 on the Steelers career sack list behind linebacker T.J. Watt but is insistent he has plenty of great football left in him.

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Steelers DL Cameron Heyward returns to team facilities

Cam is back!

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is back at the Steelers facility on Tuesday as the team starts their third week of organized team activities (OTAs).

Heyward hadn’t been attending any voluntary workouts so far this season. This is the first time in Heyward’s previous 13 seasons that Heyward has not been to these workouts. This had been in response to Heyward wanting a contract extension this offseason. Heyward is heading into the final year of his current contract and admittedly coming off an injury-riddled season where his production was down.

We are optimistic the arrival of Heyward at OTAs means the two sides have come to an agreement that will keep him with the Steelers for the foreseeable future.

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Steelers EDGE Nick Herbig taking advantage of T.J. Watt’s absence at OTAs

Nick Herbig has seen an increase in snaps with T.J. Watt on vacation.

Before you ask, no Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt isn’t holding out for more money. Watt’s absence from OTAs this year is slightly less dramatic and is simply for a vacation. One guy who is excited about Watt’s absence is fellow edge defender Nick Herbig who has used the opportunity to get extra reps at practice.

Herbig spoke to Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly and talked about him taking advantage of his opportunities.

I look at this like a chance to get better and be able to go against a guy like Broderick [Jones]. You have to take full advantage of opportunities like these. You love when TJ is here because he is a great player and role model for us, but it is great to get some reps with the ones. When you have a guy of his caliber around every day, it’s kind of hard not to ask questions.

Herbig heads into the season as the team’s primary backup to Watt and Alex Highsmith. Herbig played very limited snaps last season with veteran Markus Golden serving as the top reserve at edge and he finished with a modest 3.0 sacks. Herbig is a perfect breakout candidate this season with more reps.

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Steelers TE Connor Heyward ready to contribute on offense

The Steelers need to find ways to get Connor Heyward more involved on offense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted tight end Connor Heyward not just because he was the younger brother of Cam Heyward but because he was an excellent tight end and running back at Michigan State.

But so far, through two seasons, Heyward hasn’t found a spot in the regular offense and has mainly impacted the team on special teams. Something Heyward wants to change this year.

“It’s hard to get hype for the game when you’re not playing as much offense or defense because growing up, that’s part of the game,” Heyward said. “Special teams is fun, but you want to be out there for offense and defense.”

We are cautiously optimistic that Heyward will have a breakout season in 2024 with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in charge. Heyward can operate out of the backfield, inline and in the slot which gives them plenty of ways to get him more involved in the rushing and passing game.

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Big changes coming for the NFL offseason

The NFL is looking to lengthen training camp and make all other offseason workouts voluntary.

According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, the NFL is proposing some significant changes to how the league will handle OTAs and training camps as early as next offseason.

End of OTAs? The NFL Players Association is working to finalize a proposal to overhaul the offseason starting as soon as 2025, eliminating voluntary on-field work in the spring in favor of a longer training camp ramp-up, with players reporting in mid-June to early July, per sources.

The proposal would mean everything team-related prior to training camp would be voluntary but the start of training camp would be adjusted to start in some cases a couple of weeks sooner.

One big benefit of this for players would be in contract negotiations. Often times players will sit out mandatory workouts during contract negotiations but this would give them multiple weeks in the spring and early summer to work on those negotiations with less concern about repercussions.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin downplays Cameron Heyward’s absence from OTAs

Mike Tomlin intentionally did not clarify Cameron Heyward’s contract situation.

For the first time in 14 seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is holding out of team activities. This feels like it should be big news but of course, head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t seem to think so. In fact, when Tomlin spoke to the media during OTAs, he tried to spin the whole thing into a positive for him since it allowed him to get other players into the rotation.

Heyward is heading into the final year of the four-year, $65.6 million contract he signed in September 2020. The Steelers are on the hook for a sizable $22.4 million cap hit this season for Heyward, so a contract extension might actually offer the Steelers some cap relief if they are still eyeing a trade for a premier wide receiver.

Nothing Tomlin said gives us any indication whether the two sides are working on a contract, want to do a contract or anything along those lines. We assume a deal will get done, but with this new, aggressive front office, it is best to expect the unexpected.

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Steelers OT Broderick Jones on the QB position: ‘There’s no secret it’s gonna be a battle’

Broderick Jones talked quarterback battle on Tuesday.

Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones talked to the media about his new quarterbacks and he definitely made it seem like the starting spot is far from set in stone.

Jones was asked about the differences in his new quarterbacks when he said it was no secret it would be a battle, meaning between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Jones also said he wished them both the best and then mentioned how former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had mentioned using Fields in a similar way to how the Saints used to use Taysom Hill.

When head coach Mike Tomlin talked about the quarterback situation earlier in the offseason he gave the impression that Wilson was the frontrunner for the starting job but we are really hoping what Jones said and what Fields said earlier today is the reality and this is a fair position battle with the best quarterback in the starting lineup on Week One.

 

Steelers RB Najee Harris declines interview request after OTAs

Najee Harris isn’t ready to talk to the media about his contract.

If you were hoping to get some clarification from Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris about the rumors surrounding his contract, you will have to keep waiting. Harris was at OTAs on Tuesday, late and excused by head coach Mike Tomlin but declined to speak to the media after practice.

The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option this offseason meaning Harris will play the 2024 season and then hit free agency. This is of course unless Harris and the Steelers can come together on a contract extension this offseason.

But the controversy comes from the rumor that Harris actually asked to have his fifth-year option declined and he is ready to move on from the Steelers at the end of the season—a claim his agent refuted.

We might never know the truth but with Harris’ willingness to always speak openly and honestly with the media, his absence on Tuesday came as a surprise.

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