Steelers/NFL category, Page 256
First Call: Who is Steelers most underappreciated player; Pittsburgh connections help Hurricanes beat Rangers
Friday’s “First Call” debates the Steelers most “underappreciated player.” We also look ahead to the Pirates game against Joe Musgrove. And some Pittsburgh connections played a role in the Carolina Hurricanes win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night. Plus, a happy anniversary for the Penguins, but a sad...
Chuks Okorafor glad to be back with Steelers as 3rd-year starting right tackle
Like most NFL players, Chuks Okorafor waited four years before he could become an unrestricted free agent. He waited less than six hours to go under contract once again. “Obviously,” Okorafor said, “I wanted to be back, because I came back. And obviously, they wanted me back, too.” Two-and-a-half months...
Unlike Diontae Johnson, WR Chase Claypool a steady presence for Steelers at offseason practices
Three wide receivers departed in free agency, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers with two players at the position who had just two years of experience in their offensive system. Only one decided to show up for organized team activities this week. “I didn’t want to be at home when all these...
U mad, bro?: Steelers quarterback carping; Penguins postseason pouting; Pittsburgh postseason pontification
This week’s “U mad, bro?” features clamoring about the Steelers’ quarterback situation. There is much fretting about the future of the Penguins. Fans are pushing back about my concern of recent Pittsburgh playoff incompetence. Plus, my readers are very fired up about a particular movie poll. And, well, I think...
First Call: Jaromir Jagr avoids serious injury in auto crash with tram; Bruce Arians discusses Antonio Brown
In Thursday’s “First Call,” former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Bruce Arians discusses where things went wrong with Antonio Brown. Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr escapes a frightening auto crash. The Pens are celebrating a pair of anniversaries. And the Pirates did something they rarely do en route to victory Wednesday. Arians...
Sportsbook lists Steelers QB Kenny Pickett as favorite for NFL offensive rookie of year
Kenny Pickett isn’t yet taking first-team reps for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But at least one sportsbook believes he will by the time the games matter. Sportsbetting.ag on Wednesday released its odds for various NFL postseason awards for the 2022 season. It rated Pickett as its favorite for Offensive Rookie of...
Omar Khan ‘ready for this challenge’ after being announced as Steelers general manager
When Omar Khan arrived in Pittsburgh in 2001, he joined an organization that had hired Kevin Colbert a year earlier. After spending more than two decades working under Colbert, Khan officially will be replacing him. The Steelers announced Wednesday that Khan has been promoted to general manager, confirming reports that...
Mark Madden: Omar Khan’s role, Mitch Trubisky’s future, Diontae Johnson’s bad PR move among Steelers storylines
The Penguins season is over, Steelers OTAs are mostly meaningless and the Pirates lead the MLB in errors. Refreshing sports notes are your last hope. Allez, allez, allez! • The Steelers spent weeks interviewing GM candidates, narrowed down to six finalists, then hired the in-house guy. That’s entertainment. Here’s betting...
Tim Benz: Mitch Trubisky navigating choppy waters of Steelers QB situation with ease on Day 1
If Mitch Trubisky can read a defense as well as he can read a room, then maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers really do have a diamond in the rough. Speaking with reporters Tuesday for the first time (in person, anyway) after the first OTA practice, Trubisky appropriately addressed, deftly sidestepped or...
Report: Steelers to name Omar Khan next general manager, replacing Kevin Colbert
The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to remain internal for their next general manager. Omar Khan, the organization’s vice president of football and business administration, is expected to replace Kevin Colbert as GM, ESPN reported Tuesday night. Khan, 45, has been with the Steelers for 21 seasons and, as one of...
Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph embrace Steelers QB battle, even after adding Kenny Pickett
It’s May. As Mike Tomlin is wont to say, the players were wearing shorts. Pads weren’t on, and no one was tackling. The regular-season opener stood 110 days away. A small group of prominent veterans didn’t even show up. But for all the qualifiers associated with the opening of the...
On 1st day of Steelers OTAs, quarterbacks reflect on death of Dwayne Haskins
Four quarterbacks lined up behind center and took snaps Tuesday for the Pittsburgh Steelers on the first day of organized team activities. Mason Rudolph couldn’t help but think about one who should have been on the field with them but wasn’t. The voluntary workout was the first for the Steelers...
Kendrick Green taking Steelers OTAs reps competing with Kevin Dotson at left guard
Last year at this time, Kendrick Green was hoping to impress as a rookie to earn the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting center job. Kevin Dotson appeared entrenched as a starter at guard for years to come. On the opening day of 2022’s organized team activities, the two were competing against each...
Steelers begin OTAs minus defensive end Stephon Tuitt
A veteran defensive lineman joined teammates for offseason practice Tuesday, ending his extended on-field absence from the Pittsburgh Steelers. It just wasn’t the player whose time away from the organization has generated so much speculation about his future. While nose tackle Tyson Alualu attended the first of six organized team...
First Call: Aaron Donald not at OTAs yet; NFL free agents at positions of need for Steelers; ex-Penguin stays hot in playoffs
Tuesday’s “First Call” updates the Aaron Donald situation in Los Angeles. We check in on potential free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers may want to investigate. A rematch of an ex-Pirate pitching duel takes a turn. And a former Penguin stays hot in the postseason. A.D.’s day Los Angeles Rams star...
Report: Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins intoxicated when struck, killed in April
Dwayne Haskins was legally intoxicated when he was struck and killed by a dump truck last month while walking along a south Florida interstate, according to a medical examiner’s report obtained Monday by the Miami Herald. Haskins, the 24-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, was walking along the interstate in search of...
Steelers to begin annual OTAs with plenty of questions to answer
The third phase of the NFL’s offseason conditioning program kicks off this week, and it represents the first chance for teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers to practice football in shorts. No contact is permitted, but the Steelers can conduct 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 workouts during organized team activities (OTAs) and...
First Call: Michael Vick remains retired; Jameson Taillon shines for Yankees; Pirates hope for break vs. Rockies
Monday’s “First Call” debunks the thought that former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Michael Vick may try a comeback. Jameson Taillon continues to author a fine season in New York. Josh Bell has cooled off in Washington. The Pirates may get a break with the Rockies in town. And Patric Hornqvist is...
Switching positions a ‘life-changing’ event for Steelers rookie 7th-rounder Mark Robinson
For years, Mark Robinson envisioned a football career predicated on how well he made others miss tackles. He never thought he might earn an NFL paycheck because of his ability to make them. A position switch from running back to linebacker turned out to be a seminal moment for Robinson,...
Steelers sign 3rd-round draft pick DeMarvin Leal to 4-year contract
Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal became the latest Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick to sign his four-year rookie contract. Leal, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive end from Texas A&M, signed his contract Friday, the team announced. He was the team’s third-round pick, the 84th overall selection. The four-year deal has a slot value...
Tim Benz: Steelers, Penguins both idling in Pittsburgh playoff purgatory
Pittsburgh once referred to itself as the “City of Champions,” based on the success of its sports teams in the 1970s, 1990s and early 2000s. Of late, though, those franchises have gone from playoff champions to playoff chumps. • The Penguins’ recently completed playoff series loss to the New York...
First Call: Another in-house candidate gets 2nd Steelers GM interview; Mike Tomlin applauds retiring Raven
Friday’s “First Call” has an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager interviews. We also get a look at the franchise’s offseason “to do” list. Mike Tomlin pays respect to a retiring Baltimore Raven. And an ex-Penguin plays a role in St. Louis’ win in Colorado on Thursday night. Keeping...
Like his predecessor at Samford, QB Chris Oladokun not ducking challenge of earning roster spot with Steelers
Chris Oladokun is well aware of the parallels between his story and the one authored three years ago by Devlin Hodges. Oladokun followed Hodges’ path in college by spending two years at Samford, the FCS school located in Alabama. Like Hodges, he is entering offseason workouts in his rookie season...
First Call: Antonio Brown postpones his Pittsburgh concert; a Steelers GM candidate is out of the mix
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers fans are going to have to wait for the triumphant return of Antonio Brown. One candidate to replace Kevin Colbert as Steelers general manager is out of the running. An ex-Penguin burns the New York Rangers in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs....
Steelers conduct 2nd interview for GM position with Mt. Lebanon native Andy Weidl
Andy Weidl is one step closer to a homecoming with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Weidl, a Mt. Lebanon native and Philadelphia Eagles executive, became the fifth person to receive a second interview for the team’s general manager position. Weidl interviewed Wednesday, the Steelers announced. Weidl was a player personnel assistant with...
