Joe Rutter stories, Page 13
NFL Draft preview: Steelers to look elsewhere after taking tackles past 2 years in 1st round
Until the first year of the Omar Khan-Andy Weidl regime atop the front office, the Pittsburgh Steelers hadn’t selected an offensive tackle in the first round of an NFL Draft since 1996. Not content with merely breaking that streak in 2023 when they traded up to get Georgia’s Broderick Jones,...
NFL Draft preview: Interior of offensive line no longer immediate concern for Steelers
After spending five draft picks over the past two years on the offensive line, including three on the interior, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to use their resources elsewhere this year. That doesn’t necessarily mean coach Mike Tomlin is sold on the group he will take into organized team activities...
NFL Draft preview: Patience pays off for former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren
Penn State is historically known for churning out linebackers to the NFL. Tyler Warren did his best last year to help carve out a niche for his position on offense. Tight End U, anyone? When Warren enrolled at Penn State during the 2020 pandemic season, he found himself in a...
NFL Draft preview: WR could be in play for Steelers regardless of George Pickens’ future
Until the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired DK Metcalf in a trade, wide receiver was a priority position to fill early in the NFL Draft. It still could be — depending on what the Steelers do with George Pickens. If the Steelers trade Pickens to recoup the second-round pick they gave up...
NFL Draft preview: After losing Najee Harris, Steelers have plenty of RB options in draft
For the past four seasons, Najee Harris’ durability and consistency were valued commodities for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris never missed a game and, while he rarely popped a breakaway run, he topped 1,000 yards in each season. Yet, if there ever was a time for the Steelers to lose their...
Pirates owner Bob Nutting apologizes for way ‘Bucco Brick’ removal was handled, vows quick fix
Pittsburgh Pirates owner and chairman of the board Bob Nutting apologized Saturday for the organization’s handling of the “Bucco Brick” removal process and vowed to “move quickly” to find a solution. Nutting sent an email of apology after reading a column on TribLive that was written last week about the...
NFL Draft preview: Steelers among NFL teams putting quarterbacks under microscope
Quarterback was the least of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ concerns a year ago heading into the NFL Draft. They had three veterans under contract, including a Super Bowl champion and a first-round pick trying to invigorate his career. But with all three passers on one-year contracts, the Steelers knew the situation...
Steelers bring in Texas A&M edge rusher, potential 1st round pick Shemar Stewart for visit
First-round draft prospect Shemar Stewart was one of three players hosted by the Steelers on Friday for official top-30 visits at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Stewart is a 6-foot-5, 267-pound prospect from Texas A&M. Scouts differ on whether Stewart’s future is on the defensive line or at outside linebacker. The...
Shedeur Sanders to Steelers at No. 21? ‘It’s a possibility,’ says ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Considered to be the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft class, Shedeur Sanders once was expected to be long gone by the time the Pittsburgh Steelers made their first-round pick. Not anymore. The former Colorado quarterback and son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders has seen...
Joe Rutter: Discarded Bucco Bricks are more than just pieces of stone
My father didn’t like to ruin surprises, which is why I learned about my Bucco Brick from a fellow sportswriter on Opening Day of the 2001 season. While PNC Park was being constructed late last century, the Pirates held a campaign to sell personalized bricks that would adorn the sidewalks...
Former Steelers defensive lineman Ray Seals dies at 59
Ray Seals, a standout defensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers team that reached Super Bowl XXX, has died, Syracuse.com reported this weekend. Seals was 59. No cause of death was revealed. Seals was the rare player who competed in the NFL without playing a down of college football....
Steelers looking at building offense around WRs DK Metcalf, George Pickens
With the NFL Draft approaching in less than three weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t mind getting back the second-round pick they lost when they traded for DK Metcalf. Trouble is, to do so, they likely would weaken the position they bolstered when they acquired the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver....
As Steelers ponder beefing up defensive line, GM Omar Khan likes ‘the group we have’
PALM BEACH, Fla. — After striking out on acquiring a big-name defensive lineman in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to address that deficiency early in the NFL Draft. Or are they? General manager Omar Khan’s choice of words during his media availability this week at the league’s annual...
Tush Push ban tabled by NFL owners; Art Rooney II in favor of eliminating controversial sneak play
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Tush Push will remain a part of the NFL for at least another month, but count Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II among the owners trying to remove it from the game. The controversial quarterback sneak play, which involves players lining up in the backfield...
Art Rooney II: Steelers won’t wait ‘forever but a little while longer’ for Aaron Rodgers’ decision
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Art Rooney II admitted Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t expect their quarterback saga with Aaron Rodgers to drag out into a third week of free agency. The team’s president, though, remains optimistic an agreement can be reached with the 41-year-old, four-time NFL MVP-winning quarterback who...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin wary of eliminating Tush Push from NFL game
PALM BEACH, Fla. — As a member of the NFL competition committee, Mike Tomlin is involved in determining the fate of the controversial Tush Push play. The Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal banning the play, which has been used to great success by the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills....
Mike Tomlin ‘excited’ about taking Steelers to Ireland; opponent, date remains undertermined
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The NFL updated its list of teams that have secured — and, in some cases, expanded upon — their global marketing rights ahead of the 2025 season. It did not provide any clarity on the date or opponent for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ international game in Ireland....
Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is ‘a guy that I believe in,’ says Browns coach Kevin Stefanski
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Kenny Pickett wasn’t the answer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He could erase questions about his value as an NFL quarterback this season with their AFC North rival in Cleveland. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Pickett, acquired from Philadelphia earlier in March, could get the...
Mike Tomlin ‘comfortable’ if Steelers open season with Mason Rudolph as starting quarterback
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mason Rudolph’s experience as a backup during six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers weighed heavily in his favor when the organization re-signed him after a one-year absence. Rudolph doesn’t have nearly the resume in a starting role, but coach Mike Tomlin said Monday he is fine...
Mike Tomlin: Steelers not ‘hindered’ in free agency by playing quarterback waiting game
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Steelers filled holes in free agency by adding an outside cornerback, a slot corner candidate, an inside linebacker and a complementary running back. What they didn’t get was a high-profile defensive lineman, but coach Mike Tomlin insists that omission was not because of the...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin acknowledges ‘really good’ meeting with Aaron Rodgers, puts no time frame on QB decision
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mike Tomlin doesn’t like to discuss players not already under contract to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made an exception Sunday because of the public nature of his team’s pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers head coach admitted to meeting with Rodgers on March 21 at...
A year after supporting dynamic kickoff, Steelers could see rule become permanent
A year ago, Art Rooney II went from being skeptical about the proposed dynamic kickoff rules proposal to endorsing it by the time the NFL annual meetings concluded. This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers president will have a chance to make the kickoff format a permanent part of the game —...
Russell Wilson officially leaves Steelers, agrees to 1-year contract with Giants, per reports
In a move that signals the Pittsburgh Steelers will have no returning quarterbacks for the second year in a row, Russell Wilson agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Giants, according to ESPN and NFL Network reports. Wilson, who started the final 12 games of the 2024 season,...
5 positions that bear watching for Steelers as free agency winds down, draft talk intensifies
As NFL free agency nears the end of its second week, it’s a good time to analyze what the Pittsburgh Steelers did — and, more importantly, didn’t do — to improve the roster. That correlates with the draft, which is a month away, and where the organization might allocate its...
Aaron Rodgers visits with Steelers at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex
Aaron Rodgers checked out his potential new employer Friday. The 41-year-old quarterback and four-time NFL MVP visited the Pittsburgh Steelers for several hours at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, a source confirmed to TribLive. The Steelers made Rodgers a contract offer when free agency began 10 days ago, and they have...
