Joe Rutter stories, Page 13
New corner Darius Slay wants to bring championship mentality to Steelers
After missing the first day of organized team activities, cornerback Darius Slay roamed the practice field Wednesday for the Pittsburgh Steelers, using his time on a rainy day to get to know his new teammates. Playing for just his third NFL team in 13 seasons, Slay said it was important...
QB Mason Rudolph on return to Steelers as potential starter: ‘It’s good to feel wanted’
It’s not lost on Mason Rudolph that he’s no longer an afterthought to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two years ago, Rudolph was a free agent for two months without any job offers before he accepted a one-year deal to be the team’s third-string quarterback. Last year, despite Rudolph winning the final...
Steelers gear up for OTAs preparing to face some familiar issues
Since making another all-too-familiar early playoff exit, the Pittsburgh Steelers have waited for a chance to get back on the field and turn the page toward a new season. That wait ends on Tuesday with the start of organized team activities. Offseason conditioning began last month, but this part of...
Report: Steelers 1st-round pick Derrick Harmon agrees to 4-year rookie contract
First-round draft pick Derrick Harmon became the final member of the Pittsburgh Steelers draft class to sign his rookie contract, NFL Network reported Wednesday. Harmon, a 21-year-old defensive lineman, agreed to a four-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $17,973,604. It includes an approximate $9.7 million signing bonus. With Harmon in...
Steelers’ undrafted free agent fullback DJ Thomas-Jones brings ‘passion and violence’ to position
Unhappy that DJ Thomas-Jones didn’t get all-conference recognition on the top three teams last season, his former teammates at South Alabama gave him a nice consolation prize. The 6-foot-2, 256-pound fullback had returned to school after NFL Draft preparations and was working out in the weight room this spring when...
NFL schedule makers ‘tried to play it down the middle’ when weighing Steelers, Aaron Rodgers saga
It remains to be seen whether Aaron Rodgers will be the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback when they face his former team, the Green Bay Packers, on Oct. 26. The NFL schedule makers didn’t hesitate to give that matchup the prime-time treatment even while the 41-year-old quarterback remains unsigned amid weighing the...
Steelers to open season on road against Jets, Justin Fields, will close it at home vs. Ravens
For the 10th time in the past 11 years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will open the regular season on the road. For the first time in 23 years, they will close it with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens. The NFL unveiled the 2025 schedule Wednesday night, and for the...
Steelers loaded up in draft on players from ‘best conference in football,’ says OLB Jack Sawyer
When Pittsburgh Steelers management set out to make the defense more physical this season, it probably wasn’t a coincidence that they targeted players from the Big Ten. The style of play associated with the Big Ten is of a gritty, hard-nosed variety. Contrast that to the glitz and glamour of...
Quarterback Will Howard taking nothing for granted as he begins rookie journey with Steelers
A two-year starter at Ohio State and captain for the national champions in 2024, linebacker Jack Sawyer felt like a second-stringer at his own draft party two weeks ago. After being taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round, Sawyer was anxious to see where teammate Will Howard would...
Still grieving death of mother, Derrick Harmon trying to make most of Steelers rookie minicamp weekend
Derrick Harmon hasn’t gotten around to taking the customary tour of Pittsburgh that the Steelers’ first-round draft pick typically enjoys. He hasn’t eaten at Primanti Bros., taken the incline to the top of Mt. Washington or received a close-up view of Acrisure Stadium. Harmon, the defensive tackle from Oregon, returned...
5 things to watch: D-line draft picks take center stage as Steelers hold rookie minicamp
The NFL officially turned the page toward the 2025 season in March with the start of free agency, the tipping point of the league’s new calendar year. Teams followed suit in April, before the draft, with the start of voluntary conditioning workouts. Another marker takes place this weekend for the...
Steelers trade WR George Pickens to Cowboys for draft picks
The Pittsburgh Steelers are done waiting for wide receiver George Pickens to correct his maturity issues. The Steelers traded Pickens, their mercurial fourth-year wide receiver, to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, completing a deal that had been discussed two weeks ago during the NFL Draft. The Steelers will receive the...
Time will tell if Steelers’ plan, patient approach at quarterback pays off
For much of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ plan for adding a third quarterback was that they didn’t seem to have one. They didn’t select one on the first day, passing on Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. Or the second when they again passed on Sanders. Tyler Shough was...
Steelers address physicality in NFL Draft, beef up defense on Day 3
What transpired this weekend at the NFL Draft provided further confirmation that the Pittsburgh Steelers were sick of being pushed around in the playoffs. After losing a sixth consecutive playoff game in January — and trailing by at least 21 first-half points in four of the past five postseason matchups...
Harrisburg’s Donte Kent excited to be drafted by Steelers with second 7th-round pick
Donte Kent grew up in Harrisburg, but he didn’t grow up rooting for the team that selected him Saturday in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Kent, a 5-foot-10, 189-pound cornerback from Central Michigan, not only didn’t cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he wasn’t a fan of the Philadelphia...
Carson Bruener bio box: Steelers’ 7th-round pick (No. 226 overall) in 2025 NFL Draft
CARSON BRUENER Seventh-round pick, No. 226 overall Linebacker, Washington 6-foot-1, 227 pounds Stats: Led the Huskies with 104 tackles and three interceptions as a senior. Hometown: Woodinville, Wash. ???? 12 TKL???? 2 INTCarson Bruener was everywhere in @UW_Football's win over USC ????#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/29v6waIWzZ— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 3, 2024...
Steelers add to QB depth on 3rd day of draft, select Ohio State’s Will Howard in 6th round
On the third day of the NFL Draft and in the sixth round, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally got their developmental quarterback. With the No. 185 overall selection, the Steelers took Ohio State’s Will Howard. It was the fifth consecutive player the Steelers selected from a Big Ten program and second...
Yahya Black bio box: Steelers’ 5th-round pick (No. 164 overall) in 2025 NFL DraftVideo
YAHYA BLACK Fifth-round pick, No. 164 overall Defensive tackle, Iowa 6-foot-6, 336 pounds Stats: Started 27 games over the past two seasons at Iowa. In those two years, he totaled 85 tackles, including 12 for loss. He also had 4.5 sacks with seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Hometown:...
Steelers continue to address defense in 4th round by selecting Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer
Bypassing a quarterback again to start the third day of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers addressed defense for the second time when they took Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in the fourth round Saturday. Sawyer was the No. 123 overall pick. He was selected even with several quarterback...
Steelers select Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in 3rd round of NFL Draft
Getting their running back to replace Najee Harris — and passing on a quarterback for the second day in a row — the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday night. Johnson, a bruising 6-foot-1, 220-pound junior, was the Big Ten...
Art Rooney II: Steelers getting ‘same signals’ from Aaron Rodgers on signing with team
Entering the second night of the NFL Draft, team president Art Rooney II said the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in the market for a quarterback prospect, and he is optimistic 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers is going to join the organization. Rodgers remains unsigned as he deals with personal issues. He visited with...
Steelers select Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in 1st round of NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to take a highly rated quarterback in the NFL Draft when their turn came up Thursday night. They opted to fix a leaky defensive line instead. The Steelers stuck with conventional wisdom and selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon rather than take a chance...
Could this be year Steelers buck history and trade back in 1st round of NFL Draft?
In 2001, Mike Tomlin was in his first season as an NFL assistant coach, hired by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay to coach defensive backs. Omar Khan was new to the Pittsburgh Steelers, hired by second-year director of football operations Kevin Colbert to handle business operations and negotiate contracts. That...
Joe Rutter’s mock draft: Steelers will turn attention to defensive line, draft Derrick Harmon
In his first two drafts as Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan went to great lengths to fortify the offensive line. Expect him to begin a reconstruction of the defensive line this year. Cameron Heyward was the last defensive lineman taken by the Steelers in the first round, and he’s...
Steelers notebook: Jaylen Warren signs 1-year tender; DL group has players in all ‘shapes and sizes’
As they consider adding a running back from a deep draft class, the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a veteran to a contract for the 2025 season. Jaylen Warren, who is entering his fourth season, signed his restricted free-agent tender Tuesday, guaranteeing his $5.35 million salary. The Steelers tendered Warren at the...
