Joe Rutter stories, Page 2

Five things we learned from Steelers 34, Jets 32: 1. Dreaming big For the first time since the 2015 season, the Steelers put up 34 points in a second opener. For the first time since 2020 when Ben Roethlisberger was in his penultimate season, a quarterback had four touchdown passes...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — His “hold-in” during training camp didn’t generate the attention that Cameron Heyward’s did. He didn’t get an 11th-hour sweetener added to his contract even though, like Heyward, he has two years remaining on his deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chris Boswell also never publicly expressed disappointment...

Numbers in the NFL can deceive. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense last season served as a prime example of such deception. The final ranking showed that the Steelers defense finished eighth in points allowed — it represented a third consecutive top-10 finish — and No. 12 in yards. But anyone who...

A season that is light on appearances at Acrisure Stadium in the first two months and includes a “home” game overseas before an early bye week commences for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday when they travel to East Rutherford, N.J., to face the New York Jets. The Steelers are hoping...

Cam Heyward skipped his scheduled media availability session Thursday morning. He also skipped practice, which isn’t as unusual considering his age and status on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. His defensive coordinator, though, doesn’t plan on Heyward skipping the Steelers’ season opener Sunday against the New York Jets. Heyward continues to...

He’s going back to New York. Well, New Jersey, at least. And he’s going back to face the team with which he spent the past two seasons, missing all but a handful of plays in his first year and going 5-12 as a starter in his second. He’s returning to...

Justin Fields’ leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers for the New York Jets at the outset of free agency was a “mutual” parting, Steeler coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. Fields started the first six games of the 2024 season for the Steelers, compiling a 4-2 record, before losing his job in favor...

Despite holding in and not practicing for much of training camp, Cam Heyward is expected to start Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they open the season against the New York Jets. Heyward hinted last month that he was open to sitting out regular-­season games if he doesn’t get a...

If there was any confusion about Jaylen Warren’s long-term future with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was erased Monday. Warren has never started a game in three NFL seasons, but that didn’t stop the Steelers from giving the 26-year-old running back a three-year, $17.25 million contract. The deal provides a salary...

Jonnu Smith flashed a smile last week when he was asked about his collaboration with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. It’s a question Smith estimates he has answered a million times. From a four-year association with the Tennessee Titans to a 2023 season spent together on the Atlanta Falcons...

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued to tinker with their 53-man roster Wednesday when they placed quarterback Will Howard and defensive back Donte Kent on injured reserve and signed offensive lineman Max Scharping and safety Chuck Clark, according to a source. Howard and Kent must miss a minimum of four games while...

A day after the Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled their initial 53-man roster, players on the proverbial bubble expressed emotions that varied about as much as their skill sets. For seventh-round draft pick Carson Bruener, it was a sigh of relief and an affirmation that his special teams work — and not...

In the end, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t choose between Skylar Thompson and Will Howard as the final quarterback on the 53-man roster. They kept both, giving them four players at the position on the initial roster that was unveiled Tuesday afternoon. The Steelers didn’t immediately place Howard on injured reserve,...

An edge in experience and a multi-year contract weren’t enough for Cameron Johnston to keep his job as Pittsburgh Steelers’ punter. The Steelers terminated the contract of Johnston on Monday as they made another round of roster reductions to get closer to the 53-man limit. In addition to shedding Johnston’s...

The top three outside linebackers on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster played a combined three snaps during the preseason, and coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t yet know how many of his veterans at those two positions he will have available when the regular season opens Sept. 7. Tomlin will have former NFL...

Ten days into training camp, Skylar Thompson was the clear No. 4 option at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a near lock to be placed on waivers when final roster moves are made this week. At the conclusion of the preseason, Thompson had the most snaps, touchdowns and passing...

Derrick Harmon was looking forward to lining up on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line for the first snap of the season opener Sept. 7 at the New York Jets. The rookie defensive tackle, the team’s first-round draft pick, had played well enough in offseason workouts and training camp to earn...

Aaron Rodgers offered a one-word wish for the final preseason game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Health.” Rodgers didn’t have to worry about the risk of injury because he didn’t play a snap against the Carolina Panthers. Or in the entire preseason, for that matter. Same goes for Cameron Heyward, T.J....

A knee injury suffered by first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon put a blemish on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason finale. Harmon was injured with 10 minutes, 4 seconds left in the second quarter of the Steelers’ 19-10 victory against the Carolina Panthers and was taken from the field on a medical...

Aaron Rodgers has gone into a football season without taking any preseason snaps. Mike Tomlin, though, has never entered a year without his starter getting at least some playing time in the exhibition games. Tomlin will see if his way is the correct approach as he announced Tuesday that Rodgers...

When he took the field for the preseason opener, linebacker Cole Holcomb looked like someone who hadn’t played an organized football game in 21 months. Which, of course, he hadn’t. When he played last weekend against Tampa Bay, Holcomb looked like someone more at ease playing in the middle of...

As is the case in every preseason game, there was a mixture of good and bad performances on display Saturday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. The last-second 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers featured some contributions from rookies Derrick Harmon and Kaleb Johnson, who each rebounded...

Roman Wilson provided optimism Saturday night that the Pittsburgh Steelers may have a capable No. 2 wide receiver this season. The second-year wideout, who missed all but a handful of snaps last season, caught two passes for 72 yards in the Steelers’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at...

Art Rooney II and Ben Roethlisberger took a trip down memory lane Saturday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled an exhibit commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Super Bowl XL season. Two hours before the Steelers kicked off their second preseason game against Tampa Bay, the team’s president and future...