Joe Rutter stories, Page 59
Steelers sign All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to record-setting 5-year contract
The Pittsburgh Steelers made two-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick the highest-paid player at his position Wednesday, signing him to a five-year contract that runs through 2026. ESPN reported the four additional years on Fitzpatrick’s contract — he already was signed to a fifth-year option for 2022 — average $18.4 million...
Lawrenceville grandmother unwittingly plays pickleball with Steelers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Minkah Fitzpatrick
She has become a viral sensation on Twitter. She has been interviewed by newspapers and TV stations, and she has done the morning radio show circuit. Meg Burkardt’s time in the spotlight has exceeded her allotted 15 minutes, but she is not done soaking in the attention. “I’m going to...
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s absence creates opportunity for Damontae Kazee
For a team that embraces a next-man-up approach when a starter isn’t on the field, the Pittsburgh Steelers put that philosophy to work in offseason practices and could do so again when training camp begins next month. Minkah Fitzpatrick’s decision not to participate in team activities during OTAs and minicamp...
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick ‘locked in’ despite lack of practice time with Steelers teammates
Terrell Edmunds wants to clear up any misconceptions about fellow safety Minkah Fitzpatrick’s participation — or lack thereof — at the Pittsburgh Steelers three-day minicamp this week. “Even though he’s not practicing, it doesn’t mean he’s not locked in,” Edmunds said Thursday. “He’s still out there trying to give out...
Brian Flores focused on helping Steelers improve, not on lawsuit with NFL
Brian Flores said he takes about a minute a day to divert his attention from his day-to-day duties as linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And when Flores takes that 60-second respite, the man who is suing the NFL and its 32 teams alleging racial discrimination in the league’s hiring...
WR Diontae Johnson ‘ready to work’ as he awaits potential contract extension from Steelers
Diontae Johnson sees the exorbitant contracts being given to top NFL receivers, and he wants to share in the riches. He just doesn’t plan to use a holdout as a method of obtaining one. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, who is entering his fourth year, reported to mandatory minicamp Tuesday...
In name of safety, Steelers debut astronaut-like helmet protective coverings at minicamp
When the Pittsburgh Steelers practiced Tuesday on the first day of minicamp, players sported helmets that looked more suited for NASA than the NFL. It was the first time since the NFL passed a resolution at the spring annual meeting that players were required to wear a soft shell protective...
5 storylines to watch as Steelers head into the last stop in offseason before training camp
Before the 90 members of the Pittsburgh Steelers roster can enjoy a six-week absence from football before the start of training camp, one piece of unfinished business remains on the offseason calendar. Unlike everything else that took place since mid-April, attendance no longer is voluntary. Standing in the way of...
Steelers sign WR Calvin Austin to 4-year rookie contract; Kenny Pickett last unsigned pick
Fourth-round draft pick Calvin Austin III signed his four-year rookie contract Monday with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett as the only unsigned player from the seven-member draft class. Austin, a 5-foot-8 wide receiver from Memphis, signed on the eve of players reporting to mandatory minicamp at UPMC...
Derek Watt waiting for another chance to expand role of fullback in Steelers offense
As the Pittsburgh Steelers try to improve a running game that has ranked no higher than No. 29 in rushing yards over the past four seasons, they have committed to several changes. They switched offensive coordinators after the 2020 season. They used a first-round pick on Najee Harris in 2021,...
Steelers teammates reflect on Stephon Tuitt’s retirement following 8 NFL seasons
Cam Heyward was hoping Stephon Tuitt, his teammate for the past eight seasons, would return to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice facility just one time this spring. Once inside, Tuitt would be embraced by his teammates. The affection he would receive would be enough to convince the 29-year-old defensive end to...
His knee finally healed, Steelers LB Devin Bush playing with a ‘whole new slate’ in 2022
At this time a year ago, while his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates conducted voluntary workouts, Devin Bush slowly walked around the border of the field, dragging a rope with weighted plates attached. The weights — steel-plated or metaphorical ones — have been removed this year for the Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker....
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt announces retirement after 8 years with Steelers
Stephon Tuitt has decided to retire rather than return from a one-year absence and play the final season of his contract for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers announced Tuitt’s decision Wednesday about two hours after the team conducted its second voluntary workout of the week at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex....
Returning to Steelers on 1-year contract was ‘best situation’ for safety Terrell Edmunds
Four years as the starting free safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t bring an abundance of riches to Terrell Edmunds in his first foray into free agency. After hitting the open market in mid-March, Edmunds waited for the right offer to surface. Then, he waited some more. And some more....
Lifelong dream comes true for new Steelers general manager Omar Khan
Growing up in New Orleans, it didn’t take long for Omar Khan to realize his path to the NFL wouldn’t come as a player. “When I was running around that football field and I realized I wasn’t as good of an athlete as everyone else on that field, I’d better...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
