Steelers notebook: Team remains unified during pregame activities

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Keeping a promise to remain unified during the playing of the national anthem Monday night against the New York Giants, all Pittsburgh Steelers players stood for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but nobody from the visiting team was on the field for the Black anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

While the Giants players stood along the goal line for “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which was played about 25 minutes before kickoff, the Steelers elected to remain in the locker room.

When Steelers players returned to the field for pregame activities, they lined up along the visiting sideline, and several players unfurled a large white banner that read, “Steelers against racism.” The names of the players’ hometowns were listed on each side of the banner.

Coach Mike Tomlin stood in the middle of the group and was flanked by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.

About a dozen Giants players took a knee during the national anthem, and the Steelers remained standing, although tight end Eric Ebron and rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool raised their right fists.

Tomlin said the Steelers would take a unified stance in the franchise’s statement against police brutality and racial injustice.

During warmups, Tomlin and linebacker T.J. Watt wore T-shirts that read “End Racism.” Among the players who wore “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts were running back James Conner, wide receiver James Washington, cornerback Joe Haden and safety Terrell Edmunds.

Gilbert, McFarland inactive

For the season opener against the Giants, the Steelers had a special teams player and a converted safety as the only players available as the backups at inside linebacker.

Ulysees Gilbert III, a second-year linebacker who was expected to compete for a spot behind starters Vince Williams and Devin Bush, was among six players on the Steelers’ inactive list Monday night.

By sitting Gilbert, the Steelers went into the opener with Robert Spillane, a core special teams player, and safety Marcus Allen as the only backups at the position. Allen began practicing with the linebackers at training camp.

Also declared inactive were quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running back Anthony McFarland Jr., defensive lineman Carlos Davis, tight end Zach Gentry and All-Pro guard David DeCastro.

No deals

As soon as the ball was teed up at kickoff, the Steelers’ policy of not negotiating contracts during the regular season went into play.

Other than signing Heyward to a five-year, $75.1 million contract, the Steelers didn’t get any deals done before their self-imposed deadline.

The list of unrestricted free agents in March includes seven players who are considered starters or regular contributors: offensive linemen Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler and Zach Banner; wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster; running back James Conner; nose tackle Tyson Alualu and slot cornerback Mike Hilton.

The other players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents are defensive end Chris Wormley, special teams captain and reserve safety Jordan Dangerfield and cornerback Cam Sutton.

Outside linebacker Bud Dupree also will hit free agency. The Steelers could not negotiate a new contract with Dupree after they failed to agree on a new deal by July 15.