It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
- Ravens agree to terms with RB Myles Gaskin (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Browns star (Myles Garrett) pulled over for speeding, again (Dawgs by Nature)
- Film Room: Shemar Stewart was worth the wait (Cincy Jungle)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
Steelers’ T.J. Watt more intentional rushing from both sides
(From ESPN’s Brooke Pryor): “That’s something that this time of year is perfect for, to move around to get comfortable,” Watt said. “It’s not about winning every single rep and having to be on the left side and having to get everything mastered on the left side. It’s about trying new things and moving around.
“… We just have
ADso much depth. … I’m sure we’ll have some cool packages and some new stuff for you guys to see.”
While we’ve yet to see what the final result will be, the hype around T.J. Watt transforming his game entering his age-31 season seems to be real. This feature from ESPN does a good job breaking down some contextual statistics around Watt’s usage so far in his career.
The other big question mark surrounding Watt this season: Can the aging speed rusher continue to win with quickness? Or will he need to add more power to his arsenal in 2025 and beyond?
Jalen Ramsey says ‘it ain’t no gray area’ in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp
(From USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly quoting The Pivot Podcast): “All the essence of what football is about, he emphasizes it,” Ramsey said. “Toughness, being well-conditioned… it ain’t no gray area. It’s black and white. This what we about around here.
Were y’all tough today? Were you well conditioned? Were you running to the ball? Were you on your alignment, your assignment, your technique? Like, it ain’t no excuses.”
It remains to be seen what Jalen Ramsey will look like in the Steelers’ defense, but one thing is for certain: He’s bought into Mike Tomlin’s philosophy with the Steelers.
Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers still frustrated with new helmet, says ‘it looks like a damn spaceship’
(From Yahoo Sports’ Andy Backstrom): The Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD didn’t meet the league’s new safety standards, so Rodgers has been practicing in the Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II.
To say he’s ticked off about the wardrobe change would be an understatement.
“I don’t like it, no,” Rodgers said Tuesday, per ESPN. “I’m trying to change. We’re in the process still. It looks like a damn spaceship out there.”
Rodgers’ favorite helmet is banned per the NFL’s new safety standards, and the veteran quarterback is not happy. While it’s unlikely to result in Antonio Brown levels of drama, it’s still a situation to watch ahead of Week 1 as Rodgers has said that “we got to change it.”
Pranks, custard, camp and connections
(From Steelers.com’s Mike Prisuta): “That’s these crazy guys in the locker room. And the relationships and the friendships and the pranks, and the trips down to Meadows over here, which is a great custard spot in Latrobe, shout out to Meadows. Just all those little things that make this game so special.
“You know, when I meet up with our former teammates we don’t talk about the stats. We don’t talk about the games. We talk about the inside jokes. We talk about the pranks. We talk about the road trips. We talk about the connection points, the parties that we had, the Thanksgivings that were hosted.
This whole feature from Prisuta is a worthwhile read if you’re interested in Rodgers’ philosophical thoughts on where he’s at in his career — or his custard recommendations in Latrobe. While the trials of the regular season haven’t started yet, Rodgers seems to be enjoying his fit as a Steeler.
Tyreek Hill Becomes New Name for Steelers
(From Steelers SI’s Noah Strackbein): According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, teams are monitoring a potential trade of Hill, who has had a bumpy road with the Miami Dolphins.
“I have talked to a few teams who are at least monitoring his future a little bit,” Fowler said on SportsCenter.
As Strackbein points out, while there are no official reports of the Steelers showing interest in Tyreek Hill, they’ve done their due diligence on most other big-name receivers on the trade market, from Brandon Aiyuk to Terry McLaurin — the latter occurring even after the D.K. Metcalf trade.
Beyond that, the Steelers already hammered out a blockbuster deal with the Dolphins front office earlier this year.
It’s not fire. It’s barely even smoke as the Dolphins reportedly still aren’t interested in trading the star receiver. But it’s a situation worth keeping tabs on.
Should the Steelers be interested in Tyreek Hill?
While I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Omar Khan made a phone call to Miami, I don’t think the Steelers should or currently do have much interest in trading for Hill.
For one, the vibes in Miami this offseason have been horrible — head coach Mike McDaniel has gone as far as saying it’s “great” to be “another day closer to death” — and adding a player who’s publicly been at the center of much of that team drama seems like a bad idea for a Steelers roster that already has a number of explosive personalities.
Plus, there are Hill’s longstanding legal issues involving alleged domestic violence.
He’s also 31 years old and coming off his first non-1,000-yard season since 2019.
Add all of that with a $27.7 million cap hit that would require a lot of finagling to fit on the Steelers’ payroll this year (it balloons to nearly $52 million in 2026 with an out of $15 million in dead cap), and the draft compensation it would take to add the veteran wideout, and it immediately becomes a risky and likely ill-advised move for Pittsburgh.
Hill would be a vast improvement at wide receiver, taking that position from a weakness to perhaps the Steelers’ biggest strength. But Pittsburgh shouldn’t spend that much to add another aging veteran, especially one who comes with Hill’s baggage.
Should the Steelers have any interest in adding Tyreek Hill? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
