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 sign S Kyle Hamilton to 4-year, $100 million extension; shatters record for guaranteed money (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Browns have one important injury heading into Week 1 versus Bengals (Dawgs by Nature)
- The Bengals have the best offensive line in the Joe Burrow era (Cincy Jungle)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
The Last Gasp of Steelers Exceptionalism
(From The Ringer’s Alex Kirshner): American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States exists on a separate political and moral plane from the rest of the world. The NFL has its own version of this idea, and it comes from Pittsburgh.
You—a football fan not living under a rock—have encountered what I call “Steelers
exceptionalism” many times. It is the idea that the NFL franchise in Pittsburgh operates differently from every other team in the league. Not just differently, but in a more old-fashioned, blue-collar, even stoic manner that signals a general superiority over the league’s other 31 franchises. This complex emanates from the Rooney family that owns the team, and it courses through local and national media, fans, and even PR-savvy players who know exactly what the locals want to hear.
Nothing in this article is something that Steeler fans haven’t heard before from media talking heads or angry message board posts following a loss. But it’s a solid “state of the Steelers” piece from a national perspective that ponders whether or not Pittsburgh is still deserving of the mystique it’s built up for itself since its 1970s dynasty — or if it’s actively hurting the team today.
New Orleans Saints sign just-released Pittsburgh Steelers preseason star pass rusher
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): The New Orleans Saints have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Eku Leota, who was a standout in the preseason for the team. Leota was cut by the Steelers in the final wave of cut downs and he did not come back on the team’s practice squad.
Leota worked out for the Saints on Monday and clearly impressed enough to earn a practice squad spot. Leota routinely won one-on-ones with offensive tackles during the preseason even if he didn’t record a sack. He played well enough to earn a practice squad spot — just not with the Steelers, apparently.
New NFL rules: Permanent kickoff changes and more
(From Associated Press): By moving the touchback to the 35, the league projects that the return rate will rise to somewhere between 60% and 70%, with a similar increase in long returns, adding more excitement to the game.
The league also approved a small tweak to how blockers on the return team are allowed to line up in the setup zone that could lead to longer returns.
Teams returned just over 76% of kicks in the preseason, up from 70% in the 2024 preseason. But that number typically drops in the regular season when teams don’t use kickoffs to evaluate players for spots at the end of the roster.
The NFL rulebook looks a bit different headed into the new season, with the most notable change likely to result in more kickoff returns. The above article is worth a read if you need a refresher on everything new: kickoffs, celebrations, first-down measurements, and more!
Bell: Five Bold Predictions for Steelers 2025 Season
(From Steelers Now’s Derrick Bell): Troy Fautanu Makes the Pro Bowl
We’re coming out hot! Few people in the NFL Draft space were higher on him as a prospect, and I have not wavered whatsoever in that confidence despite a rookie season that was wiped out due to injury. Fautanu performed well in the preseason, allowing zero pressures on 30 pass-blocking snaps according to PFF, but most importantly, he still looks like a truly special athlete for the position.
Bell is one of the better Steelers analysts on the internet, making this article worth a read. The takes seem to get hotter as the list goes on — but what’s the preseason without some bold predictions?
TE Jonnu Smith ready for 3rd go-round with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith
(From TribLive’s Joe Rutter): 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 to a June trade that reunited them with the Steelers, the two Smiths keep finding their way back to one another.
After an injury, and maybe some veteran bubble wrap, kept Jonnu Smith out of the Steelers’ three preseason games, the Pro Bowl tight end appears ready to go for the team’s season opener on Sunday. He had career highs in receptions (88), receiving yards (884) and touchdowns (eight) in 2024 in Miami.
Mike Tomlin: QB Justin Fields departing from Steelers was ‘mutual decision’
(From CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo): While New York’s decision to move on from Rodgers is well-documented, many assumed that the Steelers simply moved on from Fields. Mike Tomlin, however, shot down that narrative in the leadup to kickoff.
“You know, it’s free agency,” Tomlin said. “It was not only our decision, it was his decision, and so it was mutual. There’s a lot of moving parts and free agency. And so I wouldn’t present it in the manner in which you asked it.”
I’d confidently assume the “mutual” bit had to do with differences regarding contract money and a commitment to the starting job rather than more dramatic issues. Still, Tomlin (likely accurately) paints the picture that Fields is no longer in Pittsburgh because of decisions by both sides. It’s also an answer that respects Fields ahead of his game against the Steelers on Sunday.
Will the Steelers miss Justin Fields?
The record shows I was a proponent for bringing Fields back in 2025 — not because I had misplaced allusions of him one day becoming a franchise quarterback, but because he still had the most available upside in an offseason devoid of great quarterback options.
But everyone is allowed some preseason optimism, and now that Aaron Rodgers is on the Steelers (on a cheaper deal than Fields, I might add), I’ve allowed myself to warm up to the idea of the future Hall of Famer being the right short-term move for Pittsburgh.
However, while I would certainly agree that Rodgers is a better quarterback than Fields in the present, if the Steelers’ 2025 season ends with another early playoff exit, it’ll turn out the veteran wasn’t necessarily the slam-dunk better option of the two.
But that wouldn’t necessarily mean that Fields would’ve been the right choice. While there’s certainly a chance that he becomes the next Geno Smith or Sam Darnold in the NFL’s sudden trend of late-blooming quarterbacks, he’s on a two-year, $40 million deal that the Jets could certainly come to regret down the road. He had flashes in Pittsburgh, but never enough to spark serious optimism.
In short, the Aaron Rodgers experience could certainly backfire in Pittsburgh. But although I might be a bigger fan of Fields than some, I don’t think the Steelers will truly “miss” him in 2025.
Are the Steelers better off with Aaron Rodgers than Justin Fields? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
