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:
- 2026 AFC North Positional Rankings: Wide Receiver (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Bengals restructure Joe Burrow’s contract (Cincy Jungle)
- Do the Browns have a problem with these 2 key veterans? (Dawgs By Nature)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
Despite all their spending, the Steelers still have one more big deal to go — Joey Porter Jr.
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac): The team and Porter’s representatives haven’t engaged in serious discussions yet, according to sources. … The Steelers have already signed three of the five players they had targeted for new deals — Herbig, kicker Chris Boswell and tight end Darnell Washington. Two remain — Porter and defensive
lineman Keeanu Benton.
They did not think they could sign all five. But they also knew the players most willing to sign now and not wait for free agency were the most likely to get contract extensions.
Some recent insights on where the Steelers stand with extending their top cornerback. There appears to be mutual interest, but a deal might not be as imminent as we thought.
It’s no coincidence the Steelers moved both Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick to the left side
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter): Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick have a connection the Steelers are relying on to be a key component of their offensive line.
So much so that coach Mike McCarthy and offensive line coach James Campen decided to keep the two together and flip them from being the team’s starting right tackle and right guard last year to the left tackle and left guard spots this year.
Chemistry is an important — and often underrated — aspect of offensive line play, but it appears the Steelers took it seriously when shuffling around the group ahead of the summer.
Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson out to prove he’s not a bust after rough Year 1 in NFL
(From NFL.com’s Kevin Patra): “I mean, right now, it’s just all about me doing little things, getting better, just waiting on my time to come,” Johnson said. “That’s my main thing that’s been on my mind. Just waiting on my time to come, and my time will come to shine for sure.”
The Steelers’ new brass under Mike McCarthy has spoken positively about Johnson, but the front office moves have underscored that he still has a long way to go to be a productive contributor.
Johnson has gone from one of the team’s most-hyped rookies to a roster bubble name over the course of the last year. However, while Johnson is less of an ideal scheme fit in Mike McCarthy’s varied run game than he was in Arthur Smith’s zone-heavy attack, a new coaching staff could be exactly what he needs to regain his confidence and make a new first impression.
OTAs Blog: Taking his reps
(From Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley): “They show a lot of Coach Arth, Aaron from when he was in Green Bay, and really all of our progressions so far,” said Allar. “For me, when I first got here with rookie minicamp to where I am at now when we do the drills. It’s cool to see the progression of everybody in the room. Looking at myself, because I know there were a lot of areas I wanted to grow in, I feel like I’ve taken the right step now I just got to keep continuing to work on it in my free time.”
The Steelers focused on their young quarterbacks in Tuesday’s OTA, as the team continues to rebuild Drew Allar from the ground up into an NFL passer.
New and improved Steelers defense? ‘You embrace the change’
(From ESPN’s Brooke Pryor): PITTSBURGH — Nick Herbig grinned slyly as he deflected the question.
What wrinkles, exactly, were part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense under new coordinator Patrick Graham? How would the linebackers be used?
“I can’t give you all the sauce,” the pass rusher said, chuckling. “It’s definitely challenging for not just linebackers, it’s the whole defense, really testing your football IQ, your football knowledge, knowing where everybody’s at so we can play as a unit.”
It’s to be expected, but the Steelers have praised the changes that new coordinator Patrick Graham has brought to the Pittsburgh defense.
Can the Steelers have a top-10 defense in 2026?
The Steelers had similarly high expectations in 2025, but finished in the bottom half of the league in both yards and points allowed. I wouldn’t expect such a collapse in 2026 — while the safety position remains a real concern, defensive depth is better across the board, especially at cornerback, where a Darius Slay-esque implosion is unlikely to occur with Jamel Dean.
The most important factor might be Graham, who made a name for himself at his former NFL gigs by maximizing the little talent he was dealing with. Now, he succeeds former Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, whose defensive schemes were oft-criticized for over-relying on the talent available.
If Graham can be who he’s talked up to be, the Pittsburgh defense could certainly contend for a top-1o label in 2026.
However, the unit does lack the same star power it had in its elite stretches in 2019 and 2020, when it had the talents of a prime TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Now, Watt’s production and explosiveness have slowed some with age and Fitzpatrick is off the team. Heyward was still fantastic in 2025, but it’s reasonable to expect a decline at some point.
I wouldn’t raise expectations too high — while the defensive line, edge rusher, and cornerback groups should all be varying levels of good to great, safety and inside linebacker remain potential weak points.
The Steelers defense is still likely a tier or two below the league’s best, such as the Texans and Broncos. But unless there’s a highly impactful injury, I’d expect the Steelers defense to work its way back into the upper half of the NFL, and possibly be in contention for a top-10 spot.
Do you think the Steelers can be a top-10 defense in 2026? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below!
