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 offense took a small but important step on Sunday (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Bengals are on a Historically-Bad Defensive pace (Cincy Jungle)
- Browns NFL draft: Looking back, passing on Travis Hunter the right call? (Dawgs by Nature)
What’s the latest on the Steelers’ upcoming opponent? (In this case, more Bengals links):
- Shemar Stewart still not practicing after the bye week (Cincy Jungle)
- Joe Burrow Returns to Bengals Practice; Cincinnati Attempts Rebound off Bye (Cincy Jungle)
- Should Zac Taylor give up play-calling duties to shore up Bengals defense? (Cincy Jungle)
- Zac Taylor says Trey Hendrickson will be doubtful vs. Steelers (Cincy Jungle)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
Aaron Rodgers struggles in Steelers’ loss: ‘I got to play better than this’
(From ESPN’s Brooke Pryor): “A lot of stuff wasn’t working,” Rodgers said. “We were bad on third down. I was just a little bit off. I missed DK [Metcalf] early. Could have been a big play. … I missed some throws for sure. And then we weren’t
getting guys open … times the guys were open, I missed some throws I usually make.”
The Steelers quarterback, to his credit, was self-critical following the Steelers’ loss to the Chargers.
Ex-Steelers star Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to attempted murder in Miami shooting
(From the Associated Press’ Curt Anderson): Former Steelers star receiver Antonio Brown was returning Tuesday to Miami to face an attempted murder charge stemming from a May shooting, with his lawyer filing a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Jail records in Essex County, New Jersey, show Brown was released late Tuesday morning for the transfer to Florida. The former All-Pro wide receiver had waived extradition to Florida from New Jersey, where he was brought following his arrest in Dubai.
The latest on the increasingly tragic post-NFL story of former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Gerry Dulac: Steelers had a complete system breakdown — and it’s not a one-off
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac): Much of what happened Sunday night in SoFi Stadium was not the fault of the Steelers defense, not when the offense continues to post anemic numbers that apparently are causing a headache for Mike Tomlin.
But this much is known about this Steelers team:
The defense is solely reliant on getting takeaways and is not good enough to win games without them.
A longtime Steelers beat writer diagnoses the Steelers’ struggles this season.
Former Steelers Kicker Signs With Giants
(From Steelers Now’s Aaron Becker): Former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Ben Sauls is signing to the New York Giants practice squad, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
Ben Sauls continues to find NFL work after a strong preseason in Pittsburgh.
Asante Samuel Jr. reportedly signing with Steelers: What can he bring to Pittsburgh’s secondary?
(From CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo): Pittsburgh’s decision to sign Samuel makes sense given its recent injuries at the position. Starting cornerback Darius Slay is in the concussion protocol after getting injured during the Week 10 loss to the Chargers. The Steelers, now 5-4, were already thin at cornerback after Jalen Ramsey’s recent move to free safety to replace DeShon Elliott, who recently went on injured reserve.
I’d also bet the reasons above are why Samuel signed with the Steelers over the many other interested teams in the first place. Despite having a solid secondary on paper to open the season, Pittsburgh has dealt with injuries and disappointing play in the defensive backfield all year. Samuel, despite being a practice squad signing, has a real chance at seeing playing time in the near future.
Will Asante Samuel Jr. play against the Bengals on Sunday?
Can he? Probably.
Samuel was independently cleared health-wise before making his NFL return. The spinal fusion surgery he underwent sounds bad, of course, but the Steelers wouldn’t have signed him unless they were confident he could still play to some extent. And considering the Steelers neurosurgeon was the one who performed the surgery, the team is likely well aware of the process and details.
As a result, people are excited to see Samuel, seen by many as a top-25 free agent this March, back on the field. Steelers analyst Derrick Bell has even floated starting the new cornerback on Sunday against Cincinnati.
Look, there’s no way of knowing just how conditioned Samuel is, but there is a clear difference between being in shape and being in football shape. Starting a defender who hasn’t played since Week 4 of 2024 in a new defense against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins sounds like a risk — and if Samuel was that ready to start, I struggle to see why Pittsburgh would risk starting him off on the practice squad.
Maybe Samuel gets elevated on Sunday and sees a few snaps as he works his way back. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up immediately.
How soon do you think Asante Samuel Jr. can play on the Steeler defense? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
