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:
- 3 things we learned from the Ravens’ 31-13 preseason victory over the Cowboys (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Joe Flacco named Cleveland Browns starting QB (Dawgs by Nature)
- Nothing is close to happening with a Trey Hendrickson trade, per report (Cincy Jungle)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
Steelers South Side Locker Room Gets Facelift
(From Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders): Over the offseason, the Steelers’ locker room got new signage, lighting, paint, carpets, and many of the metal, temporary lockers that players have been using over the last few years were replaced with permanent, wooden lockers to match the rest of the room.
Steelers free agent signings
often cite the organization’s legendary past, or the present coaching talents of Mike Tomlin, as a reason for why they chose Pittsburgh. What’s rarely brought up as a positive? The team’s facilities.
In fact, in the 2025 NFL Players Association report card, the Steelers ranked near the bottom of the pack in categories such as a locker room quality and ownership (both “D” grades).
Some of those complaints appear to have been heard, with the team upgrading the area ahead of the 2025 regular season. While the team hasn’t provided photos yet, the updates appear to be a hit with players.
Rookie Yahya Black came into Steelers training camp without a lot of hype, but he’s leaving with high expectations
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo): That’s coming from someone who is 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds. There aren’t many players larger than Loudermilk in the league, but there is just something about the way Black carries his weight and how he is able to generate power against offensive linemen.
“He was just one of those guys who came in with a body that was ready for the NFL,” Loudermilk said.
Yahya Black’s preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars drew rave reviews from not just the media, but also his teammates. Even NFL players seem impressed by just how big and powerful the rookie defensive lineman is.
Unsurprisingly, Fittipaldo, who’s well-connected with the team, has Black listed as a 53-man roster lock. It’s hardly a shock at this point in the season, but it shows just how quickly the fifth-rounder has established himself as one of the defense’s top backups.
Predicting when each NFL team will lose its first game: Steelers outlast almost everyone, Eagles fall early
(From CBS Sports’ John Breech): First loss in Week 7:
Steelers (at Bengals). After getting off to a surprising 6-0 [sic] start in Pittsburgh, Rodgers finally suffers his first loss with the Steelers during this Thursday night game in Cincinnati. Over the past six years, AFC North teams are 3-13 when forced to play a prime-time game on the road against another AFC North team and that ugly trend will continue here.Remaining unbeaten teams after Week 7: 1
A fun article idea from CBS Sports. Breech predicts the Steelers to get off to a hot start and be the second-t0-last NFL team to finally lose a game in 2025 (he predicts the Bills last the longest, eventually falling to the Chiefs in Week 9).
For context, Breech predicts the Steelers will go undefeated over their opening stretch of games against the Jets, Seahawks, Patriots, Vikings, and Browns. He lists this as 6-0 in his article, but it would actually be 5-0 as Pittsburgh has an early bye in Week 5.
Gabe Davis leaves Steelers facility without signing contract
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): Davis came to Pittsburgh on his second visit of the offseason, and can now choose where he would like to go. The biggest hold up for the Steelers and Davis is health.
Davis already met with the Steelers this offseason; the second trip was reportedly a follow up regarding some medical concerns the team had as Davis is less than two years removed from a season-ending meniscus tear.
However, the veteran receiver left the second meeting without a deal. He’s off to visit one of his former teams, the Bills, next.
Cam Heyward contract update: Jalen Ramsey urges Steelers owner to ‘stop playing’ and get deal done
(From CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns): “We can’t wait to be on that field with you Week 1 after everything goes down, everything gets situated,” Ramsey said on Heyward’s podcast, Not Just Football. “We need all of y’all out there, man. I got a lot of respect for you, Mr. Omar. You’ve taken care of me, T.J. (Watt), Slay. Cam is next. We excited, man. We’ve got potential to do something great if we’ve got all our guys out there happy and feeling like they’re valued.”
The Steelers have ponied out top-of-the-market cash to new stars such as Jalen Ramsey, D.K. Metcalf, and T.J. Watt this season. Now, All-Pro defensive lineman and longtime Steeler Cam Heyward wants to be the next to get a deal that matches his current market value. And Ramsey seems to agree.
Per Over the Cap, Heyward is currently tied as the 22nd-ranked interior defensive lineman in terms of average per year. He’s on the last year of a two-year extension he signed with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2024 season.
Will the Steelers actually give Cam Heyward a raise?
Steelers general manager Omar Khan has a habit of solving problems at his own pace — often, roster rumors simmer for an unbearably long time before he finally makes the move.
I think it’ll be a similar case with Heyward. With the team’s financial situation and overall makeup still in limbo ahead of the regular season — and the fact that Heyward doesn’t need much practice over the summer — there’s no reason to rush the process on Khan’s side of things.
One the other side of things, Heyward doesn’t have much leverage when asking for a raise. He hasn’t ruled out missing regular season games, but it’s hard to imagine the 36-year-old willingly sitting out large chunks of what could be his final NFL season and Super Bowl opportunity. Even his hold in ended early.
However, there aren’t many downsides to the Steelers giving Heyward a pay bump. It’s a good look to reward one of the team’s top defensive players over the past decade-plus, and with over $35 million in top-51 cap space, they have plenty of room to make the financial details work.
Heyward has a point, too. He’s certainly undervalued compared to his level of play last year, and he said he was proactive in letting the team know he’d want to renegotiate his deal following an All-Pro season.
Given where both sides stand, it’s expected that there hasn’t been much of a rush to give Heyward what he wants. But it would be a surprise if both sides don’t come to an agreement before the regular season.
Will the Steelers give Cam Heyward a raise ahead of the 2025 regular season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
