There’s been a lot of turnover on the Steelers’ roster since last season, especially among the team’s always modest contingent of White players. Last year’s team had five White starters, but gone are QB Kenny Pickett (and his backup Mason Rudolph who played so well down the stretch), center Mason Cole, and ILB Cole Holcomb.
There’s two basic strongly differing opinions about the departure of Pickett, the Steelers’ 2022 first round draft pick. Those who don’t like Pickett claim he pouted after Rudolph became the starter following Pickett becoming injured, to the point that he supposedly refused to suit up as Rudolph’s backup before the game against Seattle and that he demanded to be traded after the signing of Russell Wilson, in other words he was a prima donna and locker room cancer. The other narrative is that Mike “He’s Never Had a Losing Season!!!”) Tomlin decided he wanted to go in a different direction and did everything possible to sabotage Pickett’s development before jettisoning him to the Eagles after the season. Though the latter narrative is the more believable one, the bottom line is that both Pickett and Rudolph are gone, replaced by the rapidly declining Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who bombed as a first round pick by the Bears.
Tackling machine Holcomb suffered a severe knee injury after being hit by a teammate during a play last season and he’s currently on the PUP list with his future, at least as a starter, still very much in doubt.
Pittsburgh has dropped to just three White starters to start the ’24 season and 13 overall, one more than last year.
2024 second round draft pick Zach Frazier is starting at center. His development was speeded up after Nate Herbig was lost for the season.
Pat Freiermuth just signed a contract extension and remains entrenched as the starting tight end.
T. J. Watt is simply the best defensive player in the NFL, a game wrecker who is still in his prime.
Nick Herbig, brother of the injured center Nate mentioned above, is the primary backup to Watt and Alex Highsmith, but while Highsmith is a very good player, Herbig is better, almost as unstoppable as Watt at times. So while he’s stuck behind Highsmith, he has clear starter talent not to mention star talent.
Also possessing starter and star talent is Payton Wilson, the inside linebacker who was a steal as the organization’s third round draft pick this year. Wilson followed Jack Campbell of the Lions as the winner of the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Wilson outsnapped Elandon Roberts 24 to 23 in his first game and it’s just a matter of time before he formally eclipses Roberts and starts on the inside next to Patrick Queen.
Pittsburgh has two other White defensive players, veteran end Dean Lowry, and veteran WSTD and backup linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who was once briefly a starter in his first stint with the Steelers and was treated as outrageously by the DWFs and local media as was Robert Spillane, before Spillane signed with the Raiders and became a tackling machine for that team last season.
The Steelers drafted DT Logan Lee this year but he’s currently on IR. In fact, despite being having just three White starters and only 13 on the roster, there’s some solid young talent there with Nick Herbig (in his second season), and rookies Payton Wilson, Zach Frazier, backup guard Mason McCormick, and Logan Lee. Add in Watt, Freiermuth, and the possible comeback of Cole Holcomb and it’s not a completely bleak picture. They also have WR Scotty Miller as a backup and kick returner, and WR Ben Skowronek is currently on the practice squad. The likely follies of Wilson and Fields at QB may also make the near future of the team an interesting one to keep an eye on.
QB: Kyle Allen
C: Zach Frazier, Ryan McCollum
RG: Mason McCormick
WR: Scotty Miller
TE: Pat Freiermuth
DE: Dean Lowry
DE/OLB: T. J. Watt, Nick Herbig
ILB: Payton Wilson, Tyler Matakevich
PK: Chris Boswell
LS: Christian Kuntz
Practice Squad: WR Ben Skowronek, FB Jack Colletto, G John Leglue, OT John Nestor
IR: C Nate Herbig, P Cameron Johnston (replaced on active roster by a black), DT Logan Lee, Cole Holcomb (on PUP)
Number of White Starters: 3
Number of White Players on 53 Man Roster: 13
Grade: F+
There’s two basic strongly differing opinions about the departure of Pickett, the Steelers’ 2022 first round draft pick. Those who don’t like Pickett claim he pouted after Rudolph became the starter following Pickett becoming injured, to the point that he supposedly refused to suit up as Rudolph’s backup before the game against Seattle and that he demanded to be traded after the signing of Russell Wilson, in other words he was a prima donna and locker room cancer. The other narrative is that Mike “He’s Never Had a Losing Season!!!”) Tomlin decided he wanted to go in a different direction and did everything possible to sabotage Pickett’s development before jettisoning him to the Eagles after the season. Though the latter narrative is the more believable one, the bottom line is that both Pickett and Rudolph are gone, replaced by the rapidly declining Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who bombed as a first round pick by the Bears.
Tackling machine Holcomb suffered a severe knee injury after being hit by a teammate during a play last season and he’s currently on the PUP list with his future, at least as a starter, still very much in doubt.
Pittsburgh has dropped to just three White starters to start the ’24 season and 13 overall, one more than last year.
2024 second round draft pick Zach Frazier is starting at center. His development was speeded up after Nate Herbig was lost for the season.
Pat Freiermuth just signed a contract extension and remains entrenched as the starting tight end.
T. J. Watt is simply the best defensive player in the NFL, a game wrecker who is still in his prime.
Nick Herbig, brother of the injured center Nate mentioned above, is the primary backup to Watt and Alex Highsmith, but while Highsmith is a very good player, Herbig is better, almost as unstoppable as Watt at times. So while he’s stuck behind Highsmith, he has clear starter talent not to mention star talent.
Also possessing starter and star talent is Payton Wilson, the inside linebacker who was a steal as the organization’s third round draft pick this year. Wilson followed Jack Campbell of the Lions as the winner of the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Wilson outsnapped Elandon Roberts 24 to 23 in his first game and it’s just a matter of time before he formally eclipses Roberts and starts on the inside next to Patrick Queen.
Pittsburgh has two other White defensive players, veteran end Dean Lowry, and veteran WSTD and backup linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who was once briefly a starter in his first stint with the Steelers and was treated as outrageously by the DWFs and local media as was Robert Spillane, before Spillane signed with the Raiders and became a tackling machine for that team last season.
The Steelers drafted DT Logan Lee this year but he’s currently on IR. In fact, despite being having just three White starters and only 13 on the roster, there’s some solid young talent there with Nick Herbig (in his second season), and rookies Payton Wilson, Zach Frazier, backup guard Mason McCormick, and Logan Lee. Add in Watt, Freiermuth, and the possible comeback of Cole Holcomb and it’s not a completely bleak picture. They also have WR Scotty Miller as a backup and kick returner, and WR Ben Skowronek is currently on the practice squad. The likely follies of Wilson and Fields at QB may also make the near future of the team an interesting one to keep an eye on.
QB: Kyle Allen
C: Zach Frazier, Ryan McCollum
RG: Mason McCormick
WR: Scotty Miller
TE: Pat Freiermuth
DE: Dean Lowry
DE/OLB: T. J. Watt, Nick Herbig
ILB: Payton Wilson, Tyler Matakevich
PK: Chris Boswell
LS: Christian Kuntz
Practice Squad: WR Ben Skowronek, FB Jack Colletto, G John Leglue, OT John Nestor
IR: C Nate Herbig, P Cameron Johnston (replaced on active roster by a black), DT Logan Lee, Cole Holcomb (on PUP)
Number of White Starters: 3
Number of White Players on 53 Man Roster: 13
Grade: F+
