Pittsburgh Steelers General Thread

[Bucky]

Mike Wagner, who was a starting safety on all four of the Steelers' Super Bowl winning teams in the 1970s, has died at the age of 76.

He made two Pro Bowls and in addition to being a hard hitter and sure tackler ended his ten year career with 36 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries.

Wagner wasn't drafted until the 11th round in 1971, so he experienced the Caste System though at least he became a starter in his rookie season. He was an underappreciated starter on the Steel Curtain defense but hard-core Steelers fans always knew how good he was. RIP

​

RIP. My dad has an autograph courtesy of Mike. Mike’s father and my grandfather worked together down in Waukegan, back when there were still White people in Waukegan.

 

[Bucky]

Looks like McCarthy has a plan for the underused Freiermuth!

Report: Steelers are telling interested teams TE Pat Freiermuth isn't available in trade

The reduced usage of Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has prompted other teams to explore whether he's available in trade.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[Don Wassall]

Freiermuth's lack of use last season was a real head scratcher. The Steelers were playing up to three tight ends at times and Freiermuth was the best receiver among them, in fact the best receiver on the team after arguably D. K. "Hands of Stone" Metcalf, but was never in the game plan and Rodgers rarely looked his way either. Would be great to see him have a big receiving season in '26 as he definitely has the talent.

 

[Bucky]

He has breakout potential. I do hope there is A concerted effort to get him the ball and it’s not just talk.

 

[Don Wassall]

It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Aaron Rodgers to return to Pittsburgh and his old coach Mike McCarthy for a final season, during which he mentors Will Howard in preparation for him taking over in '27:

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers supports Will Howard as a long-time starter

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers couldn't stop singing Will Howard's praises, tabbing him as a long-time future starting quarterback.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Don Wassall]

What the Steelers do or don't do at QB will be one of the interesting things to watch at the quickly approaching draft as Aaron Rodgers is engaging in his usual drama about whether he'll play or not. Article excerpt:

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation remains somewhat in the air less than two weeks before of the 2026 NFL Draft. While it seems like deja vu from 2025, with the heavy expectation being that Aaron Rodgers will join the team at some point this spring/summer. Even so, he is still not on the team. And with OTAs beginning next month, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard will be the two quarterbacks running the show should Rodgers not be present.

Many have labeled the Steelers as a team that will almost certainly take a quarterback in the draft this year, but they don’t feel pressure to do so due to their belief in Will Howard, per Matt Miller of ESPN.

“The Steelers might not have a clear-cut quarterback of the future on the roster, but one internal source said that they won’t be forced to draft one this year,” Miller writes. “That source noted Pittsburgh will play the board first and that Will Howard, last year’s sixth-round pick, has fans in the front office.“

Howard had a lot of buzz in training camp last July before suffering a hand injury that kept him out of preseason play. His name will be one that fans have their eyes on in Latrobe in just a few short months.

Will Howard has big fans within Steelers organization

The Steelers’ young quarterback has fans within the organization.

www.behindthesteelcurtain.com

 

[Leonardfan]

What the Steelers do or don't do at QB will be one of the interesting things to watch at the quickly approaching draft as Aaron Rodgers is engaging in his usual drama about whether he'll play or not. Article excerpt:

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation remains somewhat in the air less than two weeks before of the 2026 NFL Draft. While it seems like deja vu from 2025, with the heavy expectation being that Aaron Rodgers will join the team at some point this spring/summer. Even so, he is still not on the team. And with OTAs beginning next month, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard will be the two quarterbacks running the show should Rodgers not be present.

Many have labeled the Steelers as a team that will almost certainly take a quarterback in the draft this year, but they don’t feel pressure to do so due to their belief in Will Howard, per Matt Miller of ESPN.

“The Steelers might not have a clear-cut quarterback of the future on the roster, but one internal source said that they won’t be forced to draft one this year,” Miller writes. “That source noted Pittsburgh will play the board first and that Will Howard, last year’s sixth-round pick, has fans in the front office.“

Howard had a lot of buzz in training camp last July before suffering a hand injury that kept him out of preseason play. His name will be one that fans have their eyes on in Latrobe in just a few short months.

Will Howard has big fans within Steelers organization

The Steelers’ young quarterback has fans within the organization.

www.behindthesteelcurtain.com

Steelers should just stick with Howard. If Rodgers does not return let Rudolph and Howard compete for the job. I do have more faith in McCarthy to work with and develop a young Qb than the previous regime and then previous coaching staff was high on Howard. Hopefully this isn’t BS lip service and McCarthy’s belief in Howard is an honest assessment.