Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Thursday.
The Kickoff
It’s a special night for us at SCB as we once again air our annual “Blitzie” Awards on tonight’s SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc. Held every February after the season is over, we name all of our top players and coaches from the previous season but we also add in some “special” awards as well that you won’t want to miss. We’ll revisit our preseason predictions, talk about the latest goings on with the Steelers and then get to the awards! We air live tonight at 10pmET on our YouTube channel! Grab a beverage and join us!
The Carousel
You’ll forgive me if I’m having PTSD but things are starting to look a lot like the 1980’s again. In the last seven days, the Steelers have been linked to (in no particular order) Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Drew Lock, Cooper Rush and Daniel Jones. That does not include Justin Fields or Russell Wilson either. Teams that enter seasons with questions this significant at QB don’t fare all that well. Let’s hope we get this figured out sooner rather than later.
Plain Speak on Watt
The numbers don’t lie. When pass rushers hit their thirties, the numbers drop. Despite this, the Steelers are expected to extend T.J. Watt in order to lower his cap hit. While he was in the conversation for Defensive MVP at times in 2024, he seemed to run out of gas as did many Steelers. So what type of extension are we talking about here? Danielle Hunter signed a 2 year $49 million deal with Houston entering his age 30 season. You also have Nick Bosa making $34 million per season with $122 million guaranteed. I have no doubt the Steelers want Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh but at what price?
Salary Cap Goin’ Up
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the salary cap for 2025 will increase to somewhere in the neighborhood of $277 to $281 million. That means in just two years, the cap will have increased over $50 million. The Steelers will likely have about $50 million in cap space give or take the few million they keep on hand for the season.
Random Reads
The LA Chargers have been told they will host a home game in Sao Paulo Brazil this fall. You already know my feelings about these international games… I won’t start doing mock drafts until after free agency starts but I’m not as convinced as many seem to be that wide receiver will be the first pick for the Steelers at 21… I’m also not convinced that Mason McCormick is their guy at right guard either… Is it just me or is this winter never going to end…
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