Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Wednesday.
The Kickoff
And we wait… Joey Porter, Jr and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still far apart on a new deal for the fourth-year cornerback. JPJ gave mixed responses when he was asked about playing in the season opener. I suspect this will go down to the wire. His agent has to know that if he doesn’t sign an extension then he’s likely looking at a Franchise Tag which would pay him less than any extension he’s currently being offered. Porter, Jr has some leverage but most of it is with the team right now.
Levon on Leadership
Former Steelers’ Linebacker Levon Kirkland shared his thoughts on leadership with The Athletic today. He named the three best leaders he’s ever played with and I don’t think any are surprising.
4 to 3?
There has been some considerable chatter among NFL beat writers that the Steelers will still be entertaining offers for Mason Rudolph. That isn’t surprising as teams need as much depth at the position as they can possibly get. I am curious as to whether anyone will inquire about Will Howard. Either way I have a feeling we won’t see four QBs on the roster all season.
Primary Concern is the Secondary
When you think about it, playing the Atlanta Falcons in week one might be a true gift from the football gods. Yes, they’ll have to contend with Bijan Robinson but they’re going to face either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix, Jr. Neither of those guys puts a ton of fear in me as far as our defense. The problem is that this secondary is far from a complete unit. DeShon Elliott is on IR. Jaquan Brikser has not played in a game with these guys and Jalen Ramsey has not played in a game with the other guys either. Then there’s Joey Porter, Jr who hasn’t done much of anything with them. For years, the one constant issue with this unit has been the lack of communication. This situation won’t help much. I think this story will grow larger as the opener nears.
Podcasting
We return to our regular slot Thursday at 10pmET for the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc this week. We’ll take a look at the roster, the JPJ situation, Broderick Jones and much more. Then next week, we will have our big ‘Season Preview’ where we give our predictions for the entire NFL and tons of Steelers’ “Over/Unders” as well.
Random Reads
I’m beating a dead horse here but I’m really concerned about the number of players who didn’t see a single snap of preseason action. We can’t afford a slow start to the season… I’ll take Notre Dame to win the National Title in CFB. That wasn’t easy for me to type… I’m still trying to wrap my head around the NFL playing a regular season game in Australia… Long-time ESPN writer Dan Graziano believes Rico Dowdle will be a 1,000 yard rusher. With 17 games, that’s not that difficult anymore is it? Heck, Jaylen Warren might get there too… I get USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley defending his school but he needs to face reality. LA crowds are not crowds anywhere else in the country, period… Do we know who is starting at right tackle yet? My money is on the rookie.
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