SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The ‘Where Does This Come From?’ Edition

Good Monday to you Steelers fans.

I’ll get into Le’Veon Bell’s pending comeback later… With Arthur Smith officially the Offensive Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, some fans apparently believe that this means that former O-Line Coach Mike Munchak is returning as well. Why you might ask? Well, it’s simple! Arthur Smith was the OC in Tennessee where Munchak once played and was once the head coach. Therefore, this means that Smith will want Munchak to come in and replace Pat Meyer. This is something I would welcome for sure, but where do these things come from??? There is not one bit or shred of evidence to support these claims. Munchak left the Steelers several years ago to coach in Denver where he could be closer to his family. This also had a number of ‘myths’ tied to it as many believed he left over disagreements with Mike Tomlin and some players. One thing I can guarantee you here is that while you might get some speculation, you won’t get myths.

Bell

So it looks like Le’Veon Bell wants to make a comeback. After leaving the Steelers, his career in football has declined as has his rap and boxing careers as well. He claims in a post to social media that he’s 100% committed and will be back and better than ever. I hope he is! I sincerely hope he returns and does well. Unfortunately I’ve seen and heard this many times before so forgive me if I’m a little pessimistic.

Steelers Exhibit in the Hall of Fame

“A Legacy Forged in Black and Gold.” That’s the title of the new exhibit celebrating the last 50 years of the Pittsburgh Steelers going on right now at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Here’s the link. Definitely something every Steelers’ fans should check out if they can.

Centers of Attention

For the last two seasons, Steelers’ Center Mason Cole has been one of the best guys in the locker room according to the beat writers. He’s honest, approachable and always available. That said, he’s also struggled at the main position of the offensive line. While his blacking ability has always been average, his ability to snap the ball in shotgun formation has suddenly become a liability. I don’t think it’s a surprise that Mike Tomlin spent some quality time watching centers at the Senior Bowl last week. Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon is the top dog right now in terms of center rankings with most draft experts. He’s followed by Zach Frazier of West Virginia and Sedrick Van Pran of Georgia. Powers-Johnson is likely a first rounder but will the Steelers value him enough to take him at 20? This is a really deep draft for tackles which they also need so maybe second round becomes the spot for a center.

Wither Leal?

If you had told me entering the 2023 season the DeMarvin Leal would play in just 12 games I would have asked about an injury. That wasn’t the case though as Leal was little used this season. After T.J. Watt went down in week on last year the Steelers immediately used Leal in a number of ways and I thought he was admirable. Therefore coming into 2023 I had high hopes. I’m curious to learn more about why his playing time was so limited.

SIX!

Not sure if you saw Steelers’ All-Pro Special Teams’ ace Miles Killebrew at the Pro Bowl Games last week. He caught six punts in a row. Keep in mind he had to hang onto each ball he caught in order to move on to the next one. Here’s the video.