By Ray Porter Jr. for Urban Media Today
After their disappointing AFC Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a statement in the offseason: To continue to work diligently in winning their first playoff game since the 2016 season. And after Team President Art Rooney’s admission that he was starting to ‘lose patience’ after their 2023 Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, GM Omar Khan, Assistant GM Andy Weidl, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin worked hard to make this team better.
In addition to the 2025 NFL Draft that saw the Steelers select first round pick Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon), Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa) in the third, Jack Sawyer (EDGE, Ohio State) in the fourth, and Yahya Black (DL, Iowa) in the fifth round and Will Howard (QB, Ohio State) in the sixth round, the Steelers also made a significant splash in Free Agency, adding veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, WRs DK Metcalf (trade) and Robert Woods, CBs Jalen Ramsey (trade), and Darius Slay, and RB Kenneth Gainwell, TE Jonnu Smith (trade) among others.
As Training Camp began last Wednesday, the Steelers have shown that they are ‘all-in’ for 2025.
“Obviously, there’s pressure. Our goal is to win a Super Bowl, and that’s what I’m striving for.” Said GM Omar Khan, who signed an extension this offseason. “I’m very appreciative to Art Rooney for this opportunity, and I feel like I owe it to him and to the organization, to the fans, to do everything I can to win the Super Bowl. I mean that’s what they want; that’s what I want. So that’s our goal.”
Khan had this to say about his free agent signings: “We signed Aaron Rodgers and can’t wait for the fans to get to know him. We’ve been getting to know him, and it’s been really cool, and I’m excited for you guys to get to know him and our fans and feel good about having him lead our team, our offense. I think you guys will speak to him here at some point and excited to have him. We traded for Jalen [Ramsey] and Jonnu Smith, and you guys have heard me several times talk about how important position flexibility is for me, and that’s what those guys are. Those guys are both Pro Bowl players that in my opinion, in our opinion, can line up in different places on the field and do some exciting things. We’ll see how it all shakes out. That’s what training camp is for. We’ll figure out the roles. But just really, really excited to have those guys on board.”
In his opening Training Camp news conference, Tomlin had this to say about his team: “Certainly, we’re excited about the start of our camp for 2025. It’s good to see this collection of talent that we’ve been able to assemble. Even into summer we continue to work on the talent acquisition component of this team development. Now the vast majority of that is over and now it’s about developing individual and collective football skills, division of labor
roles, technical expertise, so just really excited. Just to look at the group, I was really excited to see the group work today and display their physical conditioning and readiness in that area, and so now we embark upon a journey that will be our 2025 season.”
In addition to their off-season moves, the Steelers have also re-signed All-Pro LB TJ Watt to a three-year, $123 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, with an average annual salary of $41 million.
“We got T.J. finalized. I said, I think, when I met with you guys at the combine and I was asked about that, it was always very important for me and for the organization to have T.J. be a one-helmet Hall of Famer, and hopefully he’s got several years left, and we feel really good about having him locked up and excited.” Said Khan.
“Certainly, we’re glad that the business component of it is done and he’s here and ready to work, but I don’t know about the relief component of it.” Said Tomlin. “I just know when the two sides are properly motivated, him wanting to be here and us wanting him here, that it was a matter of time before it worked out. I think the speed in which it happened once they really got focused and serious is reflective of that.”
Watt’s signing eliminated a huge distraction to the team as he possibly could’ve been a training camp hold-out but instead confirmed a positive report about Tomlin’s team entering into Saint Vincent College at the start of Camp.
“Everyone is present and accounted for. We have one NFI. (Guard)Isaac Seumalo has a soft tissue injury that could slow him at the early portions. Other than that, all present and accounted for and ready to work (Thursday) morning.” Said Tomlin.
One of the Camp questions is if Ramsey could possibly see some time at safey with the departure of All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick. “You know, I don’t know that he fits in terms of replacing Minkah, but this is a coverage league. You need unbelievable depth and talent at the cornerback position, because people have it in their receiver corps. We use a variety of schematics in an effort to minimize passing offenses. You got to be able to play matchup football, play man to man, particularly against the elite and deep groups… We’re going to start him regardless. Where we move him around and things really depends on what offenses are doing. Make no mistake, those Top 3 corners I mentioned, Jalen Ramsey and Slay and Joey Porter Jr., they’re going to be on the field. I don’t care when offenses come out in.”
The Steelers also traded WR George Pickens in the offseason and the question is if they will pick up another WR along with the additions of Metcalf and Woods. “We’ll see. I think that’s some of those questions are answered in team development, in the performance of not only Jonnu, but others. It’s a big camp for Roman Wilson for example. He’s a second-year player. I know he played little, if any, last year…I don’t know that I come in with any level of anticipation of who specifically is going to do what in regards to the question that you asked, but more about just rolling that ball out and beginning this process and seeing who has evolved or who is evolving.”
Notes: Khan honored the Late Craig Wolfley, former Steeler player and Broadcaster who passed March 10th. “I did want to start by just acknowledging Craig Wolfley. This is the first camp since I’ve been here where he won’t be here and won’t see him every day in front of Benedict Hall, and I think I speak for everyone in here when I say that we miss him. Hopefully, he’s looking down proudly at all of us and we make him proud here. So, Wolf, we miss you.”
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