The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
DAVID PACY FROM SHERMAN, NY: Do you tend to view "greatness" – true NFL greatness – as having been an integral part of a Super Bowl winning team? I mean, one can compare individual statistics of players like James Harrison and Aaron Smith vs. players like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. Both pairs of players boast noteworthy numbers, but Smith and Harrison were part of the reason that Pittsburgh won 2 Super Bowls in that they DID things on the field to WIN in the postseason, whereas Watt and Heyward have not, so far. Does this lack of postseason success lessen your view of their legacy?
ANSWER: I certainly would have no argument with the idea that winning championships has a positive impact on a player's legacy, and having spoken to members of the Hall of Fame Board of Selectors, I know that winning championships has been a factor in electing players to the Hall of Fame. But also worthy of consideration is that football is the ultimate team sport, and it's unfair to place the responsibility for not winning a championship on an individual or two. On Feb. 3, 2025, Bryan DeArdo wrote a story for CBSsports.com listing 25 great players who never won a Super Bowl, and among those included in this group of players whose careers had ended: G John Hannah, C Dermontti Dawson, CB Champ Bailey, G Bruce Matthews, RB Adrian Peterson, RB Eric Dickerson, QB Fran Tarkenton, WR Larry Fitzgerald, DT Alan Page, T Anthony Munoz, WR Randy Moss, RB Barry Sanders, and QB Dan Marino. No one ever could convince me that Dawson, Munoz, Sanders, Fitzgerald, Dickerson, Moss, and Marino aren't among the greatest players in NFL history at their respective positions.
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HENRY LACAYO FROM MIAMI, FL: Last year I attended Steelers training camp in Latrobe with my family, and we stayed to attend a preseason game at Acrisure Stadium. We had an awesome time. When is the training camp schedule going to be released, and do you know if the Steelers will practice on the Friday before the Aug. 16 preseason game against the Buccaneers?
ANSWER: The Steelers have announced their training camp schedule, and there is a link to it on the homepage of Steelers.com. The final day of practice at Saint Vincent College that is open to the public is on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The preseason game vs. Tampa Bay is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Acrisure Stadium.
JASON PRASTER FROM SAN ANTONIO, TX: Do you think the saying "defense wins championships" still applies in today's NFL? I look at the Steelers defense and there is Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent at each position group, if not each position. Yet we lose games against high profile offenses. The league certainly has favored the offensive side of the ball. So in today's NFL, would you be more inclined to say, "offense wins championships?"
ANSWER: In my opinion, this is one of those submissions where the writer has an opinion and is looking for me to agree with it. I would refer you to Super Bowl LIX, which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, the Eagles limited the Chiefs to 49 yards rushing and 275 total net yards of offense. They sacked Patrick Mahomes 6 times and hit him 11 times. They finished with 3 takeaways – 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery that led directly to a field goal. If you're trying to tell me that defense didn't win that championship for the Eagles, I would disagree wholeheartedly.
CHUCK MILLER FROM GREEN ISLAND, NY: Although Chris Boswell was only a few field goals short of setting the NFL record for most field goals in a regular season, am I correct in that Boswell actually holds the record for most cumulative distance for all field goals combined in a single season? In other words, if all his successful field goals from last season were laid end to end, wouldn't he have achieved a larger result than any other kicker in NFL history?
ANSWER: I have never, ever heard of that stat – cumulative distance for all field goals combined in a single season; I have no way of researching that, or any interest in doing so; and I cannot imagine anything more meaningless.
STEVE DOVER FROM LAS VEGAS, NV: The Steelers have had many great receivers in their lineup. We could make valid cases for who was our best receiver ever. But In your opinion, which Steelers receiver had the best single season ever?
ANSWER: My way of defining "best single season ever" would be through statistics/individual awards and comparison of those statistics/individual awards with others at his position. In 2014, Antonio Brown led the NFL in catches with 129, and in receiving yards with 1,698. He was voted first-team All-Pro and was third in the voting for Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. In 2017, Brown led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,533, in receiving yards per game with 109.5, and in yards per touch with 15.2. He was voted first-team All-Pro and was second in the voting for Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year.
DANIEL KEETER FROM BAKERSFIELD, CA: I'm trying to find the clip where Joe Greene pushes Fran Tarkington to the ground and then gets in Greene's face. Then announcer Frank Gifford says, "I don't know why Fran is challenging Greene when Greene can put Fran in his hip pocket." That is one of my favorite comments about the Steel Curtain that I can remember, but I can't find the game in which it took place.
ANSWER: Since the announcer was Frank Gifford, and he was in the booth for Monday Night Football during Greene's playing career, the only time the Steelers faced Fran Tarkenton's team on MNF came on Oct. 4, 1976, at Metropolitan Stadium. The Steelers lost, 17-6, to fall to 1-3, while the Vikings raised their record to 3-0-1. In the game, Tarkenton completed 4-of-11 for 41 yards, with no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, and he also was sacked twice. But while the Steelers defense had 4 takeaways in the game, the Steelers offense had 4 turnovers, including 4 interceptions by Terry Bradshaw, who also was sacked 5 times.
DANIEL YECKLEY FROM CORNELIUS, NC: How are reps being divided in OTAs? Will rookie Will Howard be given a chance, or get the Chris Oladokun treatment?
ANSWER: The only time to chart and/or be concerned about repetitions in practice doesn't come until training camp begins at Saint Vincent College.
JOSEPH MAGGIO FROM FORT MILL, SC: I'm surprised you took it easy on Steve Samick with his tanking question in the May 27 Asked and Answered. He should know Pittsburgh has and never will quit. The Steelers represent all people affiliated with growing up in Pittsburgh, and we were raised to give it our best, never quit, and to work hard. As a former Pittsburgh Press paper boy, I wouldn't trade growing up in Pittsburgh for anything in the world. The only reason many of us grew up in and around the great city of Pittsburgh was because our grandparents or parents immigrating from across Europe had zero quit in their blood. And on top of that, intentionally tanking in the NFL will lose you several years of first-round draft picks from Commissioner Roger Goodell.
ANSWER: While the NFL doesn't have specific rules against tanking, which refers to purposely losing games, doing so can be determined to be a violation of the NFL's integrity rules.
NATE KLEIN FROM MANASSAS, VA: I saw the interview with Max Hurleman about his journey to signing with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie. He seems like the newest, dare I say trend, of players coming into the league with multiple skill-sets spread among different positions. If you've done any research into Max, do you think his style of play would be concentrated on the RB position more so than the others, or a mix of it all until his true potential is realized at whichever position he plays? Thanks for the years of Asked and Answered. It has kept me both entertained and up to speed a bit on Steelers happenings during the offseason.
ANSWER: Never underestimate the value of versatility when it comes to an undrafted rookie such as Max Hurleman making the kind of impression that could keep him around through training camp and the preseason. Being able to line up at different positions whenever and wherever the team might need him and then having the ability to perform competently at those different positions has real value to an NFL coaching staff. And in my opinion, during his rookie training camp Hurleman's best position better be special teams.
GEORGE BASSETT FROM LAGUNA WOODS, CA: The letter from David Luprek regarding the skill-set required for a player to be in the NFL. It drives me crazy when listening to TV and radio broadcasters, play-by-play announcers, analysts, pundits, and talking heads denigrate any NFL player's athleticism. Albeit there are elite players throughout the league, and the Steelers have had and still have a bunch of them, but any player making an NFL roster is a star in my opinion.
ANSWER: The numbers certainly support your contention, because a 2023 estimate pegged the number of American males at 166.1 million, and there are around 2,208 players on NFL active rosters and practice squads during a season.
