Let's get to it:
JOE RILEY FROM ROGERSVILLE, MO: Do you think there is any hope of the Pro Bowl being played as a four-quarter game again?
ANSWER: There is a level of violence inherent when football is played, and with that comes some level of a threat of bodily harm, threat of injury. I don't believe you're ever going to be able to convince the best players in the NFL to participate in a meaningless game where they could sustain an injury that conceivably could shorten or end their careers. Football without hitting is bad television, and the Pro Bowl ratings were suffering as the game was evolving more towards what it is now, which is flag football. I cannot see it going back to that.
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ELLEN CAUDLE FROM CHATTANOOGA, TN: Why doesn't the front office of the Pittsburgh Steelers listen to what the fans want? I know that they are the professionals, but some of their decisions just baffle the fans. They don't give a detailed reason for their decisions.
ANSWER: I'm going to try to be as respectful as possible as I answer this, but what business on this planet – and every team in the NFL is a business – polls its customers before it's making decisions, or as it's making decisions? Take the store where you shop for groceries as an example. Would that store poll its customers before adding an item or discontinuing an item? Before setting its prices? Before deciding whether to be open for business on weekends? Involve its customers in its hiring and firing decisions? Imagine if the Steelers polled the fans before making every decision. Free agents to sign, and the amount of those contracts. Players to draft. Cutting the roster. Picking a starting quarterback. Deciding if/when to bench the starting quarterback. As a fan/customer, you have every right to vote at the cash register, and by that I mean the right to decide whether or not to spend your hard-earned money on the product. Beyond that, I'm sorry but fans don't deserve to be involved/polled in the franchise's decisions.
MARK RICE FROM LAS VEGAS, NV: If the Steelers are interested in re-signing Russell Wilson, or Justin Fields, what is taking this long to sign one of them?
ANSWER: Taking so long? You're talking about contracts that will end up being multi-year, multi-million-dollar deals. Taking so long? Seriously? The Steelers have exclusive negotiating rights with all of its own players until the start of the legal tampering period, which is on March 10. Today is Feb. 4. Do you think the agents for those two players are going to take the first offer? If it was your agent, would you want that? Or maybe you think the Steelers should just start out with a ridiculously high number to get it over with so that you wouldn't think it was taking too long. To steal a line from John McEnroe: "You cannot be serious."
LARRY LASH FROM TARENTUM. PA: How much is Russell Wilson set to make on the open market as an unrestricted free agent? I saw Justin Fields is around $6.4 million a year, but is Russell's age playing a factor on his next price tag?
ANSWER: There are no such numbers for what Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields are "set to make on the open market," at least no such numbers that have any basis in fact or reality. What you're reading are projections, estimations, which are synonyms for guesses. Stop wasting your time with that kind of garbage, because it's simply click-bait.
CHRIS BILLINGHURST FROM MAIDENHEAD, UK: Following up on Michael Williams' question last week regarding Super Bowl jerseys, it was my understanding that the AFC team gets the choice to wear their home uniform for even numbered Super Bowls, whereas the NFC gets the choice for the odd numbers. Do you know why the Steelers wore white jerseys in Superbowl XL, and black in Super Bowls X and XIII?
ANSWER: The way it works is that one year the NFC is the designated home team in the Super Bowl and the following year the AFC is the designated home team in the Super Bowl. And it's the designated home team that gets to choose which color jersey to wear. In Super Bowl IX, the Vikings were the home team, and they chose to wear purple, and so the Steelers wore white. In Super Bowl X, the Steelers were the home team, and they chose to wear black. In Super Bowl XIII, the Cowboys were the designated home team, and since the Cowboys' preferred jersey color is white, they chose to wear white which left the Steelers in black. In Super Bowl XL, the Steelers were the designated home team, but they chose to wear their white (road) jerseys, because the team squeezed into the 2005 playoffs as the No. 6 seed, which meant they opened on the road vs. Cincinnati in the Wild Card Round, then advanced to Indianapolis in the Divisional Round, and then played the Broncos in Denver in the Conference Championship Round. In keeping with the theme of "road warriors," the Steelers chose to wear their white jerseys vs. Seattle in Super Bowl XL.
EVO HERNANDEZ FROM MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: Why do the Steelers select after the NFC South Division Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2025 NFL draft if the teams have the same record of 10-7?
ANSWER: According to operations.nfl.com, "In situations where teams finished the previous season with identical records, the determination of draft position is decided by strength of schedule — the aggregate winning percentage of a team's opponents. The team that played the schedule with the lowest winning percentage will be awarded the higher pick." Because the Steelers played a tougher schedule than the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay picks ahead of Pittsburgh.
BILL MALONI FROM CHEVY CHASE, MD: I've seen various and conflicting accounts of when the Steelers draft in 2025. Beyond having the 21st overall selection in Round 1, how many picks do they have now?
ANSWER: The Steelers have 7 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Those break down to 1 pick in each of the first 5 rounds, and then 2 picks in Round 7. Once compensatory draft picks are awarded, the draft slots in Rounds 3-through-7 will be assigned by the league.
JON SPROUL FROM PORT SAINT LUCIE, FL: With respect to the kickoff rule change, have any kickoffs been returned for touchdowns this past season?
ANSWER: There were 7 kickoff returns for touchdowns during the 2025 regular season. The players who did it were Arizona's DeeJay Dallas, Cincinnati's Charlie Jones, the Jets' Kene Nwangwu, Seattle's Laviska Shenault Jr., the Giants' Ihmir Smith Marsette, Dallas' Juanyeh Thomas, and Dallas' KaVontae Turpin.
JED SMART FROM EUSTIS, FL: Another question about Pro Bowl pay. T.J. Watt was selected to this year's Pro Bowl, and for whatever reason, bowed out. I understand he's still credited with being selected, but does he, or others who get replaced, get paid for being selected?
ANSWER: When it comes to the Pro Bowl, you have to play to get paid.
LEON KULINSKI FROM OIL CITY, PA: I read where guard James Daniels was very highly rated for his performances before he got hurt. As he is a young veteran I think the Steelers would benefit from bringing him back although everything I read seems to be that he will sign elsewhere. Would like your thoughts on this issue.
ANSWER: James Daniels, who will be 28 in September, tore an Achilles on Sept. 30 in a game vs. the Colts in Indianapolis. I cannot imagine a realistic scenario in which he would be able to pass a physical when free agency begins on March 12, and so I have no idea what kind of market there might be for Daniels. Before the 2024 season even began, the Steelers had used a sixth-round draft pick on Mason McCormick with the idea that he would step in at guard once Daniels hit unrestricted free agency, and I see that as the most likely way this situation plays out.
