Let's get to it:
RODGER SHAFFER FROM PLUM, PA: We had what appears to be an excellent draft. Given the brutal second half of the schedule and the possible "rookie wall," would you start any of the rookies early in the season?
ANSWER: Certainly, one way of dealing with the potential of rookies wearing out during the final stages of an NFL season that will be longer than anything they experienced during their college careers would be to limit their playing time through the first six weeks. That strategy could put them in a position where the end of their first NFL season would correspond numerically to the end of a typical college season. On the other hand, a way of dealing with a brutal second half of the 2024 regular season schedule would be to bank a bunch of wins early. In light of the seemingly either-or nature of the situation as you described it, I would start rookies whenever they are judged to be ready to play and help the team win games.
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LUCA VALENTINI FROM MILANO, ITALY: What do you think about Cam Heyward and his plan to skip OTAs?
ANSWER: Cam Heyward had surgery during the early part of the 2024 offseason after missing 6 regular season games with a groin injury. During the NFL Combine in late February, General Manager Omar Khan said recovery from that surgery was going to limit Heyward's participation in offseason activities. "The reality is that he's going to be 35 years old," said Khan at that time. "We have to be careful how we manage his reps. We are going to be smart about it. We are at a point where we have to be smart about it. We aren't going to rush it. He doesn't have to learn the defense. He can probably teach it. We will be smart about it."
ROBERT YEAGER FROM CANYON COUNTRY, CA: I noticed when the 2024 NFL schedule came out that the Steelers' overall record against the various teams they'll be playing were noted, which made me curious: Do the Steelers have a winning percentage against the majority of the NFL teams?
ANSWER: The NFL franchises that have winning records, including playoffs, in their all-time series against the Steelers are the Bears (22-8-1), Cowboys (17-16), Broncos (20-13-1), Packers (23-17), Jaguars (15-13), Raiders (17-15), Rams (17-11-1), Vikings (10-9), Patriots (19-16), Saints (9-8), New York Giants (46-32-3), Eagles (49-28-3), 49ers (13-10), and Washington (44-34-4).
RICKY SMITH FROM PENSACOLA, FL: Maybe it's just me, but lately it seems that around mid-season, the number of teams that appear to be outside the playoff bubble and have decided to tank for a No. 1 draft pick gets bigger. What is your opinion of the NFL going to a draft lottery a la the NHL and NBA?
ANSWER: One of the things that makes football different than basketball and hockey are the numbers of players on the field at a time (11 for football, 5 for basketball, and 6 for hockey). And in basketball and hockey the players play both offense and defense, while football is a two-platoon sport. Those number disparities mean it's less likely that a single individual could have the same impact in football that is possible in basketball and/or hockey. And since the concept behind tanking usually involves getting the No. 1 overall pick, I offer the following recent No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft as evidence that having the first pick is no guarantee of adding a difference-making individual: Bryce Young, Travon Walker, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Jared Goff, Jameis Winston, Jadeveon Clowney, and Eric Fisher.
STEPHEN SCHROEDER FROM AUGUSTA, GA: Last week you wrote: "The Steelers business model since Chuck Noll ... has been to use the draft as the primary method of roster building, and that's not going to change." This offseason has been historic for the Steelers in regard to trades and free agency. Were you watching the same offseason as the rest of us? I am hoping that this year is not a one-off, and this is the way we do business in the future.
ANSWER: I was answering a specific question and not commenting on an overall strategy during a particular offseason. And this was the specific question: "Considering how many needs the Steelers appear to have filled via the draft this year and last, do you think they are now any likelier to part with future high draft picks to secure a top flight wide receiver?" How many times have the Steelers parted with a future high draft pick in the last 50 years? How many future high draft picks did the Steelers trade away during this offseason that you described as "historic in terms of trades and free agency?" None and none. Not trading away those kinds of picks is how the Steelers do business, and it's not going to change.
BOBBY STICKEL FROM ITHACA, NY: I saw a quote from Merril Hoge that said he felt very honored and lucky to play for both Coach Chuck Noll and Coach Bill Cowher, and that he was one of a handful of Steelers who could make that claim. Do you know who the others were?
ANSWER: All due respect to Merril Hoge, but there were many, many more players than just "a handful" who played for both Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. Of the 22 regular starters on offense and defense during Cowher's inaugural season of 1992, the only rookie was free safety Darren Perry. And since there was no unrestricted free agency at the time, that means the other 21 starters in 1992 played for Noll. Since there were only 12 rookies who were on the roster for even a part of the 1992 season, the vast majority of that group had played for Noll before Cowher arrived.
JAMES MAC PHERSON FROM BEACHWOOD, NJ: Since we tried to get a big-time wide receiver with no luck, does that signal we will be a run-run team? If so, it's a shame since we now have a quarterback who can throw deep.
ANSWER: It's May. The first day of OTAs is today. Pads don't go on until early August, which is around 11 weeks away. Arthur Smith will be in his first season as the Steelers offensive coordinator. Lots of new and/or unfamiliar faces among the offensive players and coaching staff. Give it some time to develop; give Smith some time to evaluate and adapt. Stop trying to microwave everything. This is going to be a long, involved journey, and it certainly is not going to follow a straight line.
JOSHUA CAMPBELL FROM CINCINNATI, OH: I was looking at the roster and noticed that Scotty Miller is the only one without a jersey number listed. Has he been assigned a number?
ANSWER: Based on when Scotty Miller was signed, and the fact as a veteran he was not eligible to participate in Rookie Minicamp, his first on-field appearance with the Steelers figures to be for the opening of OTAs, which will happen the same morning that this appears on Steelers.com. My prediction is that he's going to have to pick a different number than he ever has worn in his NFL career. Miller wore No. 10 with the Buccaneers, and No. 16 with the Falcons. Roman Wilson wears No. 10 for the Steelers, and Quez Watkins has No. 16.
ERIC ASH FROM WELLSVILLE, OH: The Steelers will play on Dec. 15, Dec. 21, and Dec. 25. That's 3 games in 11 days. I cannot recall any NFL team playing so many games in so few days. Has that happened before? The Dec. 25 game is a Wednesday. I cannot recall any regularly scheduled NFL game played on a Wednesday, regardless of it being a holiday. Has that happened before?
ANSWER: During the 2020 season that was impacted by the global pandemic, the Steelers played three games during an 11-day stretch of December. On Dec. 2, the Steelers defeated the Ravens, 19-14, on a Wednesday to get to 11-0 on the season. On Monday, Dec. 7, the streak was snapped in a loss to the Washington Commanders, and then on Sunday, Dec. 13, the Steelers fell to 11-2 after a loss in Buffalo to the Bills. I would never take for granted the physical toll that NFL regular season games have on the human body, but I will note here that any regular season schedule that contains a Thursday-Sunday-Sunday stretch for a team translates to three games in 12 days. And that happened as recently to the Steelers as last season. Coming off their bye, the Steelers beat the Rams in Los Angeles on a Sunday; lost to Jacksonville the following Sunday at Acrisure Stadium; and stayed home for a win over Tennessee the Thursday after that.
TERENCE HALDEN FROM LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA: As a long-time Steelers fan and with my daughter being a Denver fan, we are thinking of traveling to Denver for the Sept. 15 matchup. What is the procedure for getting half-decent seats for an away Steelers game?
ANSWER: Go to the Steelers.com homepage at your earliest convenience, and at the far left of the top nav bar is "Schedule." Click on that and you will be directed to a page containing the entire 2024 schedule – preseason and regular season games. Scroll down to the Week 2, Sept. 15 game in Denver. On the far right you will see a gold box "View Tickets." Click on that, and you will be directed to a page operated by Ticketmaster, which is one of the NFL's partners. There you will be able to view the areas of the stadium with available tickets, and then choose a price that meets your budget. Good luck.
DAVID BOGNAR FROM GERMANTOWN, WI: There is a lot of talk about the Steelers needing a No. 2 receiver. There are some teams that use the tight end as a No. 2 receiver. I'm not sure what Arthur Smith's plans are with the offense, but it seems like it will be much different. Do you think the Steelers need another veteran receiver, and if so, do you think there are any quality options left in free agency?
ANSWER: This is another of those situations where the prudent approach is to wait-and-see. Maybe Pat Freiermuth evolves and develops into a much more significant threat in the passing attack; maybe Roman Wilson finishes with 49 catches for 824 yards (16.8 average), 2 touchdowns, and 40 first downs, as Santonio Holmes did as a rookie. There are a lot of things to consider before it's wise for a team to "go out and get" a player at a specific position. Two of the most basic considerations of going out and getting someone are: Who is available and at what cost, in terms of both salary cap space and draft capital. The Steelers invested a lot of man hours and capital during free agency and the draft, and there is a time to trust the people charged with assembling the roster to this point and see how they did. And then have a Plan B just in case.
