Let's get to it:
TIMOTHY RICHARD FROM SULPHUR, LA: How many games into his first season as head coach do you think today's fans would've been calling for Chuck Noll to be fired?
ANSWER: Usually, fans' dissatisfaction with a new coach has to do with unmet expectations, but not even the most blindly optimistic Steelers fan of that era would have seen Chuck Noll's inaugural season of 1969 as a disappointment. If anything, it likely would have been viewed as a continuation of the status quo. In the four seasons before Noll was hired, the Steelers were a combined 13-40-3, and starting in 1965 they had finished last in the 7-team Eastern Conference; sixth of 8 teams in the Eastern Conference; last in the 4-team Century Division; and last in the 4-team Century Division. The bar couldn't have been much lower than it was when Noll was hired, and while his first Steelers team finished 1-13, it did win its opener, 16-13 over the Detroit Lions at Pitt Stadium. Instead of screaming for Noll to be fired, the fans would've been much more likely to serenade him with chants of "Same Old Steelers."
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SHAWN BITTNER FROM JACKSONVILLE, NC: With Isaac Seumalo likely to miss a few games with a pectoral injury, who will fill that position? And what do you think this does to the development of the offensive line with three young players either getting their first NFL starts or switching positions?
ANSWER: At this early stage of the week of preparation for the opener in Atlanta, I would guess the top candidates to start in Isaac Seumalo's spot at left guard would be either Spencer Anderson or Mason McCormick, with Anderson getting the edge in my mind because he's a veteran. Being that the start of the regular season is at hand, the focus shifts from development of a unit to finding a way to win the game each week. Development still remains a part of the process, but it's no longer the most important thing. Winning games is.
NICK MITCHELL FROM GLEN-LYON, PA: Do you believe we can have a top 10 defense in the league this year? I believe we have the players to do it, and the defense will most likely have to carry the offense until it gets better.
ANSWER: I never have been a big fan of the way the NFL ranks defenses – typically by yards allowed – because I believe good defense in today's NFL has less to do with yards allowed and more to do with points allowed and opportunities created for its own offense. If the opponent moves the ball 70 yards but has to settle for a field goal, that's an example of good defense. If an opponent moves the ball right down the field, but then the defense takes the ball away, that's also an example of good defense. One of the important aspects this season I believe will come down to the Steelers' ability to stop the opponent's running game, because that will create the kind of situations where the pass rush can be a factor either in terms of sacks or creating the kind of pressure that forces the opposing quarterback to make mistakes with the football. That in turn creates opportunities for a ball-hawk like Minkah Fitzpatrick to perform his specialty.
THOMAS WHITE FROM GARDENDALE, AL: Didn't see any mention of Cam Sutton on cut-down day. I'm aware of his 8 game suspension but how does that work with the roster designations now and when he's eligible to return?
ANSWER: If you look at the roster on Steelers.com, you will see Cam Sutton listed under the classification of Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner. When the team made its moves on Aug. 27 to get down to 53 players, Sutton went on that list automatically; there didn't have to be a separate move made. Sutton's suspension lasts for eight games, and after eight games he will be eligible to return for the final 9 games of the regular season.
GLEN WHITTEN FROM AGUADILLA, PUERTO RICO: With the injury to Isaac Seumalo there's a lot of talk about whether to look to Spencer Anderson or Mason McCormick. Are you surprised there is no talk of putting Troy Fautanu at guard? He's almost certainly a better athlete and has some guard experience. Perhaps it would allow the Steelers to put the "best five linemen" on the field.
ANSWER: As I mentioned in an earlier answer within this installment, the idea now becomes finding ways to win games, and the injury Troy Fautanu sustained in the first preseason game has put him behind when it comes to being prepared to start in the opener on Sept. 8. And it especially rules out, in my mind, moving him to guard and expecting him to start against Atlanta. That's simply not realistic, nor is it in the best interest of the team in its effort to win this Sunday.
ED JOHNSON FROM GERMANTOWN, OH: You may have answered this question previously, but how does all of the equipment needed for a game, say on the West Coast, get there? By plane or is it trucked? It seems like a lot of equipment.
ANSWER: For road games that are a short-ish distance from Pittsburgh – Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit as examples – the equipment is shipped to the site by truck. On the longer trips, it is shipped by air.
KEVIN D'ANGELO FROM SELBYVILLE, DE: According to the Steelers website, there appear to be 8 rookies on the 53-man roster this year. Can you tell me the players who were on the 2023 active roster who aren't on the 2024 active roster to start the season? I know all three quarterbacks have been replaced, but who else?
ANSWER: As of this writing, there are 24 players who were on the initial 53-man roster in 2023 who are not on the current 53-man roster in 2024. That list of players includes, Kwon Alexander, Mikes Boykin, Mason Cole, Dylan Cook, Markus Golden, Pressley Harvin, Nate Herbig, Cole Holcomb, Diontae Johnson, Desmond King, Anthony McFarland, Keanu Neal, Chuks Okorafor, Gunner Olszewski, Patrick Peterson, Kenny Pickett, James Pierre, Elijah Riley, Allen Robinson, Mason Rudolph, Chandon Sullivan, Mitch Trubisky, Levi Wallace, and Armon Watt.
MATTHIAS ELFGEN FROM OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA: As a fellow German I was very excited to see Julius Welschof on the preseason roster and doing relatively well in his performance. Unfortunately he is now out for the season as the Steelers put him on IR. I am curious what a player goes through when he is put on season-ending injured reserve? What are they allowed to do, what is the benefit for them besides being at the facility, and lastly is there any pay involved for them?
ANSWER: I'll answer your last question first. All players on the injured reserve list receive the salary dictated by the terms in their contract. In the case of Julius Welschof, the minimum salary for an NFL rookie is $795,000. Players on injured reserve are able to be around the team on a weekly basis throughout the entire season. Players on injured reserve will continue to rehabilitate their injuries, attend meetings and in general take part in all team activities except practices and the games themselves.
JARRED HOLBROOK FROM LEXINGTON, KY: Obviously the player and his agent take many things into consideration when negotiating contracts with various teams or pursuing potential trade opportunities, but it seem odd to me that the media talking heads do not really talk about state income tax. Have you ever heard of the Steelers persuading players to sign knowing Pennsylvania's state income tax is a flat 3.03 percent vs. California's that can be upwards of 13 percent? I know there are various factors that are going to be different for every player when determining where to sign, but this seems to be an important one.
ANSWER: Different things are important to different people, and my sense is that it would be more the agent's purview to point out the tax ramifications to his client than it would be the team's. Who knows, maybe tax ramifications had something to do with Brandon Aiyuk wanting to be traded from a team such as the 49ers, largely considered a front-runner to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.
