By Jeremy Hritz In 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks with receivers Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El, and Cedrick Wilson. Again in 2008, the Steelers captured their sixth Lombardi against another NFC West opponent in the Arizona Cardinals with Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Nate Washington. Wilson, Randle El, and Washington were solid, Holmes was clutch, and Ward is a future Hall of Famer. Outside of Washington, none of these guys were burners who could successfully get vertical, but they were all reliable and able to be depended on for earning crucial first Read more [...]

We now know the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, and it even includes a couple of former Pittsburgh Steelers players in center Dermontti Dawson and defensive back Jack Butler. Dawson was one of the 15 modern era finalist, while Butler was one of the two senior finalist that made the 2012 final cut. Of course Dawson and Butler were not the only two former Steelers that were finalist this year as running back Jerome Bettis and linebacker/defensive Kevin Greene were also included in the list of 15 modern day finalist. Neither however made the cut down to 10 this time around. Immediately after Read more [...]

Hines Ward's future with the Steelers is on the decision block and his future with the team will most likely be decided on March 1. 2012, due to a roster bonus he is due. At the Super Bowl media center Thursday, Ward was adamant that he'd be with the Steelers. It's true that in the last year of Bruce Arians' offense, Ward was devalued, but Arians is gone and that may or may not bode well for the 14-year veteran out of Georgia. Ward is scheduled to earn $4 million in the last two years of his contract, and has insisted he's willing to take a cut to stay with the team. According to the Pittsburgh Read more [...]

This is in no way substantiated, so for now you must consider it a rumor that is growing legs from a questionable source. I usually don't deal in this type of rumor mongering, but it does make a little sense based on connecting the dots. The rumor is that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has interviewed, or is going to interview, former West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart for a spot on his staff. It could be an interview for the vacant offensive coordinator position or perhaps as quarterbacks coach should Randy Fichtner end up being promoted. We just do not know that answer and are Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette has confirmed a rumor circulating last night that the Pittsburgh Steelers have indeed signed former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith to a future contract. Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2006, his senior year with the Buckeyes, and was subsequently drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his first 3 seasons with the Ravens, Smith started just 2 games. He was released by the Ravens before the start of the 2010 season and was quickly signed by the San Francisco 49ers where he started 6 games during his one season there. For his career Smith completed Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette reported today on 93.7 The Fan that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has had his surgery now on the torn ACL in his right knee. Mendenhall injured the knee on the final play of the first quarter in the week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on a 5 yard run to the right side. Reportedly they were waiting on the swelling to go down on the knee before Mendenhall had his surgery, as expected. The hope is that Mendenhall will be ready for action when the Steelers report to Latrobe for their 2012 training camp. The injury can however take up to 9 months Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers president and co-owner Art Rooney II talked to the Pittsburgh media today and beat writers Ed Bouchette, Scott Brown and Mike Bires are all relaying the conversation via Twitter for us and I will recap those Tweets below. Rooney II said today that his father Dan Rooney to step down as the Irish Ambassador and rejoin the team in 2012. He also told the reporters that they will add 3,000 seats to Heinz Field after the 2012 season. As far as potential moves go during the offseason, Rooney II called wide receiver Hines Ward an "all-time" Steelers great and hopefully a future Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette is confirming that Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will indeed return for the 2012 season. This will be his 9th straight season running the defense since his return to the Steelers in 2004. The Steelers 2011 defense finished first in the NFL this season in both points allowed and total defense. They finished first in yards allowed per game (271.8), yards allowed per play (4.51), passing yards allowed per game (171.9) and passing yards allowed per play (5.19). The defense also finished first in first downs allowed per game (16.5). There is still no official Read more [...]

As Ed Bouchette reported this morning, veteran Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has made it clear he wants to come back in 2012 and he is willing to take a pay cut to do so. Ward seems dead set on playing next year and he also made it clear that he will do so elsewhere if the Steelers choose not to bring him back. According to Bouchette, Ward has a clause in his contract that states they must either guarantee his job by March 1st then or release him. There are also reports he has a $1 million roster bonus due at that time, but my records do not match that report. It could be true Read more [...]

Here are the post game quotes on steelers.com from several Steelers players following the overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. Doug Farrar has a good breakdown on what happened on the final pass play from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas. I tweeted after the game I did not think it was cover zero and this, along with the quotes of Ryan Mundy, pretty much make you believe it wasn't. Here are the quotes from the Broncos lockerroom as well as both Tebow and Thomas are quoted. I have posted a quick rundown of the Steelers 2012 free agent class and go through each one by one. Here is an updated Read more [...]

Both Mark Kaboly and Ed Bouchette are reporting on Twitter this morning that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told the media today that he suffered a setback of sorts in the game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and that he tweaked his injured left ankle a bit. He did say he is playing Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday during his press conference that the condition of Roethlisberger was no worse than it was before the Browns game, but that he had yet to see him yesterday, and that they will see how he is moving forward. Tomlin Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette reports via Twitter that the right knee injury suffered by Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall yesterday against the Cleveland Browns on a first half run is indeed a torn ACL and he will be lost for the rest of the playoffs. Bouchette reports that the good news is that there is no other damage in the knee and that Mendenhall will have surgery to repair the torn ACL over the next couple of weeks, presumably after the swelling goes down. The injury happened on on the last play of the first quarter as Mendenhall attempted to plant his right leg and cut back inside on Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette reports this afternoon that a few more Steelers players were named as 2012 Pro Bowl alternates on Tuesday. We already knew that outside linebacker James Harrison was named a first alternate for the AFC at outside linebacker and that free safety Ryan Clark and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley were also named as second alternates. Bouchette reports now that left guard Chris Kemoeatu, cornerback Ike Taylor and defensive end Brett Keisel were named a third alternates and inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons was named a fourth alternate four the AFC squad. The Kemoeatu selection is a Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and center Maurkice Pouncey both plan on practicing today according to Twitter reports by Scott Brown, Mark Kaboly and Ed Bouchette. Kaboly reports that Roethlisberger has absolutely no limp at all walking through the locker room today and that he looks 100 percent fine. Brown reports that Pouncey said he is "pain free" and that he is playing Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, and that he means it this time. Both Roethlisberger and Pouncey sat out last week against the St. Louis Rams as they both recover from left high ankle sprains suffered Read more [...]

Season 2, Episode 60 of The Terrible Podcast is up and with David Todd back from Las Vegas we dive right into the 5 star match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Rams taking place Saturday at Heinz Field. Ok, maybe not a 5 star. David and I start by looking at the Friday injury report and discussing the news that Charlie Batch will start over the injured Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. Will Ben still dress? We discuss it and wonder what it would take for him to have to play in this game at some point if he does dress. We discuss the injured players along with the roster move Read more [...]