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Miles Boykin Miles Boykin Picked up by Steelers
Tue, Apr 19, 2022, 3:45 PM
Boykin was claimed off waivers by the Steelers on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Boykin will remain in the AFC North for the time being after he was previously waived by the Ravens on Monday. Boykin appeared on 32 offensive snaps and was targeted just once in 2021 after starting the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury which apparently lost him his role in the team's rotation at wide receiver. Boykin would go on to miss additional time last season while dealing with various injuries, but he appeared on 144 special-teams snaps over eight games and could carve out a role for himself in this phase with Pittsburgh. |
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Gunner Olszewski Gunner Olszewski Joining Steelers
Fri, Mar 18, 2022, 4:04 PM
Olszewski has agreed to a two-year, $4.2 million deal with the Steelers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Over his three seasons with the Patriots, Olszewski recorded just nine receptions, but perhaps the 25-year-old will be more involved as a receiver with the Steelers in 2022. In any case, the 6-foot, 190-pounder should continue to make his mark as a quality punt/kick returner. |
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Mitch Trubisky Mitchell Trubisky Two-year deal with Steelers
Tue, Mar 15, 2022, 12:19 PM
Trubisky's deal with the Steelers is for two years, with a base value of approximately $14 million, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The report suggests that Trubisky's pact could max out at $27 million via incentives. Though Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins are also in the Steelers' post-Ben Roethlisberger quarterback mix, Kaboly indicates that Trubisky -- No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft -- is the clear favorite to be the team's Week 1 starter after spending last season with the Bills as Josh Allen's backup. |
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Mason Rudolph Mason Rudolph In line for backup role
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 2:09 PM
Rudolph will begin OTAs as the Steelers' backup quarterback after Mitchell Trubisky agreed to a two-year deal with the team Monday, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Rudolph looked like he had a chance to serve as Pittsburgh's starter under center after Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement earlier in the offseason, but Trubisky now will be the clear favorite to take the starting job after spending a year behind Josh Allen in Buffalo. After filling in during 10 games in 2019, Rudolph has made seven appearances across the last two seasons and has completed 60 of 101 passes for 601 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing 12 times for 47 yards. |
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Mitch Trubisky Mitchell Trubisky Joining Steelers
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 12:07 PM
Trubisky has agreed to a two-year deal with the Steelers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (by the Bears) served as Josh Allen's backup with the Bills last season. With the Steelers, however, Trubisky now is slated to have a chance to step back into a starting role, taking over for Pittsburgh's long-time franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after the 2021 season. Also in the team's signal-caller mix are Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins. |
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Eric Ebron Eric Ebron Cleared from knee injury
Thu, Feb 17, 2022, 8:18 AM
Ebron (knee) announced Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he received full medical clearance.
Analysis: Ebron missed the final seven games of 2021 with a knee injury after missing a pair of games midseason with a hamstring issue. He finished with a 12-84-1 receiving line across the eight games he did play, down from 56-558-5 his first year in Pittsburgh. Unless he re-signs with the Steelers first, Ebron will become an unrestricted free agent in mid-March, about a month before his 29th birthday. |
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Anthony Miller Anthony Miller Staying with Steelers
Mon, Jan 24, 2022, 4:21 PM
Miller signed a reserve/future contract with the Steelers on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Miller was traded to the Texans from the Bears over the summer and had five catches for 23 yards and a touchdown in two games before being cut in early October. He spent the rest of 2021 on the Steelers' practice squad and caught one pass for two yards in his lone game action. |
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Steven Sims Steven Sims Remains with Steelers
Wed, Jan 19, 2022, 4:07 PM
The Steelers signed Sims to a reserve/futures contract Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Sims joined the Steelers' practice squad in late September and was elevated to the active roster once during the 2021 campaign. He played just four offensive snaps in the team's Week 10 tie against the Lions and will now remain with the organization heading into the offseason. |
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Mason Rudolph Mason Rudolph Could take starting job next year
Tue, Jan 18, 2022, 8:50 AM
Rudolph could be the Steelers' starting quarterback in 2022, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Ben Roethlisberger is expected to retire, while Rudolph is under contract with the Steelers through 2022 thanks to a one-year extension (signed last spring) worth slightly more than $4 million -- decent money for a backup but far from what most starters make. Of course, Rudolph's odds of starting will depend on the alternatives as much as anything else, and it isn't yet clear if Pittsburgh will make a move for any of the high-profile, disgruntled, veteran QBs that may be available this offseason. Even if they don't, Rudolph won't necessarily be a lock to start, potentially facing competition from Dwayne Haskins, Joshua Dobbs or someone new who the Steelers bring in. |
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Chase Claypool Chase Claypool Quiet in playoff loss
Mon, Jan 17, 2022, 3:34 AM
Claypool had three receptions on seven targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) returned from injured reserve for Ben Roethlisberger's swan song, but Claypool still saw his usual target volume. He played poorly given the opportunities presented to him, but Roethlisberger's inaccuracy did not help any of his receiving options in his final game before retirement. That was also the story of Claypool's sophomore campaign, as he finished with 59 receptions for 860 yards and two touchdowns across 15 contests on 105 targets, giving him a mediocre 56 percent catch rate. Perhaps the large-framed wideout can rediscover his rookie magic with a new quarterback under center in 2022. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Returns for Big Ben's last game
Mon, Jan 17, 2022, 3:11 AM
Smith-Schuster finished with five receptions on eight targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: The 24-year-old was able to return from a lengthy stay on injured reserve to suit up alongside Ben Roethlisberger one last time. Smith-Schuster experienced the last wave of Big Ben's prime, but prior to an injury-plagued 2021 campaign his last big fantasy season came back in 2018. The Steelers will enter a new era under a new quarterback next season, but Smith-Schuster may not be around to see it as he's an unrestricted free agent this offseason. |
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Diontae Johnson Diontae Johnson Finds end zone in losing effort
Mon, Jan 17, 2022, 3:01 AM
Johnson had five receptions on 10 targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Steelers.
Analysis: The 24-year-old finished first among all Pittsburgh receiving options in targets even with JuJu Smith-Schuster returning for Ben Roethlisberger's swan song. Johnson finished the regular season with team highs in receptions (107) and receiving yardage (1,161) while cashing in eight scores. He's established as the Steelers' No. 1 wideout, but the team's quarterback situation in 2022 will determine how much fantasy value Johnson will carry next season. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Set to play Sunday
Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 2:07 PM
Smith-Schuster (shoulder) was activated off injured reserve Saturday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Smith-Schuster tweeted on his personal account saying he'd play in Sunday's playoff matchup against the Chiefs, setting the stage for the star wide receiver to make his return after missing the past 13 games. Even prior to the injury, it was clear Diontae Johnson had usurped Smith-Schuster as Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target, but the fifth-year wide receiver should act as a capable underneath option alongside Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth. |
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Najee Harris Najee Harris All set for Sunday
Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 12:02 PM
Harris (elbow), who was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, no longer carries an injury designation and will be available for the playoff contest.
Analysis: This was hardly a surprise given Harris was a full participant in Friday's practice. Given the pivotal nature of a playoff game, it would have been truly surprising to see the rookie unable to play, especially given his extensive workload this season. The rookie finished the 2021 regular season with 1,667 total yards on 381 total touches, easily the most among rookie ball carriers in the last five years. |
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Najee Harris Najee Harris Questionable for wild-card game
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 2:00 PM
Harris (elbow) was a full practice participant Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's wild-card game against the Chiefs, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Though players that close weeks as full participant don't typically get designations ahead of games, the Steelers appear to be exercising more caution with Harris since he didn't practice in any capacity Wednesday or Thursday. Even so, Harris told Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com before Friday's practice that he's feeling good after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection for his elbow, with most of the soreness he was experiencing having since subsided. As long as he didn't experience any setbacks with his elbow following his return to practice, the rookie will presumably be on the field for the postseason opener and ready to take on his usual three-down workload. While playing in all 17 of the Steelers' regular-season games, Harris was one of the NFL's most heavily-used backs with averages of 18.1 carries and 5.5 targets per contest. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Trending in right direction
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 9:15 AM
Smith-Schuster (shoulder) had no apparent issues in his return to practice Thursday and is "trending toward playing" Sunday's wild-card game at Kansas City, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Thursday marked Smith-Schuster's first official day back at practice in more than three months after the Steelers designated him for return from injured reserve, but his workout apparently went well. Though Smith-Schuster was initially expected to be lost for the season when he underwent shoulder surgery in mid-October, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making it back in action for Sunday's playoff opener. His potential return would bring a significant boost to Pittsburgh's passing game for the playoffs and would likely result in fewer reps for Ray-Ray McCloud, who had been serving as Smith-Schuster's primary replacement in the lineup. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Uncertain for wild-card game
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 3:26 PM
Smith-Schuster (shoulder) practiced Thursday, but head coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers have yet to determine if the wideout will be ready to play in Sunday's wild-card game against the Chiefs, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. "We just started the 21-day window," Tomlin said, in reference to Smith-Schuster being designated for return from injured reserve Thursday. "What transpires out [on the practice field] and a lot of other questions are part of the equation."
Analysis: The Steelers plan to evaluate Smith-Schuster again during their final practice of the day Friday before reassessing if he'll be a realistic option to play Sunday. The Steelers' decision to clear Smith-Schuster for practice was somewhat surprising, as the prevailing assumption was that he would miss the rest of the season after he was shut down in mid-October when he required surgery on his right shoulder. Before landing on IR, Smith-Schuster appeared in five games and recorded 15 receptions for 129 yards and no touchdowns on 28 targets. |
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Najee Harris Najee Harris Set to resume practicing Friday
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 1:24 PM
Harris (elbow) remained a spectator for Thursday's practice, but head coach Mike Tomlin said the running back will be back on the field for Friday's session, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Tomlin mentioned that how Harris fares in Friday's workout will be telling for the rookie's availability for Sunday's wild-card game in Kansas City. Harris proved supremely durable during the regular season, approaching each of the Steelers' 17 contests without an injury designation while finishing with a league-high 381 touches (307 carries, 74 catches). However, after injuring his elbow early in Pittsburgh's Week 18 win over Baltimore, Harris could be at risk of taking a questionable tag into the playoff opener if he's anything less than a full participant at Friday's practice. |
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James Washington James Washington Off COVID list
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 11:46 AM
Pittsburgh activated Washington (illness) activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.
Analysis: Washington landed on the list Jan. 8 and didn't play in the the Steelers' regular-season finale against the Ravens, but the wideout will be available for Sunday's playoff opener against Kansas City. While his return bolsters Pittsburgh's wideout depth, Washington's fantasy upside is capped by the fact that Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud also are in the mix. Additionally, JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) has progressed to the point that he's been designated to return from injured reserve, which gives him a chance to return to the lineup Sunday. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Returning to practice
Thu, Jan 13, 2022, 11:40 AM
Smith-Schuster (shoulder) returned to practice Thursday after the Steelers designated him for return from injured reserve.
Analysis: Smith-Schuster was placed on IR back on Oct. 16 after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery, but now that he's been cleared to practice, the Steelers will have a 21-day window in which to activate the wideout to the 53-man roster. While the transaction potentially paves the way for Smith-Schuster to play in Sunday's wild-card game in Kansas City, his availability likely will hinge on how he fares in practice Thursday and Friday. |
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