The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
MICHAEL TORSIELLO FROM SUMMIT, NJ: I appreciate that you always give an honest answer. That being the case, in your opinion, is Cam Heyward a Hall of Famer?
ANSWER: One of the problems with this kind of issue is that Hall of Fame resumes are not complete and therefore ready to be judged until after the player's career is over, but fans and the media want to talk about a player's candidacy while also opining on his worthiness. I don't think that's fair, or right. But let me leave you with this: Sacks became an official NFL statistic starting with the 1982 season, and since then there are only 2 DTs who have over 100 career sacks – Aaron Donald and John Randle. Randle was inducted as part of the Class of 2010, and the earliest Donald – 3 Defensive Player of the Year Awards, 1 Super Bowl, 9 times first-team All-Pro – could be inducted is as part of the Class of 2029. Currently, Cam Heyward has 92 sacks and his recent re-signing has him under contract to the team through the 2027 season, which is a clear indicator his career is not over.
BRIAN PILE FROM TIGARD, OR: I was very sad to hear about the recent passing of Mike Wagner, one of the 1970s Super Steelers, and a classy guy. In the "America's Game" 1975 video, Mike was interviewed for it, and he said he thought the entire defense comprised the Steel Curtain. Some others felt that the front four were actually the true Steel Curtain. Do you think the entire defense was the Steel Curtain, or was that label intended for L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes, and Dwight White?
ANSWER: The edition of America's Game that dealt with the 1975 Steelers aired on Jan. 29, 2007. By that time, the Steel Curtain had come to identify the Steelers defense of the 1970s. But in the early 1970s, the NFL had the Fearsome Foursome (the Rams defensive line) and the Purple People Eaters (the Vikings defensive line) and so when first used, the Steel Curtain referred only to the Steelers defensive line. That quartet of L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes, and Dwight White were featured on the cover of the Dec. 8, 1975, issue of Time Magazine. All 4 were draft picks and Super Bowl champions. It was the first time 4 African Americans were featured on the cover of a national magazine, and a copy of it is on display in the Hall of Honor Museum.
RITA BYRD FROM LAS VEGAS, NV: You seem to really like Aaron Rodgers, and I cannot agree more that I would have loved to have the 30-something version of him. Can you provide his pass statistical ranking compared to the other QBs last year? Will he be a better QB with another year of age but a new coach?
ANSWER: In 2025, Aaron Rodgers ranked in the top 15 overall among the 25 quarterbacks who had sufficient playing time to qualify to be ranked by the NFL statisticians in every category except yards-per-attempt. And I believe his ranking 21st in yards-per-attempt had more to do with the personnel and play-calling last season than what Rodgers' could execute. Protect him and give him some weapons, and I believe Aaron Rodgers can still take a team to the playoffs and then win games in the playoffs. On Jan. 14, President Art Rooney II said, "The standard is try to compete to win a championship every year." In 2026, Aaron Rodgers gives the Steelers the best chance to compete to do that.
ALLIE MARSHAL FROM STATE COLLEGE, PA: How does the addition of a veteran WR like Michael Pittman Jr. change the draft priority for a wide receiver in the early rounds? I know that there is a lot of hype around Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and some of the other top WRs who are draft eligible. Would who we have as the starting QB affect this?
ANSWER: The Steelers need to improve their depth chart at WR, both at the top in terms of playmakers, and for depth because NFL offenses regularly deploy many personnel groupings that include multiple WRs. Acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Colts adds a proven veteran who has been productive enough in the NFL to be a legitimate No. 2 WR to DK Metcalf, but this draft will provide an opportunity to add more quality to that depth chart. The idea is to provide the starting QB with a capable and diverse set of weapons, and I believe the Steelers are trying to do that this offseason.
EVO HERNANDEZ FROM MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: I keep reading Asked and Answered, which is very informative and I love it. Did the Steelers receive the four compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft for the departures of Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Dan Moore, and James Daniels?
ANSWER: The Steelers losing those 4 players – Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Dan Moore Jr., and James Daniels – factored into the overall formula that resulted in them being awarded their 3 compensatory picks in the upcoming draft: Round 3, 99th overall; Round 4, 135th overall; and Round 6, 216th overall. But it was never a 1-for-1 situation.
CHRISTOPHER WINKLER FROM FRANKLIN, PA: You stated recently that you don't think there is an offensive lineman worth moving up for in the first round of this year's draft. What position or player do you think the team would be willing to trade up for? Is there a WR or S that you think they see as a probable difference maker?
ANSWER: I know nothing about how the Steelers are going to end up grading the draft eligible players and arranging their board, so I cannot even begin to guess if they would determine that a particular player at a certain position is worth trying to move up in the first round to pick. And what I wrote was that I didn't believe it was necessary to move up in the first round of this draft to come out of it with a starting LG and a developmental LT, which are the two things I believe the team will be shopping for starting on April 23.
LANCE MILLER FROM MIFFLINVILLE, PA: I love this column! Just submitting my "Chapter 3" draft of my dissertation looking at your most current posts as a celebratory diversion to write to you for the first time. Any situation(s) that you could see the Steelers "trading back" in the draft? And if so, what circumstances/positions could you see they're looking for, if it is even viable?
ANSWER: Any trade – either up in a round or back in a round – requires two dance partners. And usually, a team only trades back in a round if it's certain to get a player that represents a value to them based on evaluations and grading. As an example, a team trades back 4 spots to acquire something, but it only happens because the team believes it has enough options to still get a worthy player in that new spot. Also, the Steelers go into this draft with 12 picks and so adding more doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. My example of a beneficial trade scenario would be one where the Steelers traded a 2026 pick for a better pick in 2027. But good luck trying to find teams willing to do that.
OWEN O'CEALLAIGH FROM KILKENNY, IRELAND: If the proposal is passed to allow an onside kick to be attempted at any stage during the game, what impact will that have on the game? Do you think teams will use it more often?
ANSWER: In my opinion, what makes onside kicks more difficult to recover is that the team attempting the onside kick has to declare its intention before the play. Without a surprise component, I would say onside kicks have a lower chance of being successful than a Hail Mary.
LARRY CUNNINGHAM FROM BALTIMORE, MD: With the lack of explosive traits in the QB room, Arkansas' Taylen Green is 6-foot-6, 235 pounds and ran 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. He can throw deep and extend plays. With Steelers needing help at that position, why is there zero buzz to draft and develop a player who can step in and bring some big-play ability to the offense without using premium draft capital this year?
ANSWER: Coach Mike McCarthy has been reported as being very involved in the quarterback evaluations in the run-up to this draft, and Taylen Green certainly put on a show at the NFL Combine. If McCarthy believes Green is a no-brainer at some point during the draft I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers pick him. And since it's now being reported that Green will make a top-30 visit to the Steelers before the draft, you have to acknowledge that your "zero buzz" accusation is incorrect.
MIKE ABRAMS FROM BIG PINE KEY, FL: What happened to Isaiahh Loudermilk? He is not listed on the roster. I don't buy into the click-bait trade articles.
ANSWER: Isaiahh Loudermilk, 28, played 37 snaps during the 2025 regular season as a reserve defensive lineman, and he registered no statistics. He became an unrestricted free agent when the new league year began on March 11, and he remains an unrestricted free agent. Sometimes teams that couldn't or didn't fortify a specific part of the roster during the draft will be looking to sign young-ish veteran free agents to provide competition once OTAs start in late May.
