The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
GLAUCIO CAFALCHIO FROM SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, SP, BRAZIL: I think that a crucial factor in the Steelers' winning formula is avoiding turnovers. Najee Harris couldn't make a statement to deserve a second contract, but he was a very reliable RB. I have the impression that Jaylen Warren has had some troubles holding the football and Kaleb Johnson is a rookie. Do you think avoiding fumbles in the running game is something that the coaching staff has been addressing with more emphasis during training camp?
ANSWER: To put some statistics to your impressions about Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren:
• In 1,257 touches (rushing attempts and receptions) during his 4 seasons with the Steelers, Harris fumbled 5 times, according to ESPN stats.
• In 473 touches (rushing attempts and receptions) during his three seasons with the Steelers, Jaylen Warren has fumbled 7 times, according to NFL.com.
Addressing ball security with the running backs is something that has been, and continues to be a regular part of every practice all the way back to the start of OTAs in late May. During the individual period, one of the offensive assistants has a pole with a boxing glove attached to the end of it, and as the running backs go through a gauntlet the offensive assistant uses that device to try to punch the ball loose from the player's grasp. Fumbling is a way for a running back to get on Coach Mike Tomlin's bad side, and getting on his bad side can come at the cost of playing time.
JEFF CROWELL FROM EFFINGHAM, IL: Thank you for saving me hundreds of hours this offseason by following your recommendation to ignore all the superfluous headlines and just follow what is actually transpiring in real time with the team, and then enjoy the process that is the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers. Matt Williamson has pointed to the need for the Steelers to transform from a bottom 10 running team in 2024 to a top 10 running team in 2025 in terms of average yards per carry to become a team that can win multiple games in the playoffs. Would you endorse calling 10 straight running plays in the third preseason game to emphasize that point to the team?
ANSWER: My personal view is calling 10 straight running plays in the third preseason game to make a point is too "high school-ish". This is professional football, and there should be other ways to get the point across that the running game is important and has to be efficient for the team to have a chance to make a run in the playoffs. And what if those "10 straight running plays in the third preseason game" net 0 first downs? Then you just wasted 3 offensive series in a preseason finale that's mostly about making decisions about the 53-man roster and even the practice squad.
MIKE McPEAT FROM BOZEMAN, MT: I always liked the play of CB Cam Sutton and just realized he is not on the current roster. When was he waived, and do you see him on the short-list of players to be called if injuries occur at cornerback?
ANSWER: Cam Sutton signed a 1-year contract with the Steelers in June 2024. He turned 30 in February 2025 and became an unrestricted free agent in March 2025. The Steelers did not re-sign him, and as of this writing he is out of football.
TODD CRUM FROM RED BANK, TN: Will the first-team offense see significant playing time in the preseason finale? By that, I mean five or so possessions.
ANSWER: No, the first-team offense will not see significant playing time in the preseason finale. Coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that 4 players definitely would not play in Carolina against the Panthers – Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Cam Heyward, and T.J. Watt. If Rodgers and Metcalf are not on the field, that means the first-team offense isn't on the field.
SCOTT CLEMENTS FROM CHESAPEAKE, VA: Can you describe the typical make-up of the kickoff coverage team? There is the kicker (one of the 11), but how many cornerbacks vs. linebackers vs. linemen, vs. wide receivers/running backs are typically on the field in coverage?
ANSWER: Because of the rules regarding kickoffs that were implemented recently, size is not an advantage when it comes to covering. There also is no rule about which positions have to be represented on a coverage unit, and so the simple answer is that the best coverage unit is made up of 10 guys who are good at finding the guy with the ball by shifting through the traffic and getting him on the ground.
JASON PRASTER FROM SAN ANTONIO; TX: With one week until final cuts are made, which defensive position group do you feel will be the hardest to trim? We have a great secondary, the linebacker group is solid, and our edge rushers and defensive line have depth finally.
ANSWER: I would contend that all of the defensive positions groups will be difficult to trim but in different ways. In the secondary and at linebacker, we would be talking about the bottom spots on the depth chart, and since special teams is going to be a significant factor in those spots keeping the guys who best serve the team as a starter on special teams and a capable backup on defense is the task there. I would identify the defensive line as the toughest because in the NFL big people always are at a premium, which is why teams always seem to be looking/scrounging around for solid players/backups along both lines of scrimmage.
MATTHEW BALOURIS FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: Once the roster gets cut down to 53, will players be allowed to immediately sign with another team's practice squad, or do the Steelers get a chance to offer a practice squad spot first?
ANSWER: Before any player can sign to any team's practice squad, he first has to be waived or released (if he is a vested veteran). If a vested veteran is released, he is free to sign with any team that is interested. If a player is waived by a team, he can be claimed by any of the other 31 teams and becomes the property of that team. If a waived player is not claimed within 24 hours, then he is free to sign with any team's practice squad. The only advantage the original team might have in keeping its waived players for the practice squad is familiarity, because signing with a practice squad isn't nearly as critical a decision for the player as staying on a team's practice squad. Life on the practice squad can be a week-to-week proposition.
DAVID BLUME FROM MADISON, WI: Chad Brown and Mike Vrabel were early-round selections at linebacker by the Steelers who didn't get second contracts, yet were integral pieces to great defenses. Does Nick Herbig stay stuck behind starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and leave for opportunities with other teams, or do the Steelers clear a starting position for him even with the years left on Highsmith's second contract?
ANSWER: Chad Brown left the Steelers after the 1996 season as an unrestricted free agent, and when Bill Cowher and Jim Haslett couldn't come up with a way to utilize Mike Vrabel, he left the Steelers for a better opportunity. As a No. 4 pick (132nd overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, Nick Herbig is under the Steelers control through the 2026 season, and Alex Highsmith is under contract to the team through the 2027 season. There is absolutely no urgency to make any decisions regarding Highsmith and/or Herbig, and this 2025 Steelers defense is going to need consistent pressure on the passer to become a difference-making unit. I'm standing pat and allowing the regular season to unfold. And when you do that, a lot of times the decisions make themselves.
