The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
JIM NEAL FROM FAYETTEVILLE, TN: I'm concerned with Joey Porter Jr. "holding in." Not practicing or playing in the final preseason game seems to be a bad idea on the part of both sides. Was this the same for other Steelers in recent years who were holding in, like in the case of T.J. Watt?
ANSWER: T.J. Watt's hold-in happened during the 2021 training camp/preseason period when he reported to Saint Vincent College but declined to take part in any team drills or practices. He signed a 4-year, $112 million contract extension just before the team's regular season opener, which was to be played on Sept. 12 against the Bills in Buffalo. In 2020, the Bills had finished 13-3 and were the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs. During his news conference on the Tuesday before that 2021 opener, Coach Mike Tomlin was asked if T.J. Watt would play against the Bills, and if so, how much he might play.
"We'll play it by ear. One thing I'm not going to do is assume that he's regular or normal," said Tomlin. "I think guys who are in the position that he's in are in those positions because of their unique talents and skill-set and will … Guys like those guys routinely do what others can't. I kind of have that perspective on (Watt's) readiness and the anticipated quality of his play. I've just been in this game so long at this level that I'm so used to seeing uniquely talented people rise up in the face of adversity or circumstance and exceed it. And so, I'd probably be lying if I told you I would be surprised if he didn't perform and perform well."
Despite the Bills enjoying advantages in time of possession: 33:17-26:43; total net yards: 371-252; third-down conversions: 8-18 (44.4 percent) vs. 4-12 (33 percent); and first downs: 22-16; the Steelers won, 23-16, and Watt was the best player on the field. He finished that game with 3 tackles, including 1 for loss; 2 sacks; 5 hits on the quarterback; and 1 forced fumble.
In 2025, Cam Heyward staged a hold-in during training camp when he participated in individual drills but declined to participate in team drills and fully-padded 11-on-11 periods while seeking a contract adjustment. That adjustment happened before the start of the regular season, and in 2025 Heyward went on to start all 17 regular season games, in which he was in on 78 tackles, had 1 tackle for loss, 6 passes defensed, 3.5 sacks, and 9 hits on the quarterback. Heyward was voted second-team Associated Press All-Pro after that season, his 15th with the Steelers.
AL WARNER FROM EAST SPRINGFIELD, PA: I can't recall any Steelers player wearing the jersey No. 1. Have there ever been any?
ANSWER: According to the Steelers Media Guide, players who have worn jersey No. 1 are Warren Heller in 1936, Merlyn Condit in 1940, Dave Trout in 1981, Gary Anderson in 1982-94, and Anthony Wright in 1999.
JOE WERNER FROM WEST HENRIETTA, NY: Was there a time in the last 30 years or so when NFL teams had some say in the scheduling of their preseason games? I may be mis-remembering things, but I thought I read once that the Steelers and the Carolina Panthers were frequent preseason opponents because of a strong friendship between the Rooney and Richardson families. On another occasion, I heard a story that Dan Rooney once convinced Buffalo Owner Ralph Wilson to move a Steelers-Bills preseason game in Buffalo from a Friday to a Saturday, because the Friday conflicted with opening day of high school football in Pennsylvania.
ANSWER: In the days before the NFL took over the scheduling of the preseason games, and the revenue from those games was pooled and divided equally, teams were responsible for arranging their own preseason schedules. The Steelers, for example, were a coveted opponent because their preseason game tickets were part of the season ticket package, and after 4 Super Bowls those season tickets sold out quickly. In turn, the Steelers sought out opponents that also included preseason games in the season ticket package, such as the New York Giants, and scheduled home-and-home preseason series with them. The Giants were especially attractive to the Steelers, and vice versa, because the teams were in different conferences and did not play regularly during the regular season. On the flip side of that, Art Rooney Sr. always was interested in playing the Browns in the preseason, because Cleveland Stadium held 80,000 and a visit from the Steelers always attracted fans from Pittsburgh and was a sellout. But that wasn't popular with Coach Chuck Noll, who wasn't interested in facing an AFC Central Division opponent 3 times in a particular season. There was an arrangement between the Steelers and Carolina for many seasons because of the relationship between Dan Rooney and Jerry Richardson, and I also know Dan Rooney regularly told his people not to schedule preseason home games on Friday nights so as not to conflict with Western Pennsylvania high school football.
JOE STERNAT FROM WAUCOMA, IA: Being a Steelers fan and an Iowa Hawkeyes fan I'm thrilled to see so many former Hawks in camp. Any educated guess on how many make the roster?
ANSWER: I don't know how educated this is, but my guess is that Kaden Wetjen, Gennings Dunker, and Yahya Black will be on the 53-man roster.
CJ McMUNN FROM FRANKLIN, TN: I grew up as a 1990s kid hearing my dad talk about how Mel Blount "changed how the cornerback position is played," and that he was an incredible player. I am aware Blount was a great player and is in the Hall of Fame, but what about his play "changed how the CB position is played?"
ANSWER: Before the "Mel Blount Rule" was instituted for the 1978 NFL season, cornerbacks were able to play bump-and-run on a receiver until the quarterback released the football. That allowed a player with Blount's size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), strength, and athleticism to get his hands on a receiver right off the line of scrimmage and essentially manhandle him until the ball was released – or more likely with the 1970s Steelers – until the pass rush sacked the quarterback. Because of Mel Blount, all contact with a receiver beyond 5 yards of the line of scrimmage is a penalty and an automatic first down for the offense.
BRUCE LANG FROM LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA: Do you have any inside information regarding the Joey Porter Jr. contract situation?
ANSWER: I do not, except I can tell you that all contract talks will cease once the ball is kicked off on Sept. 13 for the regular season opener. But at this point, that's really not inside information.
DAVID POLLARD FROM WARRINGTON, UK: Every preseason I see Julius Welschof on the field and he seems a decent enough edge rusher, and then he returns to the practice squad with an asterisk denoting "International Pathway Player" exemption. How many seasons has he been with the Steelers now and are the Steelers in some way protected from him signing with other teams?
ANSWER: Julius Welschof was on the Steelers practice squad in each of the previous 2 seasons, and because he is an International Pathway Player, the Steelers get an extra spot on the practice squad for him. Should another team want to sign Welschof to their active roster, the Steelers would receive no compensation for losing him.
JASON PRASTER FROM SAN ANTONIO, TX: Blitzburgh was born in the 1990s. Based on what you witnessed during those times, would you rather have the original Blitzburgh unit of Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, and Chad Brown (Levon Kirkland, too) or our current rendition of Blitzburgh in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig?
ANSWER: The current Steelers never have committed to pressuring the QB the way those 1990s Blitzburgh teams did, and in addition to the linebackers you mentioned, CB Rod Woodson and SS Carnell Lake were integral to getting after opposing quarterbacks. Woodson and Lake would line up just outside each of the offensive tackles, and they could either attack the QB at the snap or cover receivers lined up in the slot or RBs coming out of the backfield. Those were two totally different defensive schemes with totally different emphases, and so asking me to pick one set of LBs over the other doesn't take into consideration the totality of the respective unit's differences.
GLEN WHITTEN FROM AGUADILLA, PUERTO RICO: Great to see the band is back together for the radio broadcasts. I'm a weirdo who prefers listening to games (and the entire pregame show) rather than watching on TV. Willie Colon is a welcome addition, but where is Missi Matthews? It's not the same without her.
ANSWER: During the preseason, Missi Matthews is the sideline reporter for the Steelers' telecast of games on KDKA-TV. She will be back on the sideline for the Steelers Audio Network once the regular season begins.
GEORGE THOMAS FROM OCALA, FL: As it relates to what I would call "down time," what access do the players have to the team's facilities between the end of the regular season and the start of OTAs and minicamp?
ANSWER: Once the regular season ends, most players return to their hometowns, because a lot of them only live in the Pittsburgh area during the season. Certainly, medical treatment is available for anyone who might need it, and if guys want to use the weight room they are permitted to do so. But the CBA does not permit interaction with coaches for football reasons until the official start of the offseason program, which is sometime in April.
