The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
HOWARD ASHCRAFT FROM LANSING, MI: Congratulations to Alex Highsmith on his selection for the WPMOY award. Who has the most nominations as a Steelers player?
ANSWER: This is from NFL.com: "The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970 and was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame running back, Walter Payton. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community, with one winner selected from those 32 … The winner of the award each year receives up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice, while all 32 club winners receive up to a $40,000 donation to their charity of choice." Since 1970, the Steelers who have won the award are Franco Harris in 1976, Joe Greene in 1979, Lynn Swann in 1981, Jerome Bettis in 2001, and Cam Heyward in 2023.
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FRANCO MARSICO FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: No question, just a congratulations to Alex Highsmith for being the Steelers Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee. In all sports, most fans get passionate about awards for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, etc. I have always believed the Payton award is the most meritorious of all NFL postseason honors. Thanks for being a champion off the field, Mr. Highsmith.
ANSWER: I agree that the annual winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is a selfless and giving individual.
LYNN RYDER FROM NORTH EAST, PA: When will the league announce if the Monday night game vs. the Dolphins will be flexed?
ANSWER: The procedure the NFL uses is that an announcement only comes when a game is going to be flexed; if the game is not going to be flexed, there is no announcement. Pertaining to Steelers-Dolphins on Monday, Dec. 15, the deadline for flexing that game has passed with no announcement, and so it will be played as originally scheduled – at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15 at Acrisure Stadium.
DAVID BYSTRY FROM MENTOR, OH: A couple of weeks ago, we signed WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad, and the media pointed out he had played for the Packers when Aaron Rodgers was the QB there. The talk then was as soon as he knew the playbook, he would be added to the 53-man roster. Since then, I haven't seen or heard a word about him.
ANSWER: Yesterday, the Steelers called up WR Marquez Valdes-Scanlon from the practice squad for today's game vs. the Ravens in Baltimore. Usually when a team does that there's a good chance the player who was called up will be in uniform for the game.
JAY BISHOP FROM ENID, OK: In your opinion, is there a reason why George Pickens could not last in Pittsburgh? Does he not buy into the concept of being a team player, that is putting the team first? Was he just a showboat only concerned about his performance? A problem in the locker room? No respect for his coaches? Is Dallas doing something different to accommodate him and in time will he be a problem there?
ANSWER: Sorry, but I have to answer your question(s) with a couple of my own questions. Did you watch the Thursday night game between the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys? And did you hear Richard Sherman's postgame breakdown of George Pickens' performance in that game? That game, and how Sherman critiqued Pickens' performance and his opinion of Pickens' attitude during that performance answers all of your questions.
SCOTT SHILEY FROM BRICK, NJ: My memory is not perfect anymore, however, I cannot recall the Steelers stopping a single fourth-down conversion attempt during the 2025 season. Can you please quote the Steelers' statistics on stopping fourth down conversions this year? Also, can anyone explain why when the Philadelphia Eagles attempt a tush-push, the whistle doesn't blow for 5 seconds or more, but when the Steelers tried it on fourth down against the Bears, the whistle blew almost immediately?
ANSWER: So far this season, Steelers opponents have converted 21-of-28 fourth downs, which means they have failed to convert 7 times. As for the tush-push, I am on record as being in favor of banning the play for the reason that it cannot be officiated properly on a consistent basis because of the mass of humanity and the poor vantage the officials get because they're watching the play from field level instead of from above. Your question is just another example of that.
DAN McNEEL FROM MANCHESTER, NH: The current record of 6-6 does have the Steelers currently in the playoff mix with the potential of winning the AFC North. During the Super Bowl era, what season did the Steelers finish closest to .500 while making the playoffs and winning at least 1 playoff game?
ANSWER: The Steelers never have made the playoffs with a record of .500 or worse, and so I'm going to cite two seasons – 1984 and 1989 when they finished 9-7. In 1984, they defeated Denver in the Divisional Round, and in 1989 they defeated the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card Round.
ROB DENKHAUS FROM HUDSON OAKS, TX: Been a Steelers fan for 50-plus years. Some of the players appear to be more open/honest in their interviews than others. Who are your top interview subjects during your tenure?
ANSWER: Joe Greene, and nobody else is close. Thoughtful, insightful, always had a finger on the pulse of the team. And totally unafraid to say what needed to be said when it was time for something to be said.
BARRY GIBSON FROM LA PORTE, TX: Do you see a point in this season where the Steelers would insert Will Howard as the starting QB? I believe it would be advantageous to see if Howard can be a quality starter before they go into the next draft, because they could then build the offense accordingly.
ANSWER: First, let me congratulate you, because yours is the absolute last question I will entertain on the subject of starting Will Howard at quarterback this season to "see what he can do." Playing Howard as a result of injury at the position is a different issue, but sticking him into a regular season game in December after the guy has not taken a single snap of NFL football, either preseason or regular season, would not give him a fair chance. I would contend that throwing Howard onto the field in December under those circumstances would reveal nothing about his potential to be an NFL quarterback, and all it would do is satisfy the curiosity of a segment of the fan base.
BRUNO CONTORCHICK FROM YORK. PA: How many officials are on the field for the game? Are the replay officials at the game or in a setting somewhere else? And how are they assigned?
ANSWER: For every game, there are 7 on-field officials – referee, umpire, down judge, line judge, back judge, field judge, side judge – plus a replay official. All eight of those individuals are on site. Officiating crews are assigned by the NFL.
JOSE JUVES FROM FT. MYERS, FL: Is television money split equally among the 32 teams? Do teams get any extra money from drawing a larger TV audience, or from being in a "national" game, such as Sunday night, Monday, Thursday, etc.?
ANSWER: The NFL splits all TV broadcast revenue equally among the 32 teams, and there is nothing extra to the teams appearing on national games nor to the teams that attract the highest number of viewers.
