The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
SANDI HURST FROM SIOUX FALLS, SD: I am a life-long Steelers fan, love your Asked and Answered, and have my Cowboys loving husband even reading you. I was saddened by Coach Tomlin's decision to step away after the playoff loss and wish him nothing but love and respect. With that being said, would you have a take on which current Steeler(s) may benefit the most from a coaching change?
ANSWER: There are going to be opportunities possibly created by free agency, but that doesn't begin until March 11. And there also could be opportunities created by the new schemes Coach Mike McCarthy will implement, but it's premature to attempt to predict those ramifications when it's still 3 months away from the first on-field football work of the offseason, and that on-field work is only going to be OTAs. The best way for me to try to answer your question is to point to a couple of guys I believe could benefit from a fresh start: WR Roman Wilson and RB Kaleb Johnson. Add Will Howard because he's a second-year quarterback who didn't even take a snap in a preseason game as a rookie, and McCarthy has a reputation as an offensive-minded developer of quarterbacks.
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SAMUEL HARTMAN FROM KEYSER, WV: Since Mike Tomlin stepped down and wasn't traded or anything like that, does he continue to get paid the rest of his contract? And since it wasn't a trade or anything, do the Steelers get any draft picks or anything at all for losing a HOF coach who isn't easy to replace?
ANSWER: No and no. Since Mike Tomlin stepped away, the team is not liable to pay any money he might have been owed on the balance of his contract, and there is no compensation due a team for losing a coach in this manner.
SUNIL GEORGE FROM PRINCETON, NJ: I am going reserve judgement on Coach Mike McCarthy until the end of the upcoming season. I want to see if he can improve our offense. Personally, I would like the Steelers to bring in a big wide receiver to work the middle. Are there any potential free agent wide receivers who can work the middle?
ANSWER: I do not understand fans' love affair with throwing to receivers over the middle. Actively avoiding that area of the field isn't necessary or smart, but throwing to receivers in the middle of the field is not some yellow brick road to victory, either. My opinion is that the Steelers need to add wide receivers who are weapons, i.e., players who stretch the defense or stress the defense, and that will open up all areas of the field, including the middle. And when you mention "big," do you mean a player who's 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds, because the Steelers already have one of those, and a high-salaried one at that.
WILLIAM TOKARCZYK FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: I feel the "bye week" should occur in the middle of the season for all teams. It is only fair for all players and teams. Perhaps the league could use that week for some other event during that week? We see the NHL take time out for the Olympics so we know it's possible. A small week break will not hurt ratings it would only strengthen them.
ANSWER: Networks barely know the NHL even exists, especially during the regular season, so using that as an example is meaningless. The NFL is not going to shut down its regular season in the middle of it so all teams can have a bye at the same time. Put it out of your mind.
EVAN SMITH FROM SANTA CRUZ, CA: Are you broken-hearted or lovestruck by the fact that the NFLPA's "team report cards" will no longer be shared with the public? I thought they provided really interesting insights into NFL teams' facilities and operations.
ANSWER: Those "report cards" didn't provide interesting insights. If anything, I thought they ended up being embarrassing for the league. There was pettiness and entitlement galore on both sides. Imagine your business or profession being beholden to make changes based on an anonymous survey of the employees, whose minimum regular season salary is in excess of $1 million. The NFL is a collectively bargained operation. Employees "grading" employers for things beyond the scope of the CBA, is comical to me. Such a waste of time – but hey, it sure gets a lot of clicks.
DOMINIC GASBARRO FROM FOREST GROVE, OR: I'm someone who was born and raised in Pittsburgh and have been a Steelers fan for 50 years. I now find myself living on the other side of the country and am hoping that 'The Football Town' will stream at some point. Do you know if there are any streaming plans in the works?
ANSWER: As for right now and at least through the 3 days of the 2026 NFL Draft, I believe the showings of "The Football Town" are going to be exclusively at the Kamin Science Center, which is located on the North Shore in Pittsburgh. It's part of the on-site experience of the event, and every city picked to host an NFL Draft has worked diligently to attract people to their version of this event.
PATRICK McLAUGHLIN FROM WELLSBURG, WV: How about trading T.J. Watt to the Bears for Tyson Bagent, and some picks? What do you think about that idea?
ANSWER: Hate it. For readers who might be unaware, Tyson Bagent is a 6-foot-3, 212 pound quarterback who played his college football at Division II Shepherd University. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2023, and during that season he played 305 offensive snaps for the Bears when starter Justin Fields was injured. In the 2024-25 seasons, Bagent played a combined 27 offensive snaps. He will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026, which means he could become an unrestricted free agent in March 2027. Trading T.J. Watt for a flyer on a rental quarterback who might not even be as good as any of the ones already on the roster would have to include a whole bunch of "some picks." Wonder if the fact Tyson Baget played his college football at Shepherd University and Shepherd University is less than 10 miles from Wellsburg has anything to do with this? A fan of the Shepherd Rams, maybe?
JERRY SMITH FROM MONROVIA, MD: What does the offensive quality control coach do? There are several coaching positions that seem new to me. Is this a newer position or has it been around for a while?
ANSWER: The job description of a quality control coach in the NFL is to provide whatever is needed whenever it's needed. Breaking down video, compiling video based on a theme the position coach or coordinator might want to use as a teaching tool. Running errands. Ferrying people to and from the airport. Mike McCarthy's first NFL job was offensive quality control with Kansas City (1993-94), which coincided with the seasons Joe Montana was the starting quarterback there. A quality control coach does not have a prestigious job, but if done diligently and well, it can become a stepping stone.
MIKE MORAN FROM SOUTH PARK, PA: Any chance that if Aaron Rodgers retires we can "hire" him to study film periodically with Will Howard and/or any new QB they bring in to help learn Mike McCarthy's offense quicker? Is that outlandish?
ANSWER: Aaron Rodgers is a lock to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has earned around $394 million in salary during his NFL career. Yes, it's outlandish to suggest he might be interested in a part-time job where he would hang around Pittsburgh and "study film periodically with Will Howard and/or any new QB they bring in to help learn Mike McCarthy's offense quicker." Be honest, if you were Rodgers would you have any interest in that?
