The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
ROBERT ANAVIAN FROM REDONDO BEACH, CA: Obviously never having a losing season is a great accomplishment that probably will never be repeated, but do you think that the Steelers not having a losing season under Mike Tomlin may have unintentionally hurt by not having high draft choices in the first round of the draft?
ANSWER: The greatest draft in NFL history – and maybe the greatest draft in professional sports history – was the Steelers' 1974 Draft Class when they selected 4 Hall of Fame players over the first 5 rounds and added a fifth as an undrafted rookie free agent. Those 5 drafted players were, in order of selection: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster, with Donnie Shell signed after the 17 rounds were completed. And in that draft the Steelers had the 21st overall pick in the first round and never traded up to improve their slot through the 2-day draft that was held on Jan. 29-30. That shows it's not mandatory to be picking high in the rounds to put together a great draft. Also, over the last 10 NFL Drafts, the Jets have made 7 picks in the top 10 in Round 1; Arizona made 5 picks in the top 10; Cleveland made 5 picks in the top 10; Detroit made 4 picks in the top 10; Carolina made 6 picks in the top 10; Chicago made 7 picks in the top 10; Jacksonville made 7 picks in the top 10; the Giants made 7 picks in the top 10; and Tennessee made 4 picks in the top 10. That shows that picking high doesn't guarantee success.
DOUG KINTZLE FROM DES MOINES, IA: I've been watching 1970s Steeler playoff games and Super Bowls. I forgot how many field goals Roy Gerela missed, with many of them being chip shots. How did he last so long with the Steelers, and how did his kicking percentage – I think it was something like 65 percent – compare with his peers in the NFL?
ANSWER: During his 8 seasons with the Steelers, Roy Gerela converted 64.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Breaking it down, he was 30-of-32 from 0-to-19 yards; 49-of-62 from 20-to-29 yards; 41-of-68 from 30-to-39 yards; 26-of-59 from 40-to-49 yards; and 0-for-8 from 50-plus yards. Gerela was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1972 and 1974. In his 1972 Pro Bowl season, Gerela finished with 119 points and placed 6th in the NFL by converting 68.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Cleveland's Don Cockroft led the NFL in 1972 at 81.5 percent. In his 1974 Pro Bowl season, Gerela finished with 93 points by converting 69 percent of his field goal attempts. Again it was Cockroft who led the NFL by converting 87.5 percent. Those Steelers teams during that era of the 1970s didn't need a whole lot from either their placekicker or punter Bobby Walden.
STEFAN PISOCKI FROM WILMINGTON, DE: I feel very confident that the Steelers will select a youngish "leader of men" type to be their next head coach, as they have since the hiring of Chuck Noll. Looking past the head coach selection, it seems that the most successful young coaches have a "Yoda" – an older, experienced offensive or defensive coordinator as Mike Tomlin had with Dick LeBeau. What are the chances that Mike McCarthy settles for an offensive coordinator position to return to his hometown and not have so much of a spotlight on him?
ANSWER: Being totally honest – and not sarcastic in the least – I have no idea. I have no idea how many successful young head coaches had a top-quality experienced coordinator on his staff. And I have no idea if that has happened enough times over the last 19 years – which was the last time the Steelers were doing this – to be a worthwhile consideration. Then there's also the issue of Mike McCarthy's interest in returning to the NFL as a coordinator, and whether the "youngish 'leader of men' type" the Steelers end up hiring to be their new head coach would have any interest in the plan you suggest. All of this is pure speculation and would require a complete guess in response. Your guess is as good as mine, or anyone else's.
FUZZY HUBBELL FROM DOHA, QATAR: Do you think there is a chance that my favorite Steelers player, Hines Ward, gets into the HOF? In my estimation there are so many lesser receivers who have made it.
ANSWER: Hines Ward made it as far as a Modern Era semifinalist in the voting for induction as part of the Class of 2026. But he didn't get as far as being a finalist, which would have allowed his case for induction to be presented individually to the board. This year's 15 Modern Era finalists included 3 wide receivers – Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, and Reggie Wayne – and the way it usually works is those guys will end up being elected before Ward. I have written several times that if I had a vote, I would vote for Hines Ward. But I don't, and so I can't do anything about it.
KARL WHITE FROM CRESTLINE, CA: I have a question concerning Will Howard. My understanding is he's 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, can throw the ball well, is well-liked, and I read he's "coachable," for whatever that may be worth. I also understand he has never had a major injury. On top of that he was the starting quarterback on a top-level Ohio State team that won a National Championship. With all that said and with all of the NFL teams in need of a starting or backup QB, why did he last until the 6th round last April?
ANSWER: I am not a talent evaluator, and I don't impersonate one on Asked and Answered. But I can provide you the evaluation written by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, who projected Will Howard to be drafted in rounds 4-5, who compared him to Blake Bortles, and who graded him as a prospect who could become "an average backup."
Here is what Zierlein wrote for the NFL's website leading up to the 2025 Draft:
OVERVIEW
Howard brings outstanding size and toughness to the table. He showed good improvement over the last three seasons. He is more a vessel of the play-caller than a playmaking talent, though. He typically reads half the field and makes reasonable decisions with the football, using good mechanics and consistent accuracy. He doesn't hold defenders at bay with his eyes and lacks the arm strength to beat tight man coverage on second- and third-level throws. He showed good poise in 2024 to beat the blitz through the air and has always been able to escape pressure by making plays with his legs. Howard is big, tough, and accurate but benefited from superior talent at the skill positions at Ohio State. Unless he proves he can play chess against NFL defenses, he might not have enough in the tool box to become more than an average backup.
STRENGTHS
Outstanding size and toughness inside and outside the pocket.
Elevated his consistency and performance in the postseason.
Can work off-platform with relative ease and efficiency.
Throws from a grounded base with good mechanics and repeatable delivery.
Delivers the ball with consistent accuracy to the frame.
Able to buy time for routes to develop when pressured.
Has poise, accuracy and touch to beat a blitzing defense.
Uses legs on zone-read and for short-yardage carries.
WEAKNESSES
Very gradual in his setup and release on three-step drops and RPOs.
Can be mechanical and predictable from the pocket.
Will struggle to beat NFL corners when throwing outside the numbers or into tight windows.
Not enough eye manipulation to keep defenders guessing.
Content with half-field reads instead of getting through his progressions.
Had some contested throws bailed out by receivers' ball skills.
MICHAEL STEFFEN FROM MARYVILLE, MO: Do you think that with this upcoming QB draft class being weak, the Steelers should roll with Will Howard? It will give him the chance to prove if he is the future, but if he fails it will give us a high draft pick.
ANSWER: I just don't think the Steelers are going to be in favor of "rolling" with a quarterback who entered the NFL in 2025 as a 6th-round pick, and because of a broken finger on his right hand didn't play a single snap as a rookie. I'm not saying Will Howard cannot win the starting job in 2026, or even establish himself as a backup who gets some playing time during the regular season and starts climbing the ladder. But come the start of the regular season, the Steelers will be playing to win games, not see what guys can do and then be willing to settle for a high draft pick the following year if things don't pan out. There could be a path for Will Howard, but he will have to earn it.
THOMAS HARTSHORN FROM RALEIGH, NC: What are the details of future/reserve contracts? Do these players sign a new contract closer to the season?
ANSWER: This is from operations.NFL.com:
"When a player finishes the season on a practice squad, they are not obligated to the team once they finish the season. They may sign a Reserve/Future contract with any NFL team. So while a franchise cannot sign another player from another team's practice squad to their own practice squad during the season, they can sign players from another team's practice squad and sign them to a futures contract at the conclusion of the season.
"While in many cases it is advantageous for a player to sign a futures contract, some players may wait until free agency. This may make sense for a player who is a vested veteran but did not finish the year on a 53-man roster of a team, generally these type of players are better off finding their home early before teams have the opportunity to sign high-profile free agents when the league year begins.
"As for salary, although there is no limitation to the contract a player can sign for a Reserve/Future contract, they are generally for the league minimum amount depending on the player's credited seasons. While there is nothing stopping teams from including a signing bonus for a futures contract, they are more the exception than the rule."
And a futures contract binds the player to that team through the end of the season.
