The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
STEPHEN CUPRZYNSKI FROM COCKEYSVILLE, MD: I've always heard that the league changed the rules because of Mel Blount's technique. If so what was the change and how has it affected the game?
ANSWER: In 1978, the NFL adopted 2 rules designed to make offense, especially the passing game, more explosive. One was allowing offensive linemen to extend their arms and use open hands to block a pass rusher, and the other was to prohibit contact with an eligible receiver beyond 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, The second of those came to be known as the Mel Blount rule, because he had the size, strength, quickness, and speed to take what was known as bump-and-run coverage to a new level of suffocation. Blount would line up on a wide receiver, and at the snap of the ball would be physical with him all over the field until the ball was in the air. That was legal before the 1978 rules change. As to the impact of the rules changes: in 1977, there was no receiver in the whole league who finished with as many as 900 yards; and in 2024 there were 24 receivers over 1,000 yards in the whole league. I understand that in 1977 it was a 14-game season and in 2024 it was a 17-game season, but that still represents a significant shift.
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NICHOLAS MOSES FROM SIMI VALLEY, CA: Do you believe Will Howard will ever be given a legitimate shot to start next year, or do you think the Steelers will likely draft a QB in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft?
ANSWER: Slow down. Will Howard was added to the 53-man roster just yesterday, and the only spot on the quarterback depth chart currently available to him is No. 3. You cannot believe there is going to be any competition for playing time in November during a regular season for a rookie off IR who didn't even take a snap in a preseason game? Howard most likely will spend the rest of this season as the No. 3 emergency QB on game days and in his other time at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex should be soaking up as much as he can from Aaron Rodgers, who from the start has been willing to help/teach if asked. By the time we get to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next April, Aaron Rodgers will have made a decision on his future and the unrestricted free agency period will be six weeks old. The Steelers also will have their pre-draft evaluations completed and their board arranged. Then they will do what they always do, which is pick the guy they believe is the best player available at a position of need. In my opinion, if the Steelers get an opportunity to pick a quarterback they have high on their board when their turn comes and they pass on that because of Will Howard, that would be a mistake.
WAYNE EPPEHIMER FROM JAMESTOWN, NY: There was a post today on Facebook that Will Howard may soon get to play in a game. Is this merely rumor or is it a possibility?
ANSWER: Seriously? Facebook as a news source?
JOHN MARTIN FROM ARENDTSVILLE, PA: I know Aaron Rodgers is getting a lot of the blame for the loss to the Chargers. I agree he certainly deserves some of the blame. However, I feel the offensive line did not do him many favors. It seemed like there were many times that by the time Aaron got his back foot planted there were defenders already pressuring him. What are your thoughts on how the offensive line has been doing?
ANSWER: I believe that there isn't necessarily just one reason for a specific aspect of a team's performance during a game. For example, too many sacks could result from poor protection, or the quarterback missing open guys and/or holding onto the ball too long, or receivers not getting open and/or not being where they're supposed to be. After the loss to the Chargers, Aaron Rodgers spent a decent amount of his time behind the microphone pointing the finger at himself, which I believe is at the root of the reason he ended up getting a lot of the criticism. That's what leaders do. My thoughts are that during last Sunday night's game against the Chargers, there wasn't any element of the passing game that distinguished itself. Everyone and everything deserves to share the blame.
MALINDA LAUGH FROM MORGANTOWN, WV: I heard on the news that a Steelers player woke up Monday morning with no job. What' s that all about?
ANSWER: On Monday the Steelers announced that they had waived veteran safety Juan Thornhill. Maybe that was the "news" you heard being "teased."
PAUL MADRID FROM SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA: I had a question on the fairly new jersey numbering system but AI effectively answered it in that it was relaxed in the owners' rule changes in April 2021 and March 2023. But since I prefer uniformity, perhaps you can speculate on whether the league will ever go back to the previous stricter numbering scheme, and which is your preference?
ANSWER: My experience tells me that once the NFL makes a move in one direction with regards to a rule or an initiative, it very rarely backtracks toward the former policy. So that makes me believe the numbering system isn't going back to the old standards. And I really don't have a preference. All I need is a numerical roster nearby and I can take care of it myself.
KEN MAULDIN FROM CLYDE, TX: I was reviewing our drafts trying to figure out how we are so low on drafted talent. The thing that jumps right out at you from the current draft is Kaleb Johnson. Why did we draft a running back with Jaylen Warrren and Kenneth Gainwell in the house?
ANSWER: Maybe the pick of Kaleb Johnson jumps out to you as an example of a poor pick, but speak for yourself. At the time of the 2024 NFL Draft, Najee Harris had left for the Chargers as an unrestricted free agent, and Jaylen Warren had signed his restricted free agent tender and was bound to the team only through the 2025 season. The Steelers would not come to agreement on a contract extension with him until early September. Kenneth Gainwell had been signed as an unrestricted free agent, but there was the real possibility there wasn't going to be much on the depth chart at running back beyond the 2025 season. In his final college season, Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards, with a 6.4 average and 21 touchdowns. Advanced statistics showed Johnson gained a lot of those yards against a stacked box, and Iowa's opponents frequently stacked the box because the Hawkeyes' passing attack was not perceived as a threat. The fact you're so willing to label the pick a bad one halfway through Johnson's rookie season makes me wonder if you're patient enough to wait for a hard-boiled egg to be cooked before cracking it open and deciding the yolk is too runny.
SCOTT SHILEY FROM BRICK, NJ: If my memory is serving me correctly through the first nine games, the Steelers have not stopped a single team from converting on fourth down. Could you please provide the stats when the opposing team goes for it on fourth down this season?
ANSWER: Through the first 9 games of the season, the Steelers have converted 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) on fourth downs; their opponents have converted 18-of-24 (75 percent) on fourth downs.
LARRY LASH FROM TARENTUM, PA: Will Howard was no doubt great in his playoff run to the National Championship. I won't take credit from him, but how many of his teammates where drafted into the NFL? Honestly I just want those people who keep talking about him like he's the next Tom Brady to get an understanding that he had a stellar supporting cast during his playoff run.
ANSWER: Ohio State had 14 players drafted in 2025, including 4 on the first round, 3 on the second round, and 3 on the third round. Breaking it down further, the Buckeyes had
7 players among the first 45 picked, and 10 of the first 123 players picked. WR Emeka Egbuka was picked 19th overall, and the other starting WR on that championship team, Jeremiah Smith, will be picked higher than that whenever he comes out for the draft. Ohio State also had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in 2024, and both Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were second-round picks in 2025.
KEITH OVERSTREET FROM RICHMOND, VA: I hope you'll publish this, not for my ego but because it needs to be said. Marshawn Kneeland of the Cowboys – didn't need to happen. I have struggled with depression my whole life. If anyone who reads this is struggling, help is available. Don't suffer in silence.
ANSWER: Thank you for sharing this.
