The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
MARK DIGIOVANNA FROM LIBERTY HILL, TX: With DeShon Elliott suffering a serious knee injury against Green Bay and with how Miami is playing, is there any scenario where Minkah Fitzpatrick makes it back to the Steelers this season? I'm not suggesting it, but if both sides were interested, would there be any rules preventing it?
ANSWER: There is an NFL rule prohibiting a team from acquiring a player in a trade in the same year that team traded away that same player. A team cannot re-acquire a player it traded away until 2 full NFL seasons have passed. To use your specific example to explain the rule, since the Steelers traded Minkah Fitzpatrick in June 2025, they are prohibited from acquiring him in a trade until the 2025 and 2026 NFL seasons are over. Per that same rule, the only way the Steelers could re-acquire Fitzpatrick within the two full season period would be if he were released and the Steelers then signed him.
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JOE LaMOLINARE FROM DALLAS, GA: While watching the Steelers every week I noticed that when Aaron Rodgers lines up in the shotgun he is about 4 yards behind the line. Is there a league rule that dictates how far the QB can go back when in the shotgun? And with defenders being quicker these days do you think Aaron should drop back another yard or two to give him a little more time?
ANSWER: There is no rule dictating the depth of the quarterback in the shotgun, and my personal opinion is that I would let Aaron Rodgers line up in the shotgun in the way in which he is most comfortable.
ROY PERRIN FROM RALEIGH, NC: How would you rate the officiating so far this season? I haven't heard the public outcries of recent years, but it doesn't appear to my untrained eyes to be any better. Maybe it's just not as many game-altering outcomes/failures?
ANSWER: From what I have seen, I would say NFL officiating remains inconsistent and arbitrary. I don't believe there is anything sinister going on, but I find the execution too often comes up short. The tush-push is an example.
JOE ASHER FROM TAMPA FL: Like every other fan, I was upset by the poor officiating in the loss to the Packers. Do you have a favorite "worst" officiating game?
ANSWER: I was there when Phil Luckett got the overtime coin toss wrong on Nov. 28, 1998 (Thanksgiving, by the way). I was there when Peter Morelli took an interception away from Troy Polamalu in the 2005 Divisional Round Game. And I was there on Nov. 17, 2017, when Jesse James caught the ball. Here is the way it was chronicled in the National Football League Game Summary that day:
(:34) (Shotgun) B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to J.James for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The Replay Official reviewed the pass completion ruling, and the play was REVERSED.
(Shotgun) B.Roethlisberger pass incomplete short middle to J.James
The thing that made that one the worst for me is that the date of the Jesse James game was Dec. 17, 2017, and by the time the Super Bowl was played – Philadelphia vs. New England in the "Philly Special Game" – they were officiating the same play differently. There was a play in that game where a touchdown catch by an Eagles receiver was upheld on replay because the interpretation of the possession issue that overturned Jesse James' catch had changed. So the catch in the Super Bowl was a touchdown that upped the Eagles lead to 29-19 in the third quarter of a game they would win, 41-33.
CHRISTOPHER WINKLER FROM FRANKLIN, PA: I don't know if what Roman Wilson did against Green Bay qualifies as a breakout game, but it was certainly his best game to date. And he showed some good hands on the TD catch, even if it was in "garbage time." With no end in sight to the problems on defense the team needs every offensive weapon they can find. I know it's just one game, but do you think Wilson will continue to become a bigger part of the offense moving forward?
ANSWER: This is what I believe about the situation at wide receiver: If Aaron Rodgers gets the time to go through his progression, he will get the ball to the open man accurately and on time. Get open and then catch the ball. That's how any receiver gets on the field and then gets targeted once he is on the field.
JASON BRECHT FROM ANAMOSA, IA: I really struggle with the lack of utilization of Darnell Washington as a pass catcher. For me, this goes back through last season as well. I'm sure there is a reason, I just don't know what it is. His sheer size really helps, and in his limited opportunities he has shown athleticism, ability to get open, catch and possess the ball, run after the catch, and inflict punishment on those tasked with tackling him. We have hoped to have one of the other pass catchers command enough respect from opposing teams to help open up other aspects of the offense and especially DK Metcalf. Could Washington be that guy?
ANSWER: My view of it is that Darnell Washington can be an impact player for this offense, but his impact is in becoming a better version of what he already is. Washington can be a factor whenever and wherever he lines up, but his impact might be in the running game, or in the passing game by giving Aaron Rodgers the time to do his thing. I think Washington's value as a receiver in the passing game could be in situations where the defense is more worried about his physicality. If Darnell Washington is kicking butt and taking names, maybe he's not a high-volume receiver but he is every bit "that guy."
MIKE POWELL FROM UNIVERSAL CITY, TX: I am of the opinion that, to this day, the Super Bowl with the two best rosters was Super Bowl XIII. Steelers vs. Cowboys. Hall of Famers galore. The Steelers O-line did a good job of keeping the Cowboys pass rush away from Bradshaw. Perhaps most impressive was Sam Davis, who did a great job against Dallas DT Randy White that day. Could you tell us a little about Sam Davis' time with the Steelers? Also, didn't John Stallworth miss most of the second half of that game, after an outstanding first half?
ANSWER: Sam Davis entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 1967 from Allen College. He first earned a spot on the roster by playing special teams, and then once Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 he became a fixture at left guard. Davis was an offensive captain from 1971-79; he has 4 Super Bowl rings; and was 1 of 5 players (Andy Russell, Rocky Bleier, Ray Mansfield, Bobby Walden, and Davis) who survived Noll's purge after being hired and lasted long enough to win a Super Bowl.
And yes, John Stallworth missed the second half of Super Bowl XIII with a hamstring injury. In the first half, Stallworth had 3 catches for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns – a 28-yard catch that gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead, and a 75-yard catch-and-run that tied the game, 14-14, in the second quarter.
HOWARD ASHCRAFT FROM LANSING, MI: Is it permissible to have live tackling drills during practice?
ANSWER: Live tackling to the ground is not allowed during the regular season. Teams are permitted a specific number of padded practices they can utilize, but even those sessions prohibit bringing players to the ground.
THOMAS FEDORA FROM TWIN ROCKS, PA: Why do broadcasters call a 7-point lead a one-possession game when you need an extra point to tie? That's two possessions.
ANSWER: I typically refrain from commenting on what broadcasters say, but what I can tell you is the PAT that happens after a touchdown in the NFL is not considered a possession. After a touchdown, a team is allowed to attempt a 1-point or a 2-point conversion. That is considered part of the touchdown.
JOHNNY GORMAN FROM FORT MYERS, FL: Why is the Steelers' logo only on one side of their helmets? That's unique in the league. I suppose that was the whole point, right?
ANSWER: Here is the complete history of the Steelers logo that I wrote for the Hall of Honor Museum:
"When it comes to dates in Steelers history, none is more significant than July 8, 1933, because that was when the franchise was founded by Art Rooney Sr.
"For the first 7 years of its existence, Rooney's franchise was known as the Pirates, but before the start of the 1940 season he renamed it the Steelers. To commemorate that, Rooney was given a plaque featuring a football-shaped image honoring the city's steel industry with the words "Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club" around the edge.
"Even though NFL team logos didn't exist back then, Rooney appreciated the gift and liked the design, and so starting in 1940 that became the first logo identifying the Steelers. It was used almost exclusively as letterhead.
"As the NFL clawed for a bigger piece of the professional sports pie after the end of World War II, teams explored ways to attract more attention. As Dan Rooney became more involved in his father's franchise during the late 1950s, he planted the seed for the idea that blossomed into a logo that newspapers used to spruce up its coverage of the team. The "Man on the Beam" logo developed a public profile during the late 1950s, and in 1998 when the NFL instituted a program to promote throwback merchandise the league chose that to represent the Steelers.
"In 1948, logos became much more visible when the Los Angeles Rams allowed running back Fred Gehrke, an art major at the University of Utah, to paint horns on their helmets – mainly because he offered to do it for free. The Steelers featured each player's jersey number on both sides of a gold helmet, but things all came together in 1962 when Rooney was approached by Republic Steel, headquartered in Cleveland, and offered the Steelmark as a helmet logo.
"The Steelmark is a symbol created by the American Iron and Steel Institute, and it's in the form of a circle that encloses three hypocycloids and the word "Steel." The hypocycloids are three different colors, which eventually came to represent the three elements used to make steel: yellow for coal, orange for ore, and blue for steel scrap.
"When the first batch arrived, Rooney wasn't certain they looked all that good on a solid gold helmet. Equipment manager Jackie Hart was instructed to put them only on one side of the helmet as a visual test. The 1962 Steelers finished 9-5 to become the winningest team in franchise history and qualified for the Playoff Bowl, which was a postseason exhibition pitting the second-place teams from each of the NFL's two conferences.
"Wanting to commemorate that success, in advance of the Playoff Bowl the Steelers switched to black helmets and ended up liking how the logo popped against a dark background. Rooney's final step was to petition the American Iron and Steel Institute for permission to change the word "Steel" to "Steelers," and when the orange hypocycloid was changed to red, the look was complete and remains unchanged."
