The Jig Is Up: Steelers Offseason, Vol. 5

Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.

Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.

The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.

I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.

Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…

The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man

The jig is up…time for some randomness.

It is Rumors and Reports Season

Yesterday I covered the story of the report of the Steelers inquiring about Trevor Lawrence, if you missed it click HERE. For many, this report signified everything they hate about the NFL offseason. Rumors, speculation and plenty of those reports floating around. Well, what do you expect this time of year? The Super Bowl is officially over, and all 32 teams can now be in full offseason mode. With that, and a full month before the new league year begins, there won’t be much in terms of “real” news for a while. Instead, we get those speculative reports. It’s as much of the NFL calendar as the start of free agency and the NFL Draft. Just like the changing of the seasons…

Omar Should be Calling

Speaking of the Trevor Lawrence report, I don’t read too much into the report, but I don’t disagree with Omar Khan picking up the phone and calling. In fact, I think Omar should be calling all 32 NFL General Managers (GMs) asking if they have any players who might be available via trade. Some asking prices might be too steep, and other GMs might just hang up the phone. That’s fine, but you have to do your diligence in this regard. The last thing I’ll mention about this is Khan shouldn’t just be calling teams about quarterbacks.

The Steelers have many positional holes to fill on the roster, and it will be up to him to make those disappear before the 2025 regular season. In doing so, all options should be on the table. Free agent, draft pick, and trade. To trade you have to get a feel for what’s available, which means you have to pick up the phone. If the Steelers called the Jaguars about Lawrence, I see it as nothing more than Omar Khan doing his job.

I wouldn’t pull the trigger on Trevor

This is the last I’ll talk about the Trevor Lawrence rumor, I promise, but I wouldn’t make the deal even if there was an ounce of reality in the scenario. It was reported the Steelers were willing to give up a 1st and and 2nd Round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to obtain Lawrence. If I’m going to be giving up that kind of capital, and having to take on the contract of a quarterback who just signed a new deal in 2024, I better be getting a proven commodity. In my opinion, Lawrence is not a proven commodity, so I’d take a hard pass at that asking price. If the asking were different, my opinion might change, but to give up that much draft capital and take on the contract is just too rich for my taste.

Big Trench Questions Remain

When I was doing the latest of my 2024 Steelers Rookie Recap articles yesterday, I was writing up the recap for Mason McCormick and it became clear the line is far from finished. The Steelers entered 2024 hoping to find the answer to the question of Broderick Jones’s ability at left tackle. Troy Fautanu’s season-ending knee injury didn’t allow them to get that answer. On top of that, James Daniels’s ruptured Achilles Tendon left the team with McCormick starting 14 games when he clearly wasn’t ready for that type of duty as a rookie.

The questions along the offensive line heading in 2025 would be as follows:

• Can Jones be a competent LT?
• Was 2024 a sign of decline for Isaac Seumalo?
• Is McCormick the answer at RG?
• Will Troy Fautanu be a rock at RT?

Yeah, still a lot of questions remaining along the offensive front…

Are we really doing Steelers billboards?

This week there was news made when Steelers fan and podcast host Kevin Adams decided to purchase a billboard in Pittsburgh suggesting Art Rooney II either sell the team, or trade Mike Tomlin.

In case you didn’t see it:

The billboard has officially gone up! https://t.co/rUvhbvnovL pic.twitter.com/NCq2FJQIqa

— STEEL HERE (@_STEELHERE) February 11, 2025

I’m a proud Pittsburgh fan. In other words, I’m a Steelers, Pirates and Penguins fan. Pirates fans have put up billboards and had gatherings to protest Bob Nutting’s lack of spending, winning, and trying on a yearly basis. While I understand Steelers fans’ frustrations, I can’t compare the two.

Kevin Adams can fan the way he wants to fan, spend money however he feels he should, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I have to agree with his decisions. Billboards will make waves for a week or so, but eventually they’ll be replaced by another company wanting to advertise their product.

To me, the ultimate question here is will the actions cause an equal or opposite reaction? Will Art Rooney II be driving down the road and see the sign and think, “You know what? He’s right! I should sell the team!”

No.

Will Art Rooney II see the sign and say, “Even though Mike has a no-trade clause in his contract, I’m going to do it. I’ll trade Mike Tomlin!”

No to that too.

I’ll reiterate I can understand everyone’s frustrations, but at the same time I can’t say I truly understand the purpose of a billboard and expecting it to do anything other than be a 60 second blurb on the local news.

Not a great look for Mike Tomlin

This past week James Harrison joined Ryan Clark on The Pivot Podcast, and it was a great episode. In the episode Deebo talked about his departure from Pittsburgh and him signing with the New England Patriots.

Listen to the story in the player below. Not a good look for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers organization.

Outside of Big Ben

Pittsburgh have done alot of Legends Shady
pic.twitter.com/zDGkcRrkzw

— OgnBurgh (@scottiloss) February 12, 2025

Super Satisfying Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is officially behind us, and I have to say it was satisfying. Leading up to the game I was rather indifferent about the game, but when the contest started my anti-Chiefs bias certainly kicked in. If I’m being completely honest, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Patrick Mahomes and company get their teeth kicked in on the sport’s greatest stage. They’ve done it to so many teams over the past few years, and they finally got theirs.

And, yes, jealousy is a part in my anti-Chiefs bias. I would want nothing more than the Steelers to have that type of success, but they don’t, and misery loves company.

Let the offseason begin!

All 32 teams now turn their attention to the offseason, and we can officially let the offseason begin! How long is the NFL offseason? Try one month until the legal tampering period begins on March 10th, and the new league year officially begins on March 12th. It will be here before you know it, so buckle up!

That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the offseason.