Joe Rutter stories, Page 3

After trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina in March, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried in vain to acquire a proven wide receiver to start alongside George Pickens. A deal never materialized, leaving the Steelers with a cast of wideouts that includes Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin and a healing rookie in...

A call Spencer Anderson received this summer from a Pittsburgh Steelers coach might have changed his career trajectory. Anderson had played all five spots on the offensive line in college at Maryland, and he dabbled with playing the interior and exterior spots after making the Steelers roster as a seventh-round...

When the Pittsburgh Steelers carried five receivers on the initial 53-man roster — one fewer than they had a year ago and two fewer than they kept in 2022 — it led to speculation they were holding a spot in case a trade for Brandon Aiyuk materialized. Aiyuk’s decision Thursday...

Half of the allotted 16 practice squad spots were filled Thursday by the Pittsburgh Steelers when they brought back eight players who were on their roster in training camp and the preseason. Returning to the organization are three defensive backs: Thomas Graham Jr., who competed for the starting slot corner...

In the past two NFL Draft classes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have used five of 14 picks to address the offensive line. When the regular season opens Sept. 8 in Atlanta, all five of those prospects could be starting or playing supporting roles. The Steelers surely didn’t script it that way...

Since he reported to offseason workouts after missing the first two weeks of organized team activities, Cameron Heyward has awaited a contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the preseason in the rear-view mirror and the regular season looming in 10 days, the 35-year-old defensive tackle is still waiting. “No...

After the Pittsburgh Steelers reduced their roster to the mandatory 53-player limit Tuesday, they were left thin at some positions and overloaded at others. A course correction, however, could take place in the upcoming days as the Steelers try to balance their roster before they face the Atlanta Falcons on...

Initial 53-man roster projections are a risky proposition as NFL teams prepare to reach that limit by 4 p.m. Tuesday. It is called the “initial” roster for a reason. Much can change between the cutdown deadline and when the regular season begins next week. Like every other NFL team, the...

The process of reducing the roster to the 53-man limit began Monday for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they cut 11 players. After trimming the roster by eight players before practice, they cut three more in the afternoon: kicker Matthew Wright, offensive lineman Anderson Hardy and defensive back Kyler McMichael. In...

DETROIT — The way he hit the hole and ran virtually untouched to the end zone, high-stepping on the way in, it looked like Cordarrelle Patterson might have been returning a kickoff Saturday for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, one of the NFL’s most decorated returners made his impact on a...

DETROIT — Like a battery in need of some juice, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense got the recharge it had sought for much of the preseason Saturday afternoon. A trip to the Motor City cured some of the ills that had beset the first-team unit the first two weeks. No longer...

Since the NFL adopted the 17-game schedule in 2021, coach Mike Tomlin has taken varying approaches to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final preseason game. He has kept his starters on the sideline from start to finish. He has played them for a couple series. He has watched them play the entire...

Beanie Bishop’s chance of earning the starting slot cornerback job with the Pittsburgh Steelers was stalled when he missed the preseason game Saturday against Buffalo with an undisclosed injury. The undrafted free agent from West Virginia will have one more chance to impress the coaching staff this weekend when the...

Quarterback Russell Wilson has set a modest goal for the offense in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason finale. “The most important thing for us to accomplish is to play efficient football, move the ball up and down the field,” Wilson said Wednesday. “We want to celebrate in the end zone. That...

Much like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense this preseason, Broderick Jones’ play against Buffalo on Saturday night was a case study in Murphy’s law. Anything that could go wrong did for the former first-round pick in the Steelers’ 9-3 loss to the Bills. Jones was beaten on two of the Bills’...

In interview settings, Zach Frazier is a man of few words. If he were paid by the sentence, he wouldn’t be able to afford a cup of convenience store coffee. Frazier is polite, courteous and professional around reporters. He also is uncomfortable. A sampling from the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center...

At least Russell Wilson didn’t have any issues handling the snap from center in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut. That is one of the few positives that can be taken from the way the first-team offense performed under Wilson’s tutelage in the Steelers’ second preseason game. Continuing a trend that began...

In two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Andy Weidl’s commitment to rebuilding the offensive line has been as obvious as the Ohio River flowing behind Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers have spent five draft picks, including two first-round selections, on the line since Weidl came aboard after Kevin Colbert’s retirement. The...

Russell Wilson will start at quarterback Saturday when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game. The player snapping the ball to Wilson could be new, too. Rookie second-rounder Zach Frazier could start at center because of an injury to veteran Nate Herbig. Herbig was injured...

Before the Pittsburgh Steelers hold their first joint practice in eight years, they had business to conclude Wednesday at Saint Vincent College. The practice was the final one held in front of fans who gathered on the hillside and bleachers adjacent to Chuck Noll Field. Since making Saint Vincent their...

After being a small part of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense the past two seasons, Connor Heyward is looking for bigger things in 2024. Thanks to the addition of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, Heyward might get his wish. Even if he remains the third option in the team’s tight end...

Third down was the emphasis Monday for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their penultimate training camp practice at Saint Vincent College. Mindful of the negativity the Steelers experienced in their 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday, coach Mike Tomlin devoted several portions of practice to third down preparation....