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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 03.02.26
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Brian Batko
10:46
I mean, those two things are pretty subjective, aren't they? What's more concrete is that the Steelers won the AFC North last season but also haven't won a playoff game since 2016. Fans/media can decide for themselves how much shine is on or off the franchise/ownership as a result of those two facts.
martian
10:46
Any word on where we can get your excellent reporting come may?
Brian Batko
10:46
Thanks, martian. Not sure yet what the future holds, but I do appreciate it.
Silent Bob
10:47
Hi Brian - one of the most positive stories of 2025 is how the CBs went from a weakness to a strength. Presumably they cannot bring both Pierre and Samuel back. Who do you think would be better for them to bring back?
Brian Batko
10:47
I'd probably lean toward James Pierre
Barry in MD
10:48
Anyone got a decent QB plan has to be someone out there good for at least five years. Can’t keep saying trade up next year.  Teams with high picks likely need qb other average teams also looking to trade up
Brian Batko
10:48
Trade up next year!
Chris Parker
10:49
Hi Brian - thanks for the chats! There are some media folks projecting the Steelers will select Alabama QB Simpson with their first pick in the draft. This seems like a stretch - wouldn’t the team be better focusing on a WR?
Brian Batko
10:51
As I've said and written before, I just get the vibe that Omar Khan's ideal world is to have a really good, deep, balanced roster from top to bottom that can make a QB's life easier once that franchise guy is in place. It's how he came up in this organization and how it worked with Ben Roethlisberger once upon a time. But at odds with that mission is the ongoing quest to identify a high-end QB and then, obviously, find a way to secure him once you do. Is Ty Simpson that? I'm dubious, but such is the entire premise of the pre-draft process, Chris.
Jersey Danno
10:51
GM Brian. Do you think they’re serious about drafting Allar? Just the kind of project McCarthy would covet, no?
Brian Batko
10:53
Morning, Danno. Yeah, on one hand, I would say Allar is the kind of project a lot of offensive coaches would be interested in. On the other hand, we don't actually have a ton of evidence as to what kind of draft prospects Mike McCarthy likes. He inherited Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay (and did develop him, so take nothing away there) and Dak Prescott in Dallas. This process of evaluating and finding the next long-term starter for the Steelers is actually a new one for their head coach, too.
Uncle Leo
10:54
Hello! Pretty crazy that the Steelers are the least interesting and have the least upside of the three major Pgh sports teams, huh? I wish Rooney would do a study tour over with the Pens, and it is really funny that his logic for winning one playoff game actually makes a ton of sense for the pirates as a building block… not so much for the Steelers… thanks for the good work on the beat.
Brian Batko
10:55
Hey, thanks. I understand the intrigue right now in the Pens and Pirates, but not entirely sure I agree about the upside. With the Steelers, you just have to keep in mind how quickly fortunes can turn in the NFL. It's probably the most parity-driven league out there of the four major ones right now, right? Much like the Steelers, the Pens also have an aging core that won't be around too much longer. And the Pirates have the whole salary cap issue that will always be an impediment. Just some food for thought on your premise, Leo.
Mike
10:56
Good morning.  DK was very underwhelming last season.  He also kept up his reputation of being one of most penalized receivers.  Then came the lack of maturity and discipline that led to a suspension.  The Steelers plan on him being the #1 WR pre-draft.  I believe Noll would have released him for his antics and Cowher may have too.  Do you agree?  Is this a big part of what got this organization to the shape they are currently in?
Brian Batko
10:57
To be honest, I don't think there were too many "antics" with DK Metcalf outside of that one big incident  in Detroit. That was a brutal look, no doubt, but on a day-to-day basis I got the vibe that the team was actually quite pleased with Metcalf's professionalism, demeanor, things like that.
J D
10:58
Brian, don't you think the low grades came from their high number of free agents who played for other teams with better facilities?
Brian Batko
10:58
I do think a lot of outside veterans come here and are taken aback by the arrangement sharing a facility/practice area with Pitt, yes.
Eddie
10:58
Why do you think our fanbase is so negative?  It seems like there are some loud know-it-alls who always have something untoward to say about Coach T, ownership, the new coach, etc..  Why are these folks so miserable?
Brian Batko
11:01
OK, I'll end with this one. Not that I regularly interact with other fan bases like I do you all, my people, but I see enough of a snapshot via social media that in my opinion this is not a Steelers-centric thing. The people in these chats and constantly conversing about the Steelers on the Internet are inherently some of the most passionate fans out there, so you're going to get the extremes when it comes to negativity, hot takes, et al.
Bottom line: People in real life are considerably less miserable, and being online makes all of us a little more collectively miserable, in some weird way. But OK, that's it for me today. Back out into the real world, where it's all sunshine and rainbows and dandelions blowing in the breeze. Have a nice week!
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