Christopher Carter's Steelers chat: 06.12.26
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Christopher Carter
11:03
It's Friday, it's sunny, and it's time for our live chat. Let's get into it!
Silent Bob
11:03
Hello Christopher - What would you say is the weakest unit on the Steelers at this point? It was clearly the WR unit for years. That unit could be a real strength for the team - although it depends on real contributions from a rookie and someone who has significantly under-performed so far. Thanks
Christopher Carter
11:09
Hello SB!

For me, it's between ILBs and safeties. Not that either position stinks, but rather because I think that the Steelers' roster is more balanced than it has been for a while now.

The offensive line has multiple young studs, the receiver room has talent as do the RBs, TEs. CB is looking strong with Porter-Dean-Ramsey, and the OLB department looks deep and strong as does the DL.

That leaves me to either ILBs or safety. Queen is a good starter and can be better, as can Payton Wilson. If those two in particular step up this season, that could bring up the whole roster.

But I have to admit that safety is a big question mark. DeShon Elliott's injury was serious and we need to see how he looks, and we still don't know what Jaquan Brisker looks like in this defense. Right now, Darnell Savage appears to be the only depth player in the at group, and that could be an issue.

QB could also be the answer, if you don't think Rodgers will play well this year.
Pittfan
11:12
Hi Christopher. I compared Germie to Rashee Rice when Rashee was coming out. Similar profiles. If Germie can become Rashee (the player), the Steelers got a steal.
Christopher Carter
11:31
Hello!

So, there are similarities in their skillsets, but differences in their college games. Both are around the same height and run a similar 40 (Bernard slightly taller, and faster).

But Rice was more about the jump ball coming out of college and was less of the detailed route runner that Bernard looks to be.

If Bernard can match Rice's rookie production, that'd be a heck of a start. 938 receiving yards and 7 TDS.

JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jimmy Orr (1958!) are the only two rookie Steelers receivers who've gained over 900 receiving yards in their opening season. Rookie WRs with 7+TDs include JJSS, Orr, Claypool, Wallace, Bryant and Lipps.
BeaverFallsKid
11:31
Hey Chris. I am hopeful for a successful season under the new head coach and roster. However, I am a little worn out hearing the team constantly talk about “communications issues” on defense and the need to clean that up. It seems like “communications issues” is a public catch all for poor play individually and collectively. Sure it can happen from time to time but we have been hearing this excuse week in and week out for several years. The players this off season are still chirping about the need for good communication under Patrick Graham. Of course good communications is a necessary thing all teams work on constantly…. but, is communication just an excuse that coaches and players use to keep from publicly criticizing the poor play of their teammates — or bad coaching — in certain games?
Christopher Carter
11:42
Hello!

You're not wrong to sense out communication issues to be a catch-all, because it definitely is.

It's the players' and coaches' way to pointing out there was a mistake in how the play was executed on the field without having to point to a specific player.

It's also important to know that communication issues happen to every defense. The better ones have less issues, but they all deal with those moments. There's also players who are so good that they can cover up the communication errors of others. Polamalu did that a lot with his ability to play several roles, as did Watt with how much he'd win as a pass rusher.
11:44
I wouldn't call communication issues an excuse, but it is a way for teammates to acknowledge accountability is needed for the mistakes while they don't single each other out in public. When that happens, that can lead to divides and an invasion of the locker room. They'd much rather handle that in-house than out in the open in a way that welcomes distraction.
Buckeye Steeler
11:45
In what you have observed in these recent practices has the Georgia rookie receiver already passed Roman Wilson on the depth chart/
Christopher Carter
11:47
If you mean Germie Bernard from Alabama, I wouldn't say that he's passed Roman Wilson just yet. But I would say that Bernard is in direct competition with Wilson for snaps in the first team offense.
Larry Brown
11:49
We hear a great deal about the value of versatility in today's NFL.  The size of the contract for Darnell Washington was an eye opener . . . until you consider the possibility (albeit remote) that he has the "potential" to move to tackle.  And a tackle on the contract he signed would be a bargain.  What are your thoughts?
Christopher Carter
11:49
I don't think Darnell Washington is switching to tackle. If that was the case, they wouldn't have used first round picks to address offensive tackle in two of their last three drafts. Washington will be a big boost to their blocking efforts, but as a tight end.
Patrick from Peters Township
11:50
It's the 2027 offseason, the Steelers finished 9-8, Aaron Rodgers played all of the 2026 season and is retired.  What do the Steelers do at QB?  With a 9-8 record they aren't in a position to draft an elite QB prospect.  With Rodgers playing the bulks of the 2026 snaps the coaching staff and front office haven't had the opportunity to see either Allar or Howard play significant NFL snaps.  
Do the Steelers try to bring in another veteran stopgap, maybe Baker Mayfield, do the Steelers draft Kenny Pickett 2.0 with a pick in the 20s of the draft or do they have a QB competition in camp between Allar and Howard?
Christopher Carter
11:57
I do not understand the seemingly popular notion that if the Steelers finish in the middle of the pack in the NFL that they'd be out on drafting an elite QB prospect.

The Ravens took Lamar Jackson 32nd overall.

The Bills traded up twice in their offseason after making the playoffs at 9-7 in the year they drafted Josh Allen.

The Chiefs were 12-4 and the 2-seed in the AFC when they traded up from 27 to 10 to get Patrick Mahomes.

It is very doable to trade up from the middle of the pack (or the back) to get in range to select one of the top quarterback prospects. This notion that it's impossible is not based in reality, history, or facts.
Barry in MD
11:58
Everyone is upset about the contracts done before JPJ. Maybe they just wanted to get the faster and easier done first
Christopher Carter
12:00
I also think they might feel more comfortable to be patient with Porter considering his connection with the team and that it might've been a more established conclusion that he would sign an extension.

Herbig and Washington were guys the Steelers could afford, but could also have wanted to turn down reasonable deals in hopes to get bigger paydays on the open market. I don't think there's even a hint of an issue with Porter and he'll be signed well in time for him to play.
Dennis
12:01
How will the Steelers sign Joey Porter with very little left under the cap?
Christopher Carter
12:07
The Steelers are projected to have $4.5M under the cap in 2027, when Porter's deal would start to pay out bigger numbers.

But that number can easily be changed. If Jalen Ramsey doesn't play at an elite level this year, his cap hit of $21.7M has no guaranteed money and he can be released/traded in a way that frees up all of that money immediately. If Cam Heyward retires, that's a $23.4M cap hit also off the books. They could also move money down the line to years where they have a lot more cap space like the $115.3M they have in 2028.

They could alsomove one of Alex Highsmith or TJ Watt with the new deal on Nick Herbig, which would also open up more space.

They can very much afford Porter and others.
Tony From Toronto
12:08
Hey Chris, it looks like T.J. Watt will in fact be a one hat player for the Steelers, unless they are willing to eat most of his contract and then trade him for maybe a 2nd and 3rd round pick.  The only real trade value for him right now, besides someone getting a serviceable edge rusher, is that he is locked up for a couple of years.  Do you think that the Steelers would do this to get him off their books?
Christopher Carter
12:18
I only think something like this happens if Alex Highsmith plays at an elite level and TJ Watt doesn't.

I also don't think Watt is just a serviceable edge rusher. Sure, 7 sacks isn't a ton, but it's also because he's attracting extra blockers almost as much as any other edge rusher in the NFL.

One way to show Watt's impact is to look at how his being on the field has been a boost for Nick Herbig. SumerSports has Herbig's pressure rate without Watt on the field (the amount of pressures divided defensive snaps) at 3.53%, and Herbig's pressure rate with Watt on the field at 7.28%.

That means Watt has helped Herbig's pressure rate jump by more than double, and largely because Watt attracts enough double teams that keep Herbig in the clear to have more one-on-one opportunities.

I don't think the Steelers rush Watt off their books unless something drastic happens this year.
Daniel
12:19
I know they got some criticism for drafting a returner early.  However, with the weapon that Boswell is don't you think that over the course of the season a better returner and extra yards could mean a lot more extra field goal attempts for what would have been punts?
Christopher Carter
12:30
This was actually my biggest gripe with the Steelers' draft class -- which is saying something considering I thought they reached for Drew Allar.

I get that Kaden Wetjen was a very good returner for Iowa. But you can typically grab faster returners who also better fit into other parts of your rosters -- and do that even later in the draft than they drafted Wetjen.

If Antonio Brown never even became the elite receiver he was, he would've been a valuable returner with 5 return TDs in his career as a 6th round pick.

But Wetjen doesn't display a lot of the skills needed to be a receiver who'd challenge even Roman Wilson right now for snaps. I just think he would need to be an ELITE returner to justify that 4th round pick on the position, especially when they could've selected players at other key positions like WR Skyler Bell, SAF Genesis Smith, LB Kyle Louis or CB Malik Muhammad.
A2theMFJ
12:30
If the worst case scenario plays out where Rodgers loses his fight against Father Time early in the season and plays like he did in LA or New England, how short is the leash?  How many games would it take poor play at QB to pull a HOF and change direction on the season?
Christopher Carter
12:32
I would say he'd get like a month. But it would also need to be that he falls so far off a cliff that it would be disastrous for a month. Rodgers is one of the smarter QBs I've ever watched and even if his arm falls off -- I can tell you from what I saw over the past month it has not -- I think he could work his way around physical issues and still make plays.

If he bombs the first month, then they'd maybe look at changes.
Mike from NC
12:32
Look into your crystal ball and predict how many of the rookies make the 53 man roster. Thanks for all the work covering the black and gold!
Christopher Carter
12:38
Locks:
Max Iheanachor
Germie Bernard
Drew Allar
Daylen Everette
Gennings Dunker

After that, I think there could be an interesting battle for offensive/special team spots. Kaden Wetjen, Eli Heidenreich and Riley Nowakowski all need to prove they fit.

Of those three, I think Nowakowski is the closest to a lock because he's a glue piece that can fit in several places.

Wetjen and Heidenreich may be in a battle for returner, and the winner might be determined by who can help in more roles. Wetjen I see as primarily a returner and if he's a WR, he's at best their 6th option.

But Heidenreich can also be a returner, a gunner, and maybe a receiving threat out of the backfield as well.

Rubio and Spears-Jennings will battle with depth veterans for spots and I'd say it's a toss-up, but I'd favor Rubio to find a spot if I had to choose between them.

Final prediction:

8/10, with Wetjen and RSJ missing.
Mike in Bama
12:38
Hi Chris; I know it's a limited slate, but from you've seen of Howard and Allar so far, are you seeing anything to be encouraged by from either of them?
Christopher Carter
12:42
Hi Mike. The only thing I think that can be honestly determined from what we've seen is that both quarterbacks have bought in on the rebuild process they're undergoing with Mike McCarthy. That's a positive. I've seen good and rough moments like when Tamon Lynum pick 6'd Drew Allar or Will Howard missed open targets. But I've also seen glimpses where throws have been on a rope to the exact right spot.

Nothing to be encouraged by yet other than both guys buying in and setting aside any ego that they might be above going back to the basics.
George T
12:42
Chris Hello, what was the problem with Roman Wilson last year?  Didn’t run the correct routes or not in the correct spot when he needed to be. Was that a problem he had in college or it did matter in college.  I am hearing this is something Germie Bernard is good at. Also I know it’s something that AR wants, and is that a product of the west coast offense.  I don’t remember this being a problem with Ben or was his receiver better route runners.
Christopher Carter
12:45
Hi George.

I do think the timing and spacing of Roman Wilson's routes were a big problem. There were times he was open; but if you're not open when your quarterback expects you to be, it's still hard for them to find you.

There were times I'd see Wilson break loose and have a hand up while running free downfield, but not be seen because Rodgers is going through his progressions and that's not where Wilson was expected to be.

That's why they went and got Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling -- because they could do those little things right for Rodgers.

If Wilson improves that part of his game, he becomes much more dangerous as he's very fast with his sub-4.4 time in the 40.
Latrobe guy
12:45
Hi Chris, thank you for all your hard work, I really enjoy & appreciate everything that you do. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that since Rodgers did pretty well last season, considering was on a new team, new system, arrive just before camp, only had one quality receiver, and worked with a line that had to be reshuffled, that this season, with a familiar coach, much better receivers, better line..that he’ll do even better?
Christopher Carter
12:52
Hi and thanks for being here!

I do think that Rodgers stands a good chance to perform better this season. Last year, the double-teams DK Metcalf drew weren't capitalized on enough. That's something that I think Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard both help with.

But even when guys got open, I also think the general improvement of the offensive line with their increased experience should also help Rodgers be more comfortable to work in the pocket.

A lot of things line up for a better season for Rodgers, including an offense he'll be familiar with and a style that'll play towards his high football IQ.
Adam in ATL
12:59
Do you see the Troy and Mason switch to the left side being permanent? Seems like the best case scenario between positional experience and working relationship. It will mean a big ? on the right, could Broderick switch back to RT if healthy enough to play, and can you trust 2 rookies to bolster your options. I don't know if Rodgers can get the ball out any faster!
Christopher Carter
1:10
I do. Particularly because of their picking Max Iheanachor -- who was primarily a right tackle. As I also talked about for our YouTube channel yesterday, I saw Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker working together a lot on the right side in their final OTAs practice.

I get the sense that Fautanu and McCormick are going to keep their chemistry going on the left side, and that they hope Dunker and Iheanachor can develop a similar chemistry on the right. With Frazier in the middle, that has the bones to be an elite OL someday.
1:11
That's all we've got for today! Thanks for checking in everyone! We'll do this again next week!
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