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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 06.17.25
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:56
Welcome and let's get started.
Stairway to seventh seed
11:56
Ray: you seem really confident in Fautanu, but why?  He had maybe the worst preseason debut (2 sacks allowed in 8 plays) that we have ever seen and had an injury after each game that he played in.  I suppose he looked ok vs Denver, but the offense only scored 13 points in that game.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
The Steelers had a lot of practices to evaluate him before that one preseason game and practices after he came back from his first injury. They believed he was their best linemen by the middle of camp. Coaches don't put too much stock into one preseason game. If he's healthy this season the expectation is he'll play very well.
Sal
11:57
Thanks for the chats Ray! Do you think we will see some new hires or deals happening from now until Training Camp or is it going to be stale?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
You could see a receiver signed or acquired before camp. I don't sense anything else is on the verge of happening before they get to Latrobe. It's fairly quiet on the T.J. Watt front so that situation looks like it will drag on into next month.
Mtsteel
11:59
Hi Ray, thank you for your time and insight to the team. The Steelers have been reported to be looking to trade for #2 WR at some point. What's your take on Amari Cooper and the Steelers seemingly not to interested in that option? A proven talent, only 30 and no need to give up draft capital to obtain. Your thought appreciated. Thanks again.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:02
My sense is Copper and other veterans such as Keenan Allen are sitting around and waiting for the best opportunity and pay day. They might be willing to wait into the summer to see if some team suffers a major injury. As for Cooper, he has a long resume of production with the Raiders, Cowboys Browns and Bills, but his play fell off last season. He played the first half of the season with the Browns before getting dealt to the Bills. He had around 550 receiving yards and four touchdowns overall. That's basically what Calvin Austin III did last season. Maybe it was a one-year blip, or maybe he's ready to get back to being a 1,000-yard receiver. It would appear teams are being cautious and not offering a lot of money at this point. It will be interesting to see what Cooper and Allen get when they do sign and where they go.
Jim Bow Dean
12:02
Is the OL the biggest key to this season given what they invested, their desired to run the ball, and a less than mobile and old QB?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:03
It's one of the most important keys. A strong running game can be the best friend of a 41-year old QB. They'll need to be balanced.
Josh
12:04
Hey Ray, if TJ Watt and the Steelers both want to and are motivated to get a deal done, why must this thing drag out into training camp and beyond? I know it's not a run of the mill contract, but it just seems excessive to make this an ongoing issue during camp.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
No reason other than deadlines tend to motivate both sides.
Mark in Buffalo
12:04
Now that we're in the slow part of the season:  what do you think might've been fundamentally different last season if Wilson was healthy throughout Camp and the Day 1 starter?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
That's an interesting question and I'm not sure I ever pondered it because they had to play the first six weeks without him. Maybe they go 6-0 instead of 4-2, or maybe the stuff hits the fan sooner with Wilson having more exposure to Arthur Smith. My guess is the final record wouldn't have been all that different.
Patrick
12:06
When the Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph, and now Will Howard, is it as a backup or do they think they might surprise and develop into a starter?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
I think with Mason the hope was he might develop into a starter, but you never draft QBs in the third round and know for sure they will be. If you want a starting QB you draft him in the first or maybe second round. Rudolph and Howard are developmental players they hope someday can become starters, but they're not counting on them.
Guest
12:07
D Elliot signing is great for both sides... yes?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
Yes. Elliott played really well last season and they rewarded him with a new deal. He's signed through 2027. Fitzpatrick and Porter Jr. are signed through 2026. I am guessing Fitzpatrick's play this season will determine whether the Steelers keep him beyond the 2025 season though.
Guest
12:09
Will Howard even dress? Is he the emergency QB?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
If he's No. 3 he's the emergency QB and would only play if the first two QBs can't come back in the game.
Gaspipe Casso
12:10
I just want to do a victory lap. I can't count how many people on social media told me Rodgers was not going to sign here. I've said for two months it seems like the Steelers know he's coming here, they just weren't sure when. Instead of acknowledging the obvious, they chose to say how bad the Steelers looked. If they knew he was coming, they don't look bad at all. Anyway, now that Rodgers is here I think he'll be the best QB they've had since Ben's elbow blew out, even in his 41 year old diminished body. Do you agree?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Probably, but I thought Roethlisberger and the offense were pretty good for long stretches of 2020. Maybe not at the end, but early he looked really good.
JJ
12:11
Do you foresee Chris Boswell getting a raise this season? I believe the Steelers actually need to spend more cash this season (not cap space, I know some fans get the cash spending floor/limits confused with the cap space) and he seems like a guy who could see a bump in pay.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:12
Boswell is signed through 2026 so they don't need to do anything with him this summer.
Guest
12:12
Let's say things do not go as Tomlin plans and losses pile up. How much rope will Rogers get before he is replaced by Mason?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:12
plenty
JPinPDX
12:13
Hi Ray and thanks for the chat, as always! Looking in your crystal ball, what’s a more likely outcome: Broderick Jones ascends to an elite level of play, or Mr Rodgers plays all 17 games?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:13
Hmmmm, not sure either will happen, but Jones is a long way from elite so I guess I'll say Rodgers playing in all 17 games.
ZeroTheHero
12:14
Hi Ray!   I’m glad the Rodgers singing drama has finally played out. They don’t need Rogers to be a top three quarterback in the conference. They just need him to be better than what they’ve had, and a lot has to break their way but they have at least given themselves a chance to make a run.The Steelers were 10-3 at one point last year, they largely beat the teams they were supposed to and then when the real tests came around, they collapsed.  Of course a wide range of outcomes is possible, but it seems they are reasonably positioned for another solid season of 10+ wins with a chance for post season success.  So anything less should demand accountability, do you think it will happen?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
I think what you're getting at is will Tomlin be on the hot seat, and the answer is no. He is signed through the 2027 season.
Jim
12:15
Afternoon Ray, Suppose the Steelers have a 10-7 or 11-6 record. Seems that would have them picking low 20s in the first round. To grab one of the two best qbs coming out, what is a realistic trade package to move up into the top 8 or 10 to get one. Not too many teams that don't already have their "Franchise QB" so hoping there isn't a ton of competition but you never know who will be opicking before them.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
It's too hard to predict that now given these QBs aren't stacked yet. It's expected to be a deep class, but the 2025 season will be a big part of their evaluation. If there are six first-round QBs then it won't cost as much, but if there are only three then the Steelers better be prepared to deal away some premium draft capital to move up.
Schuyler
12:17
HI ray, do you think they will sign TJ Watt in training camp before season starts.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
Before the season starts yes, but last time they signed him two days before the season started so it was well after camp had ended.
Steeler fan near Philly
12:18
What is your feeling on how the Offensive Line will do this year since that is so key?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:18
I think they'll be solid if they stay healthy, but so much hinges on the development of Broderick Jones.
Tom in Dallas
12:19
Any stories on where players might vacation prior to the start of training camp?  We go to Cancun every July for 2 weeks and usually see someone that has the physique of a pro football player with his wife/girlfriend.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
Some of the players will get away for a week or so, but for the most part they are training and getting ready to come to camp in tip-top shape. I think you see more NFL players in Cancun in February and March than you do in June or July.
Steeler in Mexico
12:20
Thanks for the chats Ray.

If Rodgers has a decent season, gets us to the playoffs and helps elevate our rookie 6th rounder, do you see him coming back for the 2026 season or this is really his last dance regardless of the outcome?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:20
Ask me in early January.
TVC15
12:20
If the Steelers either do not make the playoffs or get blown out by halftime in the Wild Card round yet again who gets thrown under the bus? Nobody because the head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators still have years left on their contracts? Maybe the waterboy?
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