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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 09.03.25
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Ray Fittipaldo
9:59
Welcome and let's get started.
Guest
9:59
Hi Ray. If Nick Herbig can't go against the Jets does DeMarvin Leal get a call up from the practice squad and a helmet for the game?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:00
I think that's a possibility. Also, Malik Harrison can play outside in a pinch. If they're worried about having a fourth and don't want to elevate Leal they could certainly have Harrison fill in for a few snaps.
Chuck D
10:00
Thanks for the chats they’re great!  I’m more excited for this season then the past years, the Steelers approach is way different then In the past.  Do you think this way of doing business will continue?  Bringing in older, decorated players to supplement the draft?  Thanks and looking forward to a great year.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:02
I think they're in a unique situation where they are trying to maximize their window with TJ Watt and Cam Heyward and others on defense. It's out of character for the Steelers, who traditionally have been a draft and develop team. Once they get their franchise QB they'll have a different approach to team building. But for now, they're built around their defense and they're trying to get as much as they can out of some of the game's best defenders.
artie bridge
10:02
Hi Ray.  What is your biggest positive surprise coming out of camp/pre-season?  Biggest negative?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:03
Yahya Black is the biggest surprise for me. He's been better than I expected. Biggest negative? I still have no idea how this running game is going to look.
Intern Jack
10:04
It feels like the Steelers are in the exact same position they were last year with WR2. When do we blame Omar?  Sounds like he has tried and failed to get someone again as we watch potential fits get snatched up while we sit on $25 million in cap space.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:05
They signed DK Metcalf for $30 million a year. How much money would you like for them to spend on WRs. At some point the guys you draft have to develop. I think they might be OK if Metcalf stays healthy for 17 games, but I understand that's a big if.
Matt in Maine
10:06
Good morning Ray! What would GM Ray do:  So IF Cam Heyward sits out, and Black proves himself more than dependable, once Harmon returns, would you consider trading Cam?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:07
That's a far out there scenario, but I've been saying Heyward better be careful with this hold in/hold out thing he's doing because if Black gets a chance he might play so well that it lessens the need for the Steelers to keep Heyward beyond this season.
Kaiser Sozay
10:08
What possible justification could there be for the Warren contract? Seems like a colossal waste of money.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:10
Warren was making a little over $5 million on the RFA tender. He's now making $17 million and change over three years. The Steelers are actually getting cost control at RB for the next three seasons. Kaleb Johnson is on a rookie deal. Gainwell is playing on the cheap on his two-year deal and they're paying Warren less than $6 million a year over the life of his contract. If you like the group, what is wrong with that?
Still a Flying Squirrel
10:10
Ray!  Thanks for the chat. You do an excellent job.  I see Justin Fields throwing more INTs than TDs this week. Bet-a-buck?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:12
Hmm. I'll take the bet. Fields was pretty good at keeping his INTs down last season with the Steelers. If the Jets play it conservative he could do the same.
kenmihalik
10:12
Is Cam Heyward's nonsense going to last through much of the weekend?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:12
To borrow a line from Cam "we'll see."
Maybe Cam will speak today or tomorrow.
Chris Patket
10:13
Hi Ray - thanks for the chats. What’s is your prediction for the Steelers/Jets game this weekend?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:13
Steelers 13, Jets 9
Stairway to seventh seed
10:13
Ray:  Cam's 2026 contract is also structured to pay him a big roster bonus ($12.95m) in the spring and then a low salary ($1.3m).   Could the current impasse be resolved not with more money, but instead with the Steelers just agreeing not to pay that roster bonus in March?  That would allow Cam to enter unrestricted free agency.  At 37, I doubt that there will be much of a market for him around the league, but Cam obviously thinks otherwise.   The Steelers lose nothing with this proposal because they would be idiots to pay him that roster bonus as next year he will really have the incentive to just pocket that money and hold-in, fake an injury, or otherwise dog it and hope to be released rather than pay for a "paltry" additional $1.3 million.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:15
I don't think that is the resolution Cam wants. He wants to retire with the Steelers. I think his goal going into this was to extract more money from the Steelers because he outperformed the contract. That is true, but the question I always have for Cam is why did he not just sign a one-year deal? That's on him and his representatives.
dpreble001
10:15
Ray, I  like the Warren signing it shows we don't need to draft one, next year, your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:16
Exactly. If you acquire a player in undrafted free agency and develop him into a starter then the logical move is signing him to a second deal. It is a very reasonable deal, and as you point out, they eliminate the need to draft an RB next year. That could be important if they trade a bunch of picks to move up for a QB.
The Dude
10:16
Does Cam not realize the damage he is doing to his legacy or is money that important to him? I for one don’t care if he plays or not - I’ve had it with guys under contract holding out or holding in.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:17
I'm sure he realizes it to a certain extent, but you can only play for so long. I'm sure he's trying to not only take care of his kids, but his grandkids and great-grandkids. Only a few athletes can make generational wealth, and he's one of them.
Rich M
10:17
Hey Ray, the fact that the Steelers let Najee walk and then gave the money to Jaylen is mind-boggling. Did that surprise you?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:18
I was a little surprised, but it does make sense when you think about it. A $6 million cap hit for a starting RB is not outrageous. If in two years he's a third-down back again, $6 million will not look outrageous for that type of a role player the way the salary cap has been escalating in recent years.
Mikey C
10:19
Most teams age organically. Steelers go out and buy them.How do you feel about the”Golden Guys” lasting in a game of health attrition? I envision a year of players breaking down by the end of the season sadly.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:19
That's definitely a risk when you acquire older players. There's also a chance their experience helps the Steelers win a lot of games.
Hi Ray -
10:20
What is the estimated number of draft picks the Steelers will have in 2026?  Rounds?  Thanks
Ray Fittipaldo
10:20
It depends on how the NFL distributes comp picks, but I believe the last estimate I saw was 9 or 10.
Hi Ray -
10:21
Is the goal to keep Skylar until a QB-needy team is desperate, then bring Howard back from IR?  Has Howard been effectively red-shirted for 2026?  Thanks
Ray Fittipaldo
10:22
Howard might get a redshirt because the Steelers did not get to evaluate him in camp after he was injured. Thompson played well when the opportunity presented itself. I don't see Howard coming back to the 53-man roster unless there is a QB injury that necessitates an IR move.
Big_Bri
10:22
Not sure if I noticed this in the pre-season games but how is Kaleb Johnson doing with his blitz blocking assignments? 
Ray Fittipaldo
10:23
I know he struggled in practices. Struggled to the point where I'd have a hard time having him out there in situations when I knew he had to protect.
Turk in MD
10:23
Normally when we don't hear anything about an O lineman that's good news.  Troy F is one of the most under-the-radar 1st round picks this team has had in a while b/c of his injury last year.  Thoughts on how well he should play this year?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:23
I think he has a chance to be really good.
Seven Lombardies
10:24
Hey Ray. Thanks for all you do for us fans that are hopelessly addicted to Steelers news. A quasi-philosophical question, if I may: Do you think it’s true that the ‘Burgh is a “drinking town with a football problem”? More to the point, is our obsession with all things Steelers entirely healthy?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:25
That is a very philosophical question, and I'm not sure how to answer it. It might be healthier for road games since fans aren't binge drinking in the lots beforehand. Ha ha.
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