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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.28.25
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Ray Fittipaldo
10:22
Good morning. Let's get the chat started a little early. Keep posting your questions.
Jim
10:22
Looks like another year without a playoff win, do you think we have a chance to get secondary help at the trade deadline?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:24
I was the GM of this team I would be more worried about scouting defensive backs in the 2026 draft. At some point, the Steelers have to commit to drafting, developing and playing young talent in the secondary. What they've been doing hasn't been working. Bringing in players such as Patrick Peterson and Darius Slay when they are past their prime makes zero sense. They have to draft young players, play them and live with their mistakes.
Jacksplat
10:25
  1. Soft, incompetent Defense
  2. bush league playing surface at acrisure
  3. ~20k green bay fans take over stadium and force our offense to silent count.
  4. throw back uniforms that win the ugly award
  5. same old word salad post game press conferences followed up with NO meaningful changes.
Are the Steelers as we know them now gone and a historical relic of the past?  We sure seem more like the bengals organization now than the Steelers one we use to have pride in.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:25
Ouch. A comparison to the Bengals. I guess it could have been worse. You could have said the Browns.
Scott NJ
10:25
Would the Steelers benefit more with just sticking with a zone defense. Man coverage isn’t obviously working.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:26
I think we might be getting to that point. They might have to start doing that.
Jim
10:26
Would another epic collapse spur Rooney to fire Tomlin? Or would coordinators heads roll?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:27
Tomlin has two more years remaining on his contract after this season ends. At the money they are paying him he will not be fired now. My guess is they would bring in some new coaches.
Jim
10:27
How do other offensive coordinators scheme their receivers wide open, but we never have anyone open period? Is it the OC or our receivers?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:28
I think you've been watching other teams playing against the Steelers defense too much. They are wide open because the Steelers can't cover anyone. It does not look that way across the league.
yo yo
10:28
I held my nose while I posted this because of the Steeler defense stench. It's time for Tomlin to stop anti- coaching the defense and let the coaches that know what they're doing handle it.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:29
That's not going to happen. Tomlin still believes in what he's doing.
Matt
10:29
I am confused by the lack of pass rush!  More to do with the secondary or the linebackers just being good... not great anymore. What would you do to fix the defense?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:31
I'd start playing more zone. I'd be less predictable. I'd know my tendencies and work against them. It just seems to me other teams have a bead on how the Steelers operate on defense. They need someone with a creative mind to game plan and call the games. Or Tomlin has to allow Austin to do that.
Yuri
10:31
Hello Ray.  Ray, any idea why Herbig and Gainwell aren’t getting more playing time?  Seems to me they provide a spark when they are on the field.  Thank you Ray.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:32
I'm with you on Herbig. Gainwell? He's a nice player, but how can anyone watch the past two or three games and come away thinking Gainwell deserves more time over Jaylen Warren? Warren has been a beast.
steelmann58
10:33
Hi Ray  so the deadline here are the steelers still looking at WR does Safety become Priority one
Ray Fittipaldo
10:33
It should be.
Ty Hink
10:33
Ray, maybe it'll happen anyway with Elliot's injury but Peppers cannot do any worse than Thornhill. They need to make some changes and this has to be one. Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:33
I don't think they have a lot of good options.
Ty Hink
10:33
Ray, feel like Rex Ryan nailed it. The defense got old and slow and it happens quick. Big contracts were given to players for what they HAVE done and maybe not possibly what they could do. Just seems like were extremely slow on all fronts. We need a QB but this team is going to have to invest on defensive youth big time in 2026. Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:34
Old, slow, and it's over. That's what Warren Sapp said about the Steelers in 2011. The funny thing is the Steelers remained of the NFL's top defenses in 2011 and in 2012. I don't think this defense can turn it around.
Lou
10:35
Ray, this team was built to win now. If they lose badly to the Colts, does it make sense to start trading players for more picks and would management even do that?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:35
It would make zero sense to add through trades with the Steelers playing like this. But the Steelers won't hold a fire sale either. They're not the Browns.
chuck mac from Houston
10:36
Old and slow not a great formula for historic defense Ray...why concern ourselves with a WR2 at this point?  or is it too late anyway???
Ray Fittipaldo
10:36
It's getting dark too dark to see.
RAM
10:37
Mornin Ray! How can the NFL allow a missed call as egregious as the off sides against the packers to continue. I mean, the entire world could see it. Not sure if it would’ve mattered considering how awful the D is right now.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:39
The NFL has had an officiating problem for years, and they never seem to put the proper resources into it to improve. And I disagree. That missed call did matter. It changed the complexion of the game. The Packers went down and scored and captured the momentum. The Steelers are not good enough to overcome adversity like that.
Josh
10:39
Why is Slay playing over Echols at this point?  Slay hasn't put anything on tape in 2025 that shows he should be playing over Echols in this secondary
Ray Fittipaldo
10:39
Echols was in for Slay late in the game against the Packers. Maybe it stays that way.
Chris T.
10:40
Good morning Ray.  What are you hearing about Elliott’s knee injury?  Is it possible career ending?  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:40
Career ending? No, but it is a serious knee injury.
Lee In SC
10:41
Hi Ray,With this Steelers defense being historically bad, the offense needs to score 40 points a game for this team to win.
Looking at their schedule I can see one game (Cleveland) you can be certain they will win. That has their floor looking like 5-12.
I see no way they can win against the Colts, Chargers, Lions and Bills. That puts them at 5-7. 
Being generous, say 9 wins gets them in the playoffs. So need to win 4 out of 5 - Bears, Dolphins, Bengals and Ravens twice. 
I don’t see that happening. Is it time to blow the team up and do an actual rebuild?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:42
Seems like this is the right time to do that, but the Rooney don't like to tear it down and then build it back up;.
Takoma Tom
10:43
TJ has 4 sacks over his last 11 games.  That new contract really looks bad.  Any chance he can be traded for a middle round pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:43
Har har hardee har har
steelmann58
10:44
Ray when does tomlin seat finally get hot back to back 30 point games and if they go into a prolong losing streak
Ray Fittipaldo
10:45
Probably when there is only a year left on his deal
Takoma Tom
10:45
The pens fired Sullivan after two cups because the players didn’t respond.  The pens are doing great early in the season.  Why can’t the Steelers do the same?
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