Pittsburgh

Steelers

This comes from an article written by Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where Jones said the time continues to monitor him “day by day” as he works his way back from spinal fusion surgery. Jones was present at the Steelers’ OTAs this week but did not participate in team drills, and could face a battle for playing time with Troy Fautanu looking to move to left tackle, and rookie Max Iheanachor expected to man the right tackle position. Jones said his recovery is going well, but given the severity of the injury, it could be some time before we see him in action again.

McCarthy will coach QB Aaron Rodgers for the first time since 2018, which was McCarthy’s final season with the Packers. Rodgers remained in Green Bay until 2022. McCarthy’s pre-snap shift rates fluctuated significantly over his final three seasons with the Packers and generally hovered around the league average during his 2020-24 run with the Cowboys. Rodgers is reportedly looking forward to returning to the updated version of his old scheme and should have little issue adjusting to McCarthy’s offensive wrinkle. The Steelers’ 63.9 percent pre-snap shift rate ranked 21st last year. Agreeing on terminology appears to be the only real issue that the two are working through, which Rodgers says he will be “stubborn about,” but is a natural part of the growing process.

Loudermilk only appeared in two games for the Steelers last year before landing on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. The former fifth-round pick has spent most of the past five years as a backup for the Steelers. He has one career sack and one TFL. Loudermilk will need to find a role on special teams to make the Vikings’ roster.

For the first time in a long time, Rodgers isn’t stringing anyone along or drawing out a decision for months. When asked if this was his final year, Rodgers responded point-blank, “Yes. This is it.” He told reporters he thought he was done after Mike Tomlin walked away, but the hiring of Mike McCarthy eventually changed his mind. Rodgers did, however, wait until after the draft and then some to make his decision. The hope for Steelers fans is that McCarthy will get more out of Rodgers than Arthur Smith did, though we remain skeptical that there is much left in the tank as Rodgers enters his age-43 season.

Howard is set to compete with veteran Mason Rudolph for backup duties to begin the season. Rudolph and Howard were splitting reps in the team’s offseason program last month. NFL Network reported in January that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy “likes Will Howard a lot” and sees potential in his offensive system. “I’m not saying the Steelers believe Will Howard will be the quarterback for ten years after Aaron Rodgers is gone,” Breer said. “But I do think Mike McCarthy sees a little something there and wanted to take a closer look.” Howard, going into his age-25 season, threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions during his final collegiate season at Ohio State in 2024. He ranked fourth among all CFB quarterbacks in adjusted yards per attempt that season.

Bernard’s signing comes on the Steelers’ first day of voluntary OTAs. The former Alabama prospect who was drafted 47th overall last month is hoping to make an early impact as a rookie despite joining a crowded receiver room that includes D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. as its top targets. Bernard totaled 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season with the Crimson Tide while playing 62.2 percent of his snaps on the outside, per PFF. That said, Bernard also has ample experience playing from the slot, which should give him an inside edge for early playing time in three-receiver sets.

Fautanu said he was unsure if the move to left tackle would be permanent, but given the current situation with Broderick Jones and his neck injury, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fautanu played on the left side for most of the season. The team’s decision not to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option has also likely led to the decision to explore a new option at left tackle, and the selection of rookie Max Iheanachor in the first round of this year’s draft allows that flexibility. Fautanu has allowed two sacks on 663 career pass-blocking snaps, but will face a tougher challenge lining up on the left side.

Jones was in uniform and participated in warm-ups, but according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, he did not take part in any team drills. Jones is still working his way back from a neck injury that required a fusion surgery in March. Jones recently suffered a setback in his recovery, which likely factored into the team’s decision to decline his fifth-year option, but his presence at OTAs, even in a limited capacity, is an encouraging sign.

After signing a one-year deal with the team over the weekend, Rodgers is officially back in Pittsburgh for the start of next season. The 42-year-old signal-caller was “one of the first guys in the building,” according to Pryor, and will be on the field for the first day of practice. Rodgers helped lead the Steelers to a 10-6 finish last season, providing adequate play at the position to keep the offense on schedule despite being more of a dink-and-dunk passer. We wouldn’t expect Rodgers to air it out any more than he did last year, but the addition of Michael Pittman gives him two solid receivers to work with along with Pat Freiermuth at tight end.

Aaron Rodgers’ return has left the Steelers with a four-quarterback room of Rodgers, Rudolph, 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard, and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar. Presumably the Steelers wouldn’t want to move on from Howard or Allar on their rookie contracts, which naturally leads to the idea of Rudolph’s roster spot being in jeopardy despite him likely being the backup with the highest floor. These things sometimes just work themselves out via injury, but if everyone makes it to the end of the preseason healthy, the Steelers will probably have to move on from someone rather than carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.