Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers’ 53-man roster is pretty healthy as the club begins its practice week for Monday night’s matchup with the Texans.

But one key player was not on the field on Thursday.

Running back Jaylen Warren did not participate due to an illness, according to Pittsburgh’s injury report.

Warren led the Steelers with 958 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns this season. He also caught 40 passes for 333 yards with two TDs.

Otherwise, the Steelers’ injury report is quite clean. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left wrist), linebacker T.J. Watt (lung), receiver Ben Skowronek (hand), and long snapper Christian Kuntz (knee) were all full.

Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward was limited with rest.

When it comes to finding his next coaching job, John Harbaugh will attack the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

Starting next week.

The plan to press pause conflicts with the Harbaugh ethic. It’s a strategy, aimed at one apparent thing: Finding out whether the six games to be played this weekend will lead to more openings.

Multiple reports indicate at least nine teams have expressed interest in Harbaugh. With only six non-Ravens openings, that leaves three teams that currently have coaches. And 14 teams still have games to play.

For more than a few of the playoff teams, there’s no way Harbaugh would be a consideration. The Broncos and Seahawks, obviously, will be standing pat. Ditto for the likes of the Patriots, Chargers (that would be a very awkward phone call), Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Bears, and Texans.

As to the rest, is it crazy to think the Steelers are thinking about the possibility of Mike Tomlin choosing to exit after 19 years? Sure, the Steelers typically hire coaches in their 30s and keep them for a long time. (Harbaugh, at 63, is four years older than Chuck Noll when he retired in 1991.) But if Tomlin walks, maybe they’d embrace a guy who seems to be more than ready to go for another decade or longer.

Some are suggesting that the Eagles would consider bringing Harbaugh back to Philly, where he spent 10 years before becoming Baltimore’s head coach. That would be beyond stunning, given what Nick Sirianni has accomplished in his first five seasons. There’s still a lingering sense that the Eagles are supremely talented, and that they fail far too often to get the most out of what they have. (It would still be an all-time “oh shit” move.)

In Carolina, is David Tepper (a former Steelers minority owner who knows very well what Harbaugh can do) thinking about an upgrade? Even though the Panthers won the NFC South, they were 8-9. And Dave Canales is 13-21 in two seasons, a winning percentage of 38.2.

Harbaugh, in 18 years, has won 61.4 percent of his games.

The two to watch most closely — and the two teams that folks around the league are indeed watching the most closely — are the Packers and Bills.

In Green Bay, new team president Ed Policy has already made it clear that a decision will be made after the season as to whether Matt LaFleur will get a new contract. Policy also has made it clear that he doesn’t like lame-duck arrangements, and LaFleur is signed only through 2026.

Less than two weeks ago, Policy saw what a Harbaugh-led team can do at Lambeau Field, when the Ravens steamrolled the Packers in a 41-24 win.

In Buffalo, it can be argued that the window has already closed on the Bills, and that the supreme skills and abilities of quarterback Josh Allen have created the impression that it remains open. An early, ugly exit against a Jaguars team that is, frankly, better than the Bills could be the thing that prompts owner Terry Pegula to make a change.

Regardless, the fact that Harbaugh’s agent initially said seven teams called combined with the decision to wait until next week to interview for any of the vacancies creates the inescapable impression that one or more of the teams playing this weekend could be contemplating a potential coaching change. And folks in the know are eyeballing Green Bay and Buffalo.

If nothing else, the Harbaugh factor adds plenty of spice to an already spicy six pack of first-round playoff games. Especially if Packers-Bears or Bills-Jaguars comes down to a 44-yard field goal that is missed.

The Titans are continuing to add more names to their list of candidates for their head coaching position.

According to multiple reports, they have requested interviews with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Neither coach will be able to interview this week because their teams are playing this weekend, but can interview virtually next week.

Hafley joined Matt LaFleur’s staff in Green Bay in 2024. He was the head coach of Boston College for four seasons before making the move to the Packers.

Smith spent 10 years coaching for the Titans and was their offensive coordinator for two seasons before being hired as the Falcons’ head coach in 2021. He was fired after going 21-30 over three seasons and has spent the last two years on Mike Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh.

Tom Brady threw 88 touchdown passes in the playoffs in his career, so many that there’s not even a close second. But there is a close race for second.

Currently, Patrick Mahomes has the second-most touchdown passes in the playoffs in NFL history, with 46. But Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could move ahead of Mahomes on Monday night.

Rodgers has thrown 45 touchdown passes in the playoffs tied for third all-time with Joe Montana. If Rodgers throws one touchdown against the Texans he’ll tie Mahomes, and if he throws two he’ll move ahead of Mahomes. If the Steelers win and Rodgers’ playoff run continues, he has a chance to move well ahead of Mahomes on the all-time playoff touchdown list.

Given that Rodgers is 42 years old and Mahomes is 30, by the time they’re both retired Mahomes is likely to have far more playoff touchdown passes than Rodgers has. And Mahomes might even have a chance of threatening Brady’s record.

But this year, while Mahomes is at home recovering from knee surgery and Rodgers is in the playoffs, may be Rodgers’ chance to move ahead of Mahomes, and second only to Brady, on the career playoff touchdown pass list.

Their 40th meeting in 18 seasons ended up being the last. For now.

Regardless of where former Ravens coach John Harbaugh goes next, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin appreciates the significance of their relationship as adversaries.

“I just have so much respect for Harbs,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen on Wednesday. “Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of, I’ve just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business. And we’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.

“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I just think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. And so, you know, there’ve been many examples of that, and so it’s unfortunate. But I’m sure that he is going to move on and if he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will, and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a lot of longevity. You know, I’m sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”

Although turnover has always been part of the coaching industry, the modern NFL sees roughly 25 percent of the head-coaching jobs become vacant every year. This time around, it’s seven — with possibly more to come.

One of those could be Tomlin. Not because he’ll be fired, but if he chooses to leave. There are indications he has a TV offer tucked in his back pocket, and that he’ll have to decide after the Steelers’ postseason run ends what he’ll do next.

If that happens, Harbaugh will surely hope to see Tomlin return. With Tomlin leading 23-17, Harbaugh will want to have more chances to close the gap.

With six vacancies (other than the Ravens) and seven teams calling former Ravens coach John Harbaugh after his dismissal on Tuesday, at least one team without a vacancy made the call.

So which team(s) called? (It’s possible that more than one team without an opening called, if at least one of the teams currently looking for a coach did not.)

Here’s a look at the possibilities. And don’t blame us for doing it; Harbaugh’s agent lit the fuse by disclosing that seven teams called.

Jets: By all appearances, first-year coach Aaron Glenn lost the locker room. The final five games, with a minus-137 point differential (27.4 per game), was arguably the worst stretch ever for a franchise with plenty of rough spots. Still, owner Woody Johnson has shown no inclination to fire Glenn — and to owe him more than $40 million to not coach the team.

Dolphins: Michigan man Stephen Ross once pursued Michigan man Jim Harbaugh while the Dolphins still had a coach under contract. Why wouldn’t Ross make the call about Harbaugh’s brother, given the currently tenuous status of Mike McDaniel?

Bills: What if the Bills lose this weekend? Is it crazy to think the Bills would consider making a change? That said, swapping out one coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent for another coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent seems odd.

Steelers: If the team thinks Mike Tomlin, who seems to have a TV offer in his back pocket, could be leaving after the playoff run ends, it needs to be thinking about the next coach. Why not Harbaugh?

Bengals: There’s no way Mike Brown will finance Zac Taylor’s buyout and pay whatever it would take to get Harbaugh.

Colts: Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has said Shane Steichen will be back. Could she view Harbaugh as an upgrade who may not be available if a change is made in 2027?

Chiefs: Andy Reid will be back for 2026. The phone call (if it happened) may have been as simple as, “Keep us in mind if you’re thinking about taking a year off and returning in 2027.”

Cowboys: See the Chiefs.

Commanders: Dan Quinn’s team badly regressed in 2025. Why wouldn’t owner Josh Harris at least consider the possibility of an upgrade to Harbaugh?

Packers: New team president Ed Policy made it clear in June that it’s an up-or-out year for coach Matt LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst. Could Policy have wanted to let Harlan (the son of former Packers CEO Bob Harlan) know that there may be a reason to let the wild-card round play out before making any decisions?

Buccaneers: There’s a vague sense still lingering that ownership could make a coaching change. Harbaugh’s availability could be the thing that pushes the Bucs off the fence.

At least one of those teams made the call. Maybe more than one. And if one of those teams fires its head coach in the coming days, it could be the first step toward hiring John Harbaugh.

Steelers receiver DK Metcalf is back with the team, after serving a two-game suspension for initiating contact with a fan at Ford Field in Detroit.

Meeting with reporters, Metcalf repeatedly declined comment on the situation: “I can’t say anything about what happened,” Metcalf eventually said, “for the fifth time.”

Metcalf said he was surprised that his appeal of the suspension was denied, and he said he’s excited to be back with his team.

It was his first time talking about the situation; he declined to talk to reporters after the Week 16 win over the Lions during which the incident occurred.

Metcalf’s refusal to address the situation undoubtedly flows from legal advice he has received to say nothing about it. Anything he says can be used in the potential civil lawsuit to be filed by Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, for assault and/or defamation arising from the media campaign aimed at spreading the word that Kennedy provoked the incident with a racial slur.

The best news for Metcalf and the Steelers is that there was even a reason for him to meet with reporters on Monday. If Ravens kicker Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal hadn’t gotten wide, the Steelers wouldn’t be preparing for a Monday night wild-card game against the Texans.

But for a shanked 44-yard field goal, the DK Metcalf suspension would have tanked Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.

Now, he’s officially back.

Metcalf’s two-game suspension has been lifted. He’s eligible to return to the team on Monday, and he’ll undoubtedly be in the starting lineup next Monday night, when the Steelers host the Texans.

His absence was evident in games against Cleveland and Baltimore. Always a threat whenever he’s on the field, his presence as the Steelers get close to the goal line stresses a defense, whether the ball is thrown his way or not.

The Steelers likely would have beaten the Browns if he’d played. The finale against the Ravens quite possibly wouldn’t have boiled down to a last-secon field-goal attempt if Metcalf had been available.

Regardless, he will be for the wild-card game against the Texans. And the Steelers should consider themselves fortunate.

Some within the league have questioned why Metcalf received only a two-game ban for assaulting a fan. Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, by way of comparison, got two games for verbally accosting referee Brad Allen after a Week 7 win over the Giants. The Metcalf incident crosses a much different line. But for the fact that the punch he threw at Lions fan Ryan Kennedy missed the mark (and but for the fact that the jerking of Kennedy’s T-shirt didn’t cause him to tumble over the railing onto the ground below), the outcome could have been much worse, for eveyone.

Yes, Metcalf paid a price for largely unprecedented behavior. And the Steelers paid a price for failing to keep him from approaching the stands to accost Kennedy. Some stillthink it should have been worse.

None of that matters now. The Steelers will have him for the playoff run, however long it lasts. The team’s immediate goal will be to get the first postseason win since the 2016 season, ending the longest drought the Steelers have endured since they won their first ever playoff game on December 23, 1972, in the Immaculate Reception game.

The Steelers defense gave up a pair of long touchdown catches to Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game and that meant quarterback Aaron Rodgers had to come up with a pair of answers for the team to have a shot at winning the AFC North.

Rodgers went 4-of-4 for 43 yards to set up a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown run with just under four minutes to play and then completed four more passes, including a 26-yard touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin to put the Steelers back in front with 55 seconds left to play. The Ravens would give themselves a chance to win the game, but the Steelers escaped with a 26-24 win after kicker Tyler Loop missed a field goal at the final whistle.

After the game was over, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the final minutes illustrated why the Steelers opted to get into the Rodgers business in the first place.

“I’ve admired him from afar for a long time, good to do it with him,” Tomlin said in his press conference. “This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him. That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy — a been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his. He’s not only capable; he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight.”

There was talk about Sunday night’s game being Rodgers’ final NFL contest if the Steelers lost. He’ll be playing at least one more at home against the Texans next weekend and there wasn’t much in the fourth quarter to suggest that the quarterback’s tank is empty.

It looked like a kicker would be wearing the goat horns at the end of Sunday night’s game between the Ravens and the Steelers, but it turned out to be Ravens rookie Tyler Loop instead of Steelers veteran Chris Boswell.

Boswell’s missed extra point with 55 seconds to play left the door open for the Ravens to win with a field goal and Lamar Jackson’s 26-yard pass to tight end Isaiah Likely on a fourth down with less than 20 seconds to play set up a game-winning field goal attempt for Loop. The rookie pushed it wide to the right, however, and the Steelers celebrated a 26-24 win that sent them to the playoffs as the AFC North champs.

After the game, Loop said he knew the kick would miss the moment he made contact.

“It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted, and unfortunately, I just mishit the ball,” Loop said, via the team’s website. “We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast and goes off to the right. The second it made contact with my foot, I felt it lower. We talk about hitting on the fourth lace of the shoe. It felt a little lower down the foot and hit it thin.”

Loop’s miss capped a wild fourth quarter and a disappointing season for a Ravens team that could point to a number of other missed opportunities that cost them a chance at the postseason long before Loop’s kick sailed wide. That didn’t soften the blow in the moment on Sunday night, but dealing with the root causes of an 8-9 season will take a lot more than lamenting a missed field goal at the final second of Week 18.