Rooney Speaks to the Media 1:30 PM EST - updates as follows

[Dan Smith--BYU]

The greatest coach of all time is available. The one that pegged your franchise for two decades.

[CoolShades]

I now think Rudolph is gone and I also now agree that Kenny is the starter in 2024 even if Rudolph is re-signed.

There will be no open camp battle for the #1 job like I thought there would be.

Rooney was half-hearted about Mason and immediately turned the conversation back to how they still believe in Kenny.

While I'd personally love to see Mason back, making Pickett sink or swim just might be the right move.

If Kenny doesn't take the next step it doesn't even seem to me that Mason is an option to be the starter.

Kenny fails, they get their new QB in the 2025 draft.

I love me some Mason but this is probably the right move.

Hate to say I told you so...

[CoolShades]

This is all exceptionally bad news

Pickett is Rooney’s boy and there won’t be an open competition for starter

No OC worth a damn is gonna want Pickett

Particularly at Rooney’s low pay rate

Underpaid and must work with Pickett ???

No fucking way any decent OC puts their rep on the line for that

Hello Arthur Fucking Smith

Agree with everything EXCEPT for the bolded above.
Cite your sources

He can’t. No one can. It’s a tired trope that Tomlin ball washers use to explain why mediocre Mike hires garbage assistants and has no coaching tree.

I’ve never seen a breakdown of league assistants and their salaries. I do recall seeing that Mediocre Mike is one of the highest paid coaches in the league, which is pretty good considering his post season failures over the last 13 years.

[jewelsongs]

The Munchak rumor started with Anthony G. Halkias II, Staff Writer for Steeler Nation speculating that because Munch and Smith worked together in Tennessee, if Smith came, then Mike might. He left for more money and to be close to his family, it had nothing to do with Tomlin.

Haley was forced to leave because he embarrassed the Rooneys and the Team. Again, nothing to do with Tomlin.

[CKSteeler]

Trust us guys, Rooney really cares about winning some playoff games! He has total faith in Tomlin who isn't going anywhere. Just repeat the same things and expect different results this time.

[Mick]

This is all exceptionally bad news

Pickett is Rooney’s boy and there won’t be an open competition for starter

No OC worth a damn is gonna want Pickett

Particularly at Rooney’s low pay rate

Underpaid and must work with Pickett ???

No fucking way any decent OC puts their rep on the line for that

Hello Arthur Fucking Smith

Agree with everything EXCEPT for the bolded above.
Cite your sources

He can’t. No one can.

kaboly, for example:

“I think Robinson can pretty much sign his own check, maybe not sign his own check, but he can sure pick where he wants to go,” Kaboly added. “It’s going to be for more money than he can get here. I’d find it stunning if he would end up being hired here.”

[jewelsongs]

Agree with everything EXCEPT for the bolded above.
Cite your sources

He can’t. No one can.

kaboly, for example:

“I think Robinson can pretty much sign his own check, maybe not sign his own check, but he can sure pick where he wants to go,” Kaboly added. “It’s going to be for more money than he can get here. I’d find it stunning if he would end up being hired here.”

The NFL doesn't publish assistant coaches salaries, so no one can prove or disprove whether the Steelers pay less or not. You can see that we had less assistants than any team except the Cheats. They had 4 open positions at the time of the survey, so if they hired them (which they did) we had the lowest. We also ranked low for amenities for players families during games, which many saw as a budget issue.

It seems to me that cash flow is a problem for many teams in the league, including the Steelers. Salaries are climbing, and teams are required to spend up to a high percentage of the cap. Guarantees are more and more common. So dead money will go up. The Rooneys aren't rich from another business, they just have the Steelers. So even though any NFL team is worth katrillions, paying the bills annually requires cash flow. It seems that the Steelers spend what they have too, but maybe not like say the Cowboys or the Rams.

I don't think Robinson was a money issue. He went with his fellow coach from the Rams to Atlanta.

[SteelerDayTrader]

Ask Charlie Batch how notoriously cheap Rooney is

[langer]

DK on the interview.

Sounds like Kenny is known to be a bad QB and unmotivated to lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwK_5Usk2eg

[K_C_]

I now think Rudolph is gone and I also now agree that Kenny is the starter in 2024 even if Rudolph is re-signed.

There will be no open camp battle for the #1 job like I thought there would be.

Rooney was half-hearted about Mason and immediately turned the conversation back to how they still believe in Kenny.

While I'd personally love to see Mason back, making Pickett sink or swim just might be the right move.

If Kenny doesn't take the next step it doesn't even seem to me that Mason is an option to be the starter.

Kenny fails, they get their new QB in the 2025 draft.

I love me some Mason but this is probably the right move.

Hate to say I told you so...

Well, while I've been one of the few Mason fans here for a long time, if he doesn't come back and they bring in some loser like Sam Darnold, then it will be sink or swim time for Kenny AND the NHALS.

Not really a bad thing. Either Kenny balls out and becomes the next Jared Goff, or Tomlin is ass fucked on the NHALS, the Steelers go 4-13 and we get our new QB in 2025.

[tbsteel]

Not really a bad thing. Either Kenny balls out and becomes the next Jared Goff, or Tomlin is ass fucked on the NHALS, the Steelers go 4-13 and we get our new QB in 2025.

Those aren't the only two outcomes at all.

The most realistic reality is that we scratch and claw our way to 8 or 9 games despite Pickett mostly being awful, which is essentially what happened this past season, and stay in perpetual NFL purgatory, which is what a lot of us were railing against this season.

Now all we have to show for last season is that we're another year down the line without a playoff win and with a roster that a) is clearly not true contender quality and b) is the worst in the division, and aren't in a position to trade up or make a move for a dynamic rookie QB picking all the way down at 20 and have to depend on getting incredibly lucky for finding any young QB that can be a difference maker and turn the ship around.

[K_C_]

Folks can't use the quote function so I'll respond here.

Rooney literally just said; "It's time to win playoff games right now."

That means that scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins isn't going to be good enough.

Scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins won't secure Kenny's starting job, unless we're losing games 45-38 and Kenny is playing like CJ Stroud and the defense is shitting the bed completely.

So, this is the year to find out (with a real NFL quality OC) if Kenny Pickett can make the next step and that's that. Be careful what you wish for. Don't be surprised if the Steelers truly don't believe that Pickett is the guy and they're sandbagging right now, only so they can grab J.J. McCarthy with their first pick this April, instead of addressing much bigger problems like RT, WR, CB, DL, C and ILB.

[CoolShades]

Folks can't use the quote function so I'll respond here.

Rooney literally just said; "It's time to win playoff games right now."

That means that scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins isn't going to be good enough.

Scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins won't secure Kenny's starting job, unless we're losing games 45-38 and Kenny is playing like CJ Stroud and the defense is shitting the bed completely.

So, this is the year to find out (with a real NFL quality OC) if Kenny Pickett can make the next step and that's that. Be careful what you wish for. Don't be surprised if the Steelers truly don't believe that Pickett is the guy and they're sandbagging right now, only so they can grab J.J. McCarthy with their first pick this April, instead of addressing much bigger problems like RT, WR, CB, DL, C and ILB.

I’d be surprised if they went QB in the 1st until next year at the earliest. To take another flyer on a lower 1st round QB makes no sense to me, but they’ve made me shake my head quite a bit over the last decade so who knows. Drafting QB’s is such a crapshoot anyway. I’d wager most people here would have loved to have drafted Trevor Lawrence, but after 3 full seasons under center, he hasn’t done all that much. He had a good 2022, but last season, he regressed, including the epic end of season collapse. He threw 3 TD’s in exactly one game last year, and in that game he also threw 3 picks. 21 TDs - 14 INTs in 2023 for the first overall pick. After 50 games, his record is 20-30 with 58 TDs and 39 INTs. Does anyone think the Jags are moving on from Lawrence or not giving him his 5th year option?

Tomlin and his coaching staff have never developed a QB. I don’t see that changing now, unless the new OC is a QB whisperer.

My dream scenario is that this is the make or break year for both Tomlin and Pickett. My fantasy outcome is the Steelers hire a terrific OC, Pickett makes great strides and looks like a franchise QB, the Steelers move on from Tomlin and promote the new OC to HC (who then flushes the entire coaching staff and a new era of Steeler football begins.)

[franco32]

QB is the most important position by far. If they don't believe in Pickett, we sure better be looking at QB in the draft. Roll the dice. It's often a crapshoot anyway.

I'm a big believer that you have to keep investing draft capital in QB until you get it right...period.

Look at the Ravens....loaded....but they are not getting the big prize because of the QB position.

[CKSteeler]

Folks can't use the quote function so I'll respond here.

Rooney literally just said; "It's time to win playoff games right now."

That means that scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins isn't going to be good enough.

Scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins won't secure Kenny's starting job, unless we're losing games 45-38 and Kenny is playing like CJ Stroud and the defense is shitting the bed completely.

So, this is the year to find out (with a real NFL quality OC) if Kenny Pickett can make the next step and that's that. Be careful what you wish for. Don't be surprised if the Steelers truly don't believe that Pickett is the guy and they're sandbagging right now, only so they can grab J.J. McCarthy with their first pick this April, instead of addressing much bigger problems like RT, WR, CB, DL, C and ILB.

You know KC, Pickett is a symptom of larger problems in many ways.

You know what Rooney didn't mean with his quote? That Mike Tomlin is at anyway at risk if the team is fighting and scratching their way to 8 or 9 wins again. Or, hell, let's say they get 10 and get bounced in R1 again.

You could give Mike Tomlin Patrick Mahomes and I think he would have wasted it.

Pickett is going to turn into yet another scapegoat for Mike Tomlin just like every coordinator who has ever served under him. Or, hell, Ben was for many fans.

[Mick]

Reads to me like “tomlin wants Arthur Smith. Good luck with that.”

Would be hard to square “has some experience” with Jerrod’s zero years of even passing game coordinator or “let’s say a track record we can look at and feel comfortable with” with Brown’s 1 year finishing dead last in the league.

In other news, Steelers have hired Arthur Smith. Good luck with that.

[Rod & Wire Mill]

Folks can't use the quote function so I'll respond here.

Rooney literally just said; "It's time to win playoff games right now."

That means that scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins isn't going to be good enough.

Scratching and clawing our way to 8 or 9 wins won't secure Kenny's starting job, unless we're losing games 45-38 and Kenny is playing like CJ Stroud and the defense is shitting the bed completely.

So, this is the year to find out (with a real NFL quality OC) if Kenny Pickett can make the next step and that's that. Be careful what you wish for. Don't be surprised if the Steelers truly don't believe that Pickett is the guy and they're sandbagging right now, only so they can grab J.J. McCarthy with their first pick this April, instead of addressing much bigger problems like RT, WR, CB, DL, C and ILB.

You know KC, Pickett is a symptom of larger problems in many ways.

You know what Rooney didn't mean with his quote? That Mike Tomlin is at anyway at risk if the team is fighting and scratching their way to 8 or 9 wins again. Or, hell, let's say they get 10 and get bounced in R1 again.

You could give Mike Tomlin Patrick Mahomes and I think he would have wasted it.

Pickett is going to turn into yet another scapegoat for Mike Tomlin just like every coordinator who has ever served under him. Or, hell, Ben was for many fans.

Congruent with historical Dynastic Cycles. Steelers stunk before and after Dan brought the nfl Hall of Fame to Pittsburgh.

In other news, it seems Douche isn’t asking for anew stadium. Amazing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it true that Three Rivers hasn’t been payed for yet?

[DumlinBumlinStumlin]

Recap of Rooney's comments on Mike's ability to win, he thinks so that is why he's still around

Steelers owner Art Rooney II has a wide-ranging interview on Monday afternoon with a select number of reporters, wrapping up the 2023 season.

During the interview, Rooney said that they will work on an extension for Head Coach Mike Tomlin before the 2024 season starts.

The Steelers have now gone 7 seasons without a playoff win, the longest streak since before the Steelers dynasty of the 1970s.

Even with that, Rooney still believe in Tomlin.

“I think the players still respond to Mike and that's number one, said Rooney. “He still has the key characteristics that we saw when we hired him. He can keep the attention of a group of 20-year-olds for a whole season and keep them in the fight for the whole way. So, still feel good about Mike.

Rooney went on to say if he didn’t think Tomlin could still win, he wouldn’t be the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rooney added he doesn’t think an extension will happen before they hire a new offensive coordinator.

“It'll be done when it gets done,” said Rooney. “Those things, hard to speculate how long it'll take at this point.”

He said he thinks hiring a coordinator will happen “sooner rather than later.”

When it comes to the coordinator, Rooney said that hiring the offensive coordinator will be Tomlin’s job.

Well, I mean number one, to be clear, it's Mike’s hire,” said Rooney. “Head coaches, hire their coordinators and I think it’d be a mistake for me to try to a screw up the lines of authority, let's say in terms of how things are supposed to work. That being said, Mike and I talk every day. Omar talks every day sharing ideas, but that's got to be Mike's hire and I think Mike identified we want somebody that has some experience and somebody that has let's say a track record that we can look at and feel comfortable with. And so those are the things that Mike is looking for.

[langer]

He can keep the attention of a group of 20-year-olds for a whole season and keep them in the fight for the whole way.

Cheeleader.