Pittsburgh

Steelers

DeFabo added that there doesn’t be much of a competition at quarterback at this time, noting that Wilson “has taken the overwhelming majority of meaningful reps, including on the final day of minicamp, when almost every veteran took off.” He also said Fields “doesn’t often shine in seven-on-seven situations,” which isn’t a great endorsement for him with training camp a month away. Both Wilson and Fields are in career-rebuilding mode after flaming out at their previous stops. Neither is going particularly high in fantasy drafts, with Wilson currently going outside of the top 24 in most best ball drafts. Fields’ rushing ability makes him a potentially high-upside fantasy stash whenever he gets a chance to start, but it sounds like Wilson has a good grip on the job heading into training camp.

Mims was released by the Steelers earlier this week and will now have a chance to compete for a spot on the Jaguars’ roster this offseason. The former second-round pick hasn’t played a regular-season snap since 2022 and is now set to join his fourth team over that span. He’ll face an uphill battle to make a Jaguars roster that returns Christian Kirk and also added Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay, and Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason.

Kaboly went on to add, “Freiermuth might not have dropped a pass all month” and reiterated his “instant connection” with Russell Wilson — something he mentioned earlier this offseason. Playing in an offense that, outside of George Pickens, looks thin at receiver talent, Freiermuth has a chance to be a key contributor for the Steelers in 2024. Add to that the fact that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith targeted his tight ends 173 times from 2021-2023, the third most of any team in the league, and it’s possible this year is setting up to be the best of Freiermuth’s career. Injuries limited him to just 12 games last season, but in 2022, he caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two touchdowns. Currently going as a fringe TE1/TE2 in fantasy drafts, Freiermuth could turn into a solid value for fantasy managers who opt to wait on the position in drafts.

After redshirting in his 2022 rookie campaign, Austin caught 17 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown for the Steelers last season. The speedy fourth-round pick “continued to get better from the first day to the last” throughout the offseason, per Kaboly, and will have a chance to compete for a starting job on a wide receiver depth chart that is wide open after Pickens. Austin earned five-plus targets in three of his first four games to start last season, but was targeted just nine times in his final 13 games — a brutal footnote on his sophomore season. Even if he earns a “big role” in 2024, expectations should be tempered in an Arthur Smith/Russell Wilson led attack.

Currently in search of a new contract from the Steelers, Heyward said last week that he and his wife had discussed the possibility of needing to play elsewhere if he doesn’t re-sign with the Steelers beyond this season. Heyward, 35, appeared in 11 games for the Steelers last season, totaling two sacks and six TFLs. He combined for 20.5 sacks and 29 TFLs from 2021-2022, but he’s well past the age where we begin to see players decline. Heyward skipped OTAs but was present at minicamp, so we wouldn’t expect a holdout when training camp ramps up next month. With that said, we could be looking at the final season in Pittsburgh for a player who has long been a staple along the Steelers’ defensive interior.

Harris was reportedly excused from Tuesday’s practice but did not participate in Wednesday or Thursday’s practices despite being present. Mike Tomlin assured Pryor that Harris’ absence is “not anything that’s going to be an issue whatsoever, regarding health.” Tomlin furthered the point by sharing his view that minicamp is best used to learn more about lesser-known players. Whatever Harris’ issue is, it is not expected to impact his Week 1 availability at this time. Harris has one year remaining on his contract with the Steelers declining his fifth-year option this offseason.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Tomlin is now under contract through 2027. Tomlin, who has yet to have a losing season in his 17 years as the Steelers head coach, continues to find ways to string together wins despite coaching the last several years with subpar talent at quarterback. He led the Steelers to a 10-7 record last season with the help of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph but was one-and-done in the playoffs for the fourth time in the last seven years. Tomlin has an 8-10 career record in the playoffs but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. With 2024 initially thought to be a do-or-die season for Tomlin, the front office is clearly ready to commit to him for another four seasons. While many unanswered questions remain at quarterback with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields now in tow, Tomlin’s defenses continue to carry the load. Under Tomlin, the Steelers’ defense has ranked in the top 10 in points allowed in 11 seasons and was sixth last season. Despite his team’s deficiencies, Tomlin always finds a way to keep the Steelers in the fight. While the roster still has holes to address before they can be considered a Super Bowl contender, the Steelers are willing to give Tomlin more time to solve those problems.

At just 31 years old, Nelson has opted to call it quits. The former third-round pick tied a career-high with four interceptions last season while playing on over 1,000 defensive snaps, and, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, fielded multiple offers from teams this offseason. Nelson appeared in 130 regular season contests during his career, racking up 13 interceptions while also recovering four fumbles His 12 pass breakups tied for 23rd most in the league amongst defensive backs last season, as he helped solidify a Texans secondary that allowed the fewest touchdown passes (17) in the league.

Kaboly pencils in free agent signee WR Van Jefferson as the team’s current No. 2 but believes “it would show a lack of awareness and urgency” if the front office opts not to bring in outside talent. Jefferson is best used as a rotational player, having failed to best his 2020 rookie season 1.46 yards per route run average in the three years since. When considering other in-house options, Kaboly did not list third-round rookie Roman Wilson as a candidate which bodes poorly for his access to the fantasy-friendly two-wide receiver sets. A veteran addition would further jeopardize his 2024 relevance.

Sutton, 29, played for the Steelers from 2017 to 2022 before a one-year stint with the Lions, who released him in April. Sutton in April was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery. He’s been accused of domestic battery by strangulation, a third-degree felony in the state of Florida, where the incident allegedly happened, according to SportingNews.com. Sutton faces up to five years in prison if convicted. He has nine interceptions over seven NFL seasons.