The Steelers didn’t need long to feel better about passing on Kyler Murray.
Murray was one of the more interesting names on the quarterback market after being released by the Arizona Cardinals, and at $1.3 million, he made plenty of sense for teams looking for help under center. Pittsburgh was among the clubs mentioned as a possible landing spot. Instead, Murray chose the Minnesota Vikings, while the Steelers were pushed back into the Aaron Rodgers conversation.
That decision looked a lot less painful after one snap.
On Murray’s first pass as a Viking, the play went off the rails fast. A Green Bay Packers blitz forced him to throw off his back foot, and the ball went up without much control or touch.
It landed in double coverage, was underthrown by a few yards, and Packers defensive back Keisan Nixon came away with an easy interception. Green Bay then marched down the field and turned the takeaway into a field goal for an early lead.
It was the kind of start that immediately raises old questions about Murray. He’s long been viewed as an undersized, sometimes erratic quarterback, and pressure has repeatedly been part of the problem during his time with the Cardinals. That’s one of the reasons he was released in the first place.
One play won’t define his run in Minnesota, but it was enough to give Pittsburgh a little peace of mind.
Rodgers, meanwhile, opened his Steelers tenure with one of his better outings in black and gold. He threw for 221 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Atlanta Falcons, and while he may not be the long-term answer that Murray could have been, he looked like the steadier quarterback in Week 1. Rodgers was comfortable in the offense and creative with the ball in his hands.
Murray’s debut was the opposite. And for the Steelers, that was enough to make another season of Rodgers feel a whole lot more manageable.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans Were All Saying The Same Thing About Pam Oliver
Pam Olivers latest spotlight came with a bigger honor attached, as the longtime Fox sideline reporter was named to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fames Class of 2025. It was a fitting recognition for nearly three decades covering the NFL, including countless Sundays in stadiums from coast to coast, and Steelers fans had reason to take notice when she was back on the sideline during the Falcons-Steelers game.
What stood out to viewers, though, was the strain in her speech, which quickly sent many fans in the same direction online. Oliver has been open about battling debilitating migraines that can affect her on-air work, sometimes even forcing her to miss games, and the reaction around the broadcast reflected both concern and appreciation for how much she has put into the job over the years. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers QB Depth Plan Says Plenty About Their Young Passers
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Drew Allar, a third-round pick, is inactive for the season opener and is expected to spend the year in a developmental redshirt role, a sign the Steelers are willing to let the process play out. Howards preseason had its rough stretches, but the organization still appears to believe in his upside, while Allar is being treated as the longer-term project in a depth chart that leaves the future open. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Face A Bigger Joey Porter Jr. Problem Than Week 1
Joey Porter Jr. has already made the Steelers early-season plans more complicated than anyone wanted, and it does not stop with his back injury. The second-year corner is unlikely to be available for Week 1 against the Falcons after missing training camp and being limited in practice, which leaves Pittsburgh trying to sort out its secondary without one of its most important young defenders.
Porters situation now has a longer shadow over it because there still is no long-term extension in place. With the injury, the lost summer work, and the contract uncertainty all hanging over the same player, the Steelers are suddenly dealing with more than just a short-term absence, and the possibility of a trade before he suits up again has started to circulate. [Read more 🡒]