The Steelers left Week 3 with a win over the Bengals, and the biggest takeaway wasn’t just that the offense finally showed life. It was that a few players forced the coaching staff’s hand and made a stronger case for bigger roles going forward.
Some of those changes were already baked into the game plan, while others came out of necessity. Either way, Pittsburgh got a clearer picture of who should be climbing the depth chart after a divisional fight that was messy at times but ended with a victory.
Jaylen Warren was the easiest player to spot in that group. He’s already a starter, but the Steelers have been splitting work in a way that doesn’t seem to match what Warren brings.
He looked like the kind of back who should be getting the bulk of the snaps, not just part of the rotation. The way he played made a strong argument for more touches moving forward.
On the offensive line, Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman both changed the feel of the unit after getting bumped up. Iheanachor was elevated to the top of the depth chart and delivered exactly what Pittsburgh needed.
He played a terrific game, and unless something goes seriously wrong, Dylan Cook doesn’t look like someone who’s going to see the field anytime soon. The right side of the line, which had been a problem, suddenly looked like a strength in that AFC North battle.
Hoffman made the same kind of immediate impact after his own move up the chart. He had been stuck in a depth role early in the season, but the Steelers adjusted before facing Cincinnati and got rewarded for it. Together, Hoffman and Iheanachor gave Pittsburgh a solid starting right side, and both looked like they should stay put.
Darnell Washington also kept making his case. The wide receiver group has had its issues early on, but the tight ends have been sensational, and Washington has been one of the most reliable playmakers in that group.
He does damage even with limited touches, and when he gets a target, his size creates a mismatch that opposing defenses have to deal with. He keeps proving he should be more central to the offense.
There’s also a defensive wrinkle to watch with Daylen Everette. He didn’t rack up a bunch of plays against the Bengals, but he keeps standing out in limited action.
With Jalen Ramsey reportedly walking around in a sling, the Steelers may need help at slot cornerback, and Everette could be part of that answer. It’s a crowded roster, but his talent and versatility make him hard to overlook.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans Had Plenty To Say About Will Howards Sideline Moment
Will Howard spent Week 3 on the sideline as Pittsburghs emergency third quarterback against the Bengals, and he was never going to be part of the game plan on the field. Still, the rookie found himself in the middle of the conversation anyway after fans noticed something tucked into his uniform that quickly became a social media talking point while the Steelers worked their way to a 30-27 win.
With Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren carrying the offense, Howard remained inactive and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game. The sideline moment turned into a surprising bit of postgame buzz for a player whose biggest job that day was simply to be ready, and Steelers fans clearly had plenty to say once the cameras caught it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Make Their Joey Porter Jr. Stance Clear For Now
The Steelers are not shopping Joey Porter Jr., even with outside interest starting to build around the young cornerback. Pittsburgh has little appetite for weakening a defense that still expects to matter this season, and Porter has been practicing at full capacity as he works toward a return to game action.
Teams such as the Lions and Cowboys may have checked in, but the Steelers position has been pretty clear for now. Art Rooney II has stressed that the organization wants to stay competitive rather than pivot into a rebuild, and keeping a key defensive piece like Porter fits that approach even as the trade chatter lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Should See One Warning In The McCarthy Deal
J.J. McCarthys move from Minnesota to the New York Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick is the kind of deal that tends to make teams around the league pause and rethink how quickly a quarterback plan can unravel. The Vikings once traded up in the 2024 NFL Draft to take McCarthy, but two years later the investment ended with him out the door after he had already lost his starting job during his rookie season.
For the Steelers, the warning is obvious. Quarterback evaluations do not stop being complicated after draft night, and even a player selected with real conviction can be pushed aside before the team ever gets the long-term answer it thought it was buying. If Pittsburgh is mapping out its next move at the position, this is the sort of reminder that patience, timing and the right fit matter just as much as the draft capital spent to get there. [Read more 🡒]