Football Footnotes: What Rooney didn’t say about the Steelers

When Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II speaks, he’s not particularly demonstrative. He chooses his words carefully. He avoids speaking in absolutes.

He just doesn’t say very much at all. Period.

So, when you are looking for news nuggets, it’s what Rooney avoids talking about that makes for the most interesting headlines.

Along those lines, for this Friday’s edition of “Football Footnotes,” we offer up a six-pack of talking points about the 2025 Steelers based on what Rooney didn’t talk about when he met with the media this week.

ABOUT THE OFFENSE

What Rooney didn’t say: That the passing game is going to expand.

He was asked about the fact that the Steelers have registered the fourth-fewest passing attempts each of the past two years and if he had a desire to see the offense open it up at all in 2025.

“I certainly hope we continue to have a running game as one of our strengths,” Rooney said. “But the bottom line is we want to have an offense that can take advantage of whatever the defense is giving us. I think that’s kind of the key.”

I didn’t read a “Yes” anywhere, did you?

In fact, Rooney was asked directly about the passing game, and the first thing he thought to mention was how well he wanted to see the team run it.

Therefore, don’t expect that stat to change much next year, especially if Justin Fields is the quarterback and the wide receiver room is still thin.

ABOUT THE QB POSITION What Rooney didn’t say: That there is any clear plan to speak of between Fields and Russell Wilson.

On the one hand, he talked about wanting the next quarterback deal to be a multi-year contract, and he spoke about how the 10-year age gap between Wilson and Fields may be a factor in decision-making. That sounds like they are leaning toward Fields.

But Rooney also said, “The quarterback has to be able to read the defense and get the team in a play that is good against the defense he’s looking at. No matter if he’s mobile or not, that’s what you’ve got to start with.”

That sounds more like Wilson. To me, it appears that whichever quarterback leaves the most amount of room against the salary cap is the one they will keep.

ABOUT NAJEE HARRIS

What Rooney didn’t say: Anything to make you think that the team is going to prioritize keeping him.

That’s despite what he did say about continuing to prioritize the run.

“Najee is a good player. We’ll evaluate whether we can bring him back. He’s going to have choices too. It’s a position that I think is important to us,” Rooney said. “We have a job opening in that room that we’re going to have to fill. Whether it’s Najee or somebody else.”

That sounds a lot to me like the Steelers would only bring back Harris if they can’t find anyone else they think is better in free agency, or if they have so many other holes to patch in the draft, they never get to running back.

ABOUT GEORGE PICKENS What Rooney didn’t say: He said a lot about what Pickens could do to become better.

“George is a very talented player who has room to grow,” Roney said. “We’d like to see him grow, and hopefully, he realizes the potential that he has, but, definitely, room for growth there.”

But if you notice, he didn’t say if any of that room for growth for Pickens exists in Pittsburgh.

Maybe he’ll grow (up) in another city. Say, perhaps, in exchange for a second-round draft pick?

Rooney can make it sound like he, and the team, care about Pickens, his maturation and his development. I’m sure that’s the case.

But I don’t think they care enough to give that guy $30 million, given how much of a headache he’s been. My bet is Pickens asks for that much in a contract extension this offseason, and I don’t think the Steelers will give it to him.

If he doesn’t get it, he’ll hold out or become an off-field (and maybe on-field) nightmare. Trading him would be the most expeditious way to go.

ABOUT THE D-LINE

What Rooney didn’t say: Anything good.

On multiple occasions, he pointed out how weak the Steelers were down the stretch against the rush attacks of opposing offenses.

“On the defensive side, it starts with stopping the run, and we didn’t do that down the stretch,” Rooney said in his opening statement. “We need to figure out how we get stronger, probably on the defensive front.”

Later in the press conference, he circled back to that point when asked a broader question about defensive philosophy.

“I’m not a defensive coach, so I can’t go into detail on our defensive schemes,” Rooney added. “I would just say that if you’re going to stop the run, you’ve got to be disciplined in your gaps, and sometimes we weren’t. I’m not sure why.”

The absence of any sort of praise from Rooney for those along the defensive line is quite an indictment, given the amount of cash and draft assets thrown at the position.

Between Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Kevin Colbert, the following decisions were made with that unit in recent years:

• To extend Cameron Heyward through 2026.

• To give Larry Ogunjobi $12 million in guarantees and keep him on the books through 2025.

• To select Keeanu Benton in the second round of 2023’s draft.

• To draft project-pick DeMarvin Leal in the third round of 2023’s draft despite not having a natural position in the Steelers’ scheme.

• To bother trading up in the fifth round of the 2021 draft to get Isaiahh Loudermilk.

• To acquire, retain or draft Dean Lowry, Breiden Fehoko, Montravius Adams and Logan Lee over the past two seasons.

Aside from perhaps Heyward, do any of those moves look particularly shrewd at this point?

ABOUT DRAFTING PICKETT

What Rooney didn’t say: That he learned anything from the mistake of selecting him in the first round of 2022.

Rooney was directly asked if there were things from that evaluation process — or development — that could be applied if another QB is drafted this year or next year.

“I’m not sure there’s a lot to be learned from that,” Rooney answered. “We just have to look at the next opportunity and make sure we do a good job evaluating it the next time around.”

That’s very disappointing. That’s almost like when Pickett said he didn’t learn anything while watching Mason Rudolph perform at the end of the 2023 season.

Here are two things Rooney should’ve learned from that experience: • Don’t keep chasing the ghost of Dan Marino.

• If you shake the QB’s hand in the pre-draft meeting, and it’s significantly smaller than your own, maybe draft someone else instead.