It’s gameday. No more hypotheticals. No more speculation. The 2024 path to Lombardi number seven for the Pittsburgh Steelers starts today at 1:00 eastern time in Atlanta, Georgia against the Falcons.

The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers are arguably the biggest mystery in the NFL. Despite my optimism, I have to acknowledge that there are a lot of unknowns with this football team.

Spoiler Alert: comme ci comme ca.

Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers agreed on a 4-year, $120 Million contract extension, bringing an end to the long and drawn-out standoff between the Steelers, Browns, Commanders, and 49ers.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke with the media yesterday to officially announce that Russell Wilson will be QB1 to start the regular season.

I have nothing but respect for guys like DB Zyon Gilbert and WR Jaray Jenkins, both of whom I thought really made a strong case for themselves in the final preseason game against the Lions, but didn’t quite make the cut.

We’ve got a game against the Lions tomorrow with jobs (quite literally) on the line. In his press conference, Coach Tomlin made it clear that everyone that’s healthy will participate, although the division of labor is delicate and not set in stone. 

I hate to regurgitate the same sentiments as every other blogger and sports writer that covers the Pittsburgh Steelers, but a lot of us (myself included) were damn near ready to crown them as Super Bowl Champions after last year’s display in the preseason when Kenny Pickett was ripping defenses with ease, and we saw how that played out.

Given all that I’ve read, it seems like Frazier will get the start with Spencer Anderson moving into that backup center role.

Tomlin dove right into division of labor in this one, saying that he’s approaching this game with an “inclusive mentality” for all that are healthy enough to participate.

The Houston Texans are traveling to the Steel City for their second preseason game at Hei- I mean…Acrisure Stadium against the Steelers tonight at 7 pm eastern.

On Tuesday, Steelers’ Head Coach Mike Tomlin released his initial depth chart for the 2024 season ahead of tomorrow’s preseason game against the Houston Texans.

Now for the defense:

It seems like the consensus winner of the first two days has been CB Donte Jackson.

This group is FAR different from the group that reported in 2023, and there are storylines galore to explore over the next couple weeks.

Still, there aren’t a lot of teams out there that got unequivocally better, like the Steelers have over the last few months. Mind you, these are SIGNIFICANT roster changes and improvements to a team that went 10-7 and made the playoffs last season.

Our regular defensive calls, which mostly consist of a five-man pass-rush with man coverage behind it, is certainly going to benefit from the depth we have at the CB position. Gone are the days of watching Levi Wallace and James Pierre get left on islands and burnt to crisps.

For the first time in the show’s history, HBO’s Hard Knocks will follow an entire division for the ‘in-season’ portion of the show in 2024. Coincidentally, that division will be the AFC North. ‘Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North’ will begin on December 3rd, and will follow the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers through the remainder of the season, and the playoffs.

Say what you want about Coach Tomlin, but if you’re upset about this contract, you’re (un)objectively wrong. And, yes, I’m being sarcastic, because I understand how unreasonable I am. However, he’s one of the best coaches in all of sport, and I think these next few years are going to be tremendously successful. Today is a good day to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here We Go!

In short, Cam Heyward is back, fuck Cam Sutton, and keep an eye on Nathan Meadors. On to minicamp! Here We Go!

Elliot is touted as a bigger, hard-hitting safety, and he’ll be at his most useful in the strong safety spot playing up on the line of scrimmage and defending the flat.