Teresa Varley
Wednesday, September 10
Seek and destroy:There are not many football players who admit they have an alter ego.
But there also aren't many receivers like DK Metcalf.
Metcalf is a gentleman off the field, always saying, 'yes, ma'am' and 'yes, sir,' to everyone regardless of age.
But get him on the football field and he isn't the same.
"I'm a different type of person, player," said Metcalf of his game day demeanor. "I get into my alter ego."
And while that alter ego doesn't have a name, it has an image.
"Seek and destroy," said Metcalf smiling.
Metcalf was surrounded by the media on Wednesday, and it came as no surprise.
He spent the first six years of his career playing for the Seattle Seahawks, before he was traded to the Steelers this offseason.
And with the Seahawks coming to town this week, the game has all the makings for a drama-filled reunion.
But that isn't Metcalf's style.
Not even close.
For him, Sunday's game is business as usual.
"No extra juice this week," said Metcalf. "It's just another team on the schedule that just so happens to be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We've got to go out there and do everything that we can to try to win.
"It's just another football game. Prepare for it like any other football game, because after this, you've got to prepare for the next opponent. The next step on the schedule. It's just how it is. It's not different at all."
Metcalf has a methodical approach to the game, one that has him approach every snap, every rep, every game, with a passion that is searching for perfection.
And when he doesn't reach the level of perfection he strives for, he tries again, oftentimes staying after practice to make sure he makes the catches he wants before heading into the locker room.
"I take this game very seriously, so my preparation speaks for itself," said Metcalf. "I'm going to prepare like it's going to be my last game or like the first game. My preparation is the same.
"I always finish everything that I catch. I'm always going to work hard. The way that I handle my business just speaks to my teammates and the volumes of who I am as a football player and my character.
"Just ending everything on a positive note. So, if I get a drop, I've always got a big eraser as Russ (Wilson) would call it, my rookie year. Make a catch, or like a shooter ending on a make or in the weight room, always do one extra rep on everything.
"So, just the way that I carry myself and the ways I view life is always ending on something positive."
That approach comes from Metcalf's father, Terrence Metcalf, a former NFL offensive lineman who played for the Bears, Lions and Saints.
"(It comes) from my dad, for sure," said Metcalf. "But I've had a plethora of coaches, people that I've looked up to as mentors in my life who I go to for advice, looking at something that I should work on whether that be in my game or in my life. So, throughout my whole life coaches, teachers and my dad (are big influences)."
A great fit:The Steelers made it official on Wednesday, announcing the signing of safety Jabrill Peppers to a one-year contract.
Peppers, who is in his ninth NFL season, has appeared in 99 games, starting 85. He has 494 career tackles, 322 of them solo stops, 35 passes defensed, 30 tackles for a loss, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
Peppers was on the field for practice on Wednesday, seeing his first action in a Steelers helmet. What his role will be is still something he is learning, but he is ready for whatever is asked of him.
"Obviously, on (special) teams, but it's basically on me how fast I can pick up the defense," said Peppers. "That's just on me to be a professional, getting the playbook, try to pick it up as fast as I can so I can get out there and try to help this ball club with some football games.
"I think it's a great fit, it's just little different things than I'm used to doing. So just got to lock in on the details, get out there a little bit more, shake the rust off. But I should be all right."
Peppers spent the last three seasons with the New England Patriots, appearing in 38 games, with 26 starts. He recorded 178 tackles, 107 of them solo stops, 10 passes defensed, nine tackles for a loss and an interception.
Prior to the Patriots, Peppers spent three seasons with the New York Giants, after he was acquired via a trade with the Cleveland Browns. While in New York, he played in 32 games, starting 30. He had 196 tackles, 127 of them solo stops, 17 passes defensed, 15 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Peppers was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the 25th overall selection. In two seasons he played in 29 games, starting all of them. He recorded 137 tackles, 97 of them solo stops. He appeared in 13 games his rookie season, starting all of them, and finished with 57 tackles, three passes defensed, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Now he is jumping on what Coach Mike Tomlin refers to as a 'moving train' with the Steelers, and he is ready to get on board.
"It's part of your job as a professional," said Peppers. "Getting here, learning the playbook, learning how they want to do things, learning our identity, and when your number's called, you're expected to produce. That's the name of this game."
Time to respond:It wasn't how the offense drew things up for quarterback Aaron Rodgers first snap in black and gold. The plan wasn't for the four-time MVP to get sacked for a four-yard loss, one of four sacks allowed, on the Steelers first offensive play against the New York Jets on Sunday.
And Coach Mike Tomlin made it no secret that it's something they need to clean up.
"Offensively, I would like to see us do a better job of protecting Aaron, particularly on play pass," said Tomlin. "You absorb certain risk executing play pass in an effort to get yards in chunks, but that risk shouldn't manifest itself in the form of multiple sacks like it did when you're prepared and good.
"As a staff and as a collective, we have to be a little bit better in that space."
That message wasn't just delivered during Tomlin's press conference, but it's also one that the players heard.
"I think we've got to be cleaner in pass protection, like Coach T said," said center Zach Frazier. "We can't have Aaron getting hit. That's always our main priority.
"It's all technique, it is details. It really is just details of the protections.
"You never want to start a game with a sack, but it's more about how you respond after things like that happen. You can't let that play beat you twice. It's easy to have a bad play like that and then let that kill the drive, but you've got to keep on playing."
Frazier has no doubt the line will come out strong this week against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium, correcting the little things.
"I think we're going to respond and have a lot better game this week," said Frazier. "It's what we have to do. We have to bring it every week. That's what we're going to do this week."
The Jets game was the first time the line worked with Rodgers in live action, as he didn't play at all in the preseason.
And they said there were no hiccups with what their quarterback brought to the table.
"He was great," said Frazier. "He controlled the huddle, controlled the game, and had really great command of the offense.
"Communication was good. I feel like we were on the same page. I felt like we had good communication across the board."
Frazier said there was never a point in the game when Rodgers demeanor changed, providing a calm presence in the huddle throughout.
"It never seemed like he was worried or anything," said Frazier. "He was calm throughout the whole game. Even when we were down a couple of points, he was still the same guy."
Unfazed by it:Calm.
Cool.
Collected.
Those are not three words you normally hear associated with an NFL player, especially in the heat of a game.
But those are the words that best describe kicker Chris Boswell's demeanor.
"It's like an eerie calmness," said special teams captain Miles Killebrew. "He does it. He's a true pro."
Some kickers don't like to be approached on the sidelines during a game.
But nothing fazes Boswell.
"Boz is laid back, he'll just talk to you about random stuff (on the sideline)," said punter Corliss Waitman. "He's very laid back.
I think that's what makes him so good, too. He's just very calm. He's never up, never down, just calm.
"Like a golfer, he's ready to go."
Another word that fits Boswell is consistent. It showed on Sunday against the New York Jets when he nailed a game-winning 60-yard field goal with 1:03 to play in the game, winning the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.
"I'm not going to call him anything that he hasn't been called before, but his consistency is awesome," said Killebrew. "He is just professional in that regard. It's fun to watch. We trust him to go out there and handle business and he does.
"It feels automatic. And he prepares, he puts in the work. I just think that preparation breeds confidence.
"He is a true pro. And the way he operates allows all of us to be confident in his performance. It's awesome. It's amazing to know that Boz is going to go out there and be Boz. Just provide us with a certain level of peace. It's fun to watch him work."
Waitman referred to him as 'that dude,' and it's a huge compliment.
"It's his work ethic, mentality," said Waitman. "He just has it. Some people are just not born with it. A lot of people have ability, but they won't be able to do it on a consistent basis year in, year out. He's one of those guys who's blessed with that.
"He's just different.
"As soon as he walked out there (against the Jets), I knew he was going to make it. He's just that good. The whole team believes in him.
"He never looks scared or anything. No moment is too big for him. He's always ready.
"Every time he goes out there, you know he's going to make it. That's kind of like a luxury we have."
Coach Mike Tomlin referred to him as a 'serial killer' following the Jets game, and Waitman laughed when he heard the reference.
"He just that dude," said Waitman. "I guess it kills people's spirits. It kills the opponent to have him hit a game winning field goal."
Steelers make roster moves:In addition to the signing of Peppers mentioned about, the Steelers also signed defensive back James Pierre from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The team placed linebacker Malik Harrison and quarterback Skyler Thompson on the Reserve/Injured List.
In addition, the team signed quarterback Logan Woodside to the practice squad.
Pierre, who was elevated to the Active/Inactive Roster for the Jets game, started his career in Pittsburgh, spent time with the Washington Commanders, and returned to the Steelers in 2024. He was re-signed during the 2025 offseason after becoming a free agent.
Pierre returned to the Steelers for a second stint in 2024, signed to the practice squad in September after his release from the Commanders and then elevated to the 53-man roster one week later. He appeared in 15 games in 2024, starting two, and recorded 12 tackles, eight of them solo stops, and one interception, occurring against the Cleveland Browns to close out the game in a 27-14 win at Acrisure Stadium in Week 14.
Pierre was originally signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft out of Florida Atlantic. He has appeared in 81 career games, with eight starts in four seasons. He has recorded 71 tackles, including 60 solo stops, 11 passes defensed, three interceptions and a forced fumble. He also has 46 special teams tackles.
Pierre saw action in 16 games in 2023, mainly on special teams. He had seven special teams tackles, five of them solo stops. Pierre appeared in 17 games in 2022, starting two of them. He finished the year with 20 tackles, including 16 solo stops, had four passes defensed and an interception against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. In 2021, Pierre played in 17 games with four starts. He recorded 37 tackles, 34 of them solo stops, and had one interception. He made the initial 53-man roster his rookie season and played in all 16 games.
Woodside, who spent time with the team during training camp, was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has also spent time with the Tennessee Titans (2020-21) and Atlanta Falcons (2022-23).
Woodside has appeared in 13 NFL games, including 11 for the Titans. He was on the Bengals practice squad in 2024.
Woodside played college football at Toledo where he appeared in 43 games. He completed 759 passes for 10,514 yards and 93 touchdowns.
One to grow on:Left tackle Broderick Jones has always taken the bad with the good in his two-plus NFL seasons and found a way to process what's transpired without overreacting and move on to the next challenge with confidence either way.
But after a tough day individually in the Steelers' 34-32, season-opening victory over the Jets, Jones found that process more challenging than usual.
"It was a little harder, I'm not gonna lie," Jones acknowledged today. "But it's all about the growth and development so I felt like that was needed for me, just in my NFL journey.
"For the rest of my career, I think I needed that game."
Not that it's ever easy on the island known as left tackle.
"It's always tough," Jones said. "We're just like DBs in a sense."
In the sense that everybody, it seems, knows when a left tackle or a cornerback gets beat.
"Certainly, it could be better," head coach Mike Tomlin assessed of Jones' performance after a game in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times. "But certainly all of our performances could be better."
Jones is also getting plenty of feedback from Rodgers while transitioning from right to left tackle.
"All around, on the field, during timeouts, on the plane," Jones noted. "It doesn't stop, and you know when he says something you listen because he's been doing it for so long. I trust his judgment.
"And at the end of the day I gotta protect him so whatever he needs from me I'm trying to do it to the best of my ability."
Rodgers' advice to Jones was consistent and constant throughout the Jets game.
"It was just always 'next play mentality,'" Jones emphasized. "He said he messed up plays he wished he could have back, I feel the same way. We just gotta continue to grow as a whole."
As for the immediate specifics of Jones' continued growth, "I just felt like my footwork was really sloppy," Jones said. "And I gotta continue to just work on the silent cadence. I just gotta continue to work with the guys in getting it fixed."
-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta
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Monday, September 8
Wins don't come easy:In the National Football League, wins don't come easy.
So, you will never hear a player complaining following a win.
Nor should you.
And that was the case on Monday following the Steelers 34-32 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
"We know we could play better, but we came out with a win," said safety Juan Thornhill. "It's hard to get those wins in this league."
It took all three phases to pull out the win, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing four touchdown passes and Chris Boswell nailing a 60-yard field goal.y
The defense, while they admit they 'could play better,' they still came up with big plays, including Jalen Ramsey breaking up Justin Fields' pass to Garrett Wilson on the Jets final play of the game.
Despite that, Thornhill stressed the importance of getting back to work. The defense allowed 182 yards rushing, while Fields threw for 218 yards.
"We were getting gashed in the running game and that was very obvious," said Thornhill. "I just feel like that's something that we have to work on.
"It will be something that we'll emphasize this week, but I'm not really panicked at all. I don't think no one on the defensive side is panicking one bit. People outside the building might be a little worried because I know we threw some stuff out there early in in camp talking about how this defense can be one of the best, but it still can.
"It's week one. We just finished the first game, and that was technically our second time playing with each other all together.
"I'm excited. It's going to be fun, and I think we're going to make a lot of plays."
Thornhill said the back end needs to do everything they can to help eliminate big plays in the ground game, with the Jets having three players with rushes of 15 plus yards on Sunday.
"It's reading our keys, getting to the ball a lot faster," said Thornhill. "You can't always rely on those guys up front to make every single play. So, if they don't make it, we've got to be there to eliminate those explosive runs. Instead of them getting 10 to 15 yards, maybe keep it down to five to eight yards and things like that.
"So, just reading our key and being more disciplined."
The secondary did suffer a few blows against the Jets when DeShon Elliott suffered a knee injury and Joey Porter Jr. a hamstring injury.
Versatility played a key role, as Thornhill moved into Elliott's spot and more shifting ensued.
"I felt like the safety part of it sucked because we lost DeShon early in that game," said Thornhill. "It was fun for me because I'm used to being that deep safety in this defense. And then when DeShon went down, I get to get closer to that line of scrimmage and make a lot more plays down there. I even told him, it's a little different, but I actually enjoyed it. It was fun being down there. The energy was electric.
"I think it was very professional. I don't feel like anybody panicked. Chuck (Clark) came in. Well, it started with me and Jalen back at safety at first. And then I think Joey went down and that put Jalen in a corner and then Chuck (Clark) came into game. I just felt like everything was professional. Nobody panicked, everybody came in and did their role play very well."
Being more detailed:There was a good feeling in the Steelers locker room on Monday after the win over the Jets, but at the same time, the players know there is still work to be done.
The Jets had 182 yards rushing, something the defense wants to eliminate moving forward.
"We have to be more detailed," said defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk. "We're going to go in today and really see what it was. It's tough to say until we watch the film. But once we get in and dissect this with the coaches and everyone else, we'll be able to have a better grasp on what we have to do.
"I think just detail. And I think up front it was getting off blocks. I don't think as a defensive line we got off blocks well enough. We've got to be able to improve, see what it is. But in the moment, it always feels like getting off blocks. When you have a guy attached to you, it's tough to make tackles. So, if we can shed those, be more clean, I think we'll be able have a better performance."
Loudermilk said the key for the defense is to not try and overcompensate by getting away from their assignments and try to make a big play. Instead, just go with what the plan is and things will play out.
"You always want to make the play, especially as an individual," said Loudermilk. "If you see things, you look at it like, I can make this play. But at the same time, you got to be detailed because there's 11 defensive players out there and everyone has to be in their gaps. Everyone has to be doing their job. So, if you have one person jumping out of a gap with a team like that, that can turn into a big hit, and it did multiple times.
"For us, it's being able to clean that up, making sure everyone's playing together and on the same page."
Running back Breece Hall rushed for 107 yards on 19 carries, while quarterback Justin Fields has 12 carries for 48 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Loudermilk knows with the likes of quarterbacks like the Bills' Josh Allen and the Ravens' Lamar Jackson on the schedule, they have to stay on alert.
"There's a lot of talented running quarterbacks in this league," said Loudermilk. "A lot of teams that run that scheme. We've got to get that dialed in. That's just figuring out who needs to be where, who's attacking the runner, who is attacking the quarterback.
"So, we'll get that detail. But there's lots of good running quarterback in the league. So, we've got to get that right."
While the Steelers worked on that area all throughout training camp, until game day arrives you can't predict how it will play out.
"When you go through training camp, you're working on everything," said Loudermilk. "You hope that you have everything right. But sometimes the first game comes, it's not where you want it to be. And it wasn't where we wanted it to be, so we had to go in and clean that up. But for us, it is learning from yesterday and moving forward."
Vote for Aaron:Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performance against the New York Jets. Rodgers completed 22 of 30 attempts, a 73.3 completion percentage, for 244 yards and four touchdowns for a 136.7 passer rating.
"I was happy to get the win," said Rodgers. "Sixteen more games in the regular season left."
Rodgers said he wasn't looking to prove anything in his first game back at MetLife Stadium since the Jets released him in the offseason.
He just wanted to play football.
"I just wanted to have fun today," said Rodgers. "I was dreaming about the opportunity to step back on the field in the offseason and wondering how it would feel. Would the juices flow and would it hit my competitive spirit.
"There were a lot of moments that I was on the sideline just to myself thanking my wife and my friends for encouraging me to take time with my decision and that this would be the right decision. I'm happy to be a Steeler and happy things went the way they did (Sunday)."
Fans can vote for Rodgers byClicking Here.
For the 2025-26 NFL regular season, FedEx is teaming up with Feeding America to make donations of $2,000 in the name of the winning players ($4,000 total per week) to help combat food insecurity across the country.
This marks the first time the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Awards program will support Feeding America and its nationwide network of local food banks and pantries. Over the course of the entire season, select food banks and pantries will receive grants totaling more than $100,000.
What a start in the 'Burgh:Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't go into Sunday's game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium looking for retribution against his former team.
He simply went in looking for a win for his new team.
"I love beating everybody, so it doesn't matter who it is," said Rodgers.
He got the win, and then some.
"I just thought he was game all day," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "But again, you guys asked me last week, why was I confident. That's why I was confident. That's what I've been looking at in preparation, and I'm appreciative of it, not only his efforts but the efforts of the collective."
Rodgers led the Steelers to a 34-32 win over the Jets, throwing for four touchdown passes in the game.
And there was more.
Per NFL Research, Rodgers four touchdown passes were the most by any player in their Steelers debut all-time. His four touchdown passes were also the most by any Steelers quarterback in a game since Ben Rosthlisberger in 2020.
In addition, Rodgers is just the third veteran quarterback since 1990 with four plus touchdown passes in his debut game for a new team. Joining Vinny Testaverde (Jets) and Carson Wentz (Commanders).
Rodgers also became the third-oldest player in NFL history with four plus touchdown passes in a game, behind only Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
"We've seen him do it all of training camp, so nothing surprised us," said linebacker T.J. Watt of Rodgers performance.
Rodgers 136.7 passer rating was higher than any game he played in two seasons with the Jets (2023-24).
And there is more. Rodgers tied Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for the third most games in NFL history with four plus touchdown passes in a game with 35. He trails only Brees (37) and Brady (39).
Bringing you the action:For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.
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