Steelers Afternoon Drive

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the Steelers giving EDGE rusher Nick Herbig a four-year $100M contract extension. What does this mean, if anything for the futures of TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith? How will the team use Nick Herbig in 2026 that could be different from his role up to this point? Does there have to be an odd man out...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the first day of the team's mandatory minicamp for 2026, and big questions like will Joey Porter Jr. and Nick Herbig report, will they practice if they report, and how will Jalen Ra...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the Cleveland Browns trading star EDGE rusher Myles Garrett to the LA Rams for Jared Verse, a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a third-round pick. What are the impacts on the Steelers by this, and should we have remorse about not moving TJ Watt? We then discuss the deal that sent AJ Brow...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what battles we are seeing take shape. From Mason Rudolph and Will Howard battling for QB2 to Roman Wilson trying to hold off Germie Bernard to two open spots on the right side of the offensive line, how will these play out? We then discuss the team dismissing Derius Swinton II from the coaching...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what Alan learned at OTAs. Jaylen Warren cut some weight. Were plans within the RB workload revealed by that? How do we see things playing out up and down the depth chart within that group? How big is the addition of Sebastian Joseph Day for Yahya Black and Keannu Benton? Why is there such a brea...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's Mike McCarthy's quarterback school, what it means and what it doesn't mean for the team's development of young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar. Alan breaks it down: Learn mo...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what Alan learned when speaking to a lot of the coaches for the first time. What did Domato Peko have to say about being on the other side of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry? What did Tom Arth have to say about Will Howard? How excited are Joe Whitt Jr. and Jason Simmons to work with Joey Porter Jr....

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss Dean Lowry being brought back into the fold, the latest surrounding Brendan Sorsby, if the Steelers should consider moving forward with Darnell Washington and in the process trading Pat Freiermuth and much more. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the idea of whether the Steelers are just a quarterback away from being a future Super Bowl contender. Aaron Rodgers is here for the 2026 season, but has announced it will be his la...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss Alan's trip to the Naval Academy graduation and the experience. We then dive into what the defense will look like under Patrick Graham, the issues with mobile quarterbacks, what will be different from a secondary perspective and much more. How does Roman Wilson fit into a much more crowded wide r...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's graduation day for the midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy, including Steelers running back and Mt. Lebanon native Eli Heidenreich, who is graduating and being commissioned in the...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the changes made to training camp practices, if Broderick Jones could kick inside to guard, if the OL alignment is different due to the pass-happy nature of what Mike McCarthy wants to do offensively and much more. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more abo...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the news that Aaron Rodgers will be retiring at the end of the 2026 season, setting a potential farewell tour that is very uncommon around the NFL. Alan breaks it down: Learn more a...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss Aaron Rodgers saying this would be his last season, Aaron mentoring Will Howard and Drew Allar, what Mike McCarthy said in regard to Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick on the left side and what else happened on Day 2 of OTAs. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn...

lcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the news that the NFL has not only increased the number of international games for the 2027 season, but also eliminated teams' availability to protect certain games, meaning that divi...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what to take away from Brian Angelichio, Patrick Graham and Danny Crossman's availabilities. What did Alan take away from what they had to say. Is there anything that stands out in regard to how things will go under a new regime? How different will the team operate under McCarthy? How different d...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the comments made by Steelers tackle Troy Fautanu, who said the doesn't believe in the concept of having a natural position, and isn't sweating at all the idea of moving from right...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what to take away from the first day of OTAs. What does and doesn't matter as the Steelers get the voluntary work underway. The offensive line alignment will be something to keep an eye on as Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick started on the left side and Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook were on the...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the start of the team's Organized Team Activities, better known as OTAs, with the first of 10 optional full-squad practices taking place at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday, May...

Brendan Howe and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what we know about what Aaron Rodgers was actually doing in Pittsburgh, if we are going overboard with the international games in the NFL, if Mike McCarthy will change his offense to be more accommodating for a player like Darnell Washington, the best path to a QB and what players could be traded?...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the 2026 schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From opening at home vs the Atlanta Falcons to closing out against the Baltimore Ravens yet again, what do we make of it? The team currently is slated to have 7 primetime/standalone games, including a Black Friday matchup against the Denver Broncos....

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the 2026 NFL Schedule, which once again features the Steelers prominently, with four standalone games so far in the nine already reported. Some speculated that without Aaron Rodgers...

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we the team signing safety Makari Page to the team a day after releasing cornerback Cory Trice with a failed physical. What do we make of this addition, and does it have any impact on the Darnell Savage stuff? We then dive more into the Steelers' trip to Paris to take on the Saints, what we make of the sche...

Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the scheduling of the Steelers to face the New Orleans Saints in Paris, France -- just one year after the team made its second-ever international stop in Dublin, Ireland. Why Paris,...

Derrick Bell and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the alignment of the offensive line, the reaction to clips of Drew Allar from rookie camp, who we'd put together as a three-man pass rushing group, how the fanbase would respond to being well below .500 and much more. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more a...