Christopher Carter: Christopher Carter's Steelers chat transcript: 06.18.26

Christopher Carter: Good morning, Post-Gazette readers! Let's get into it!

Soggy: Good Morning Mr. Carter Any assessment on how the new coaching regime is being received by the players? More optimism? Like how things are run, better prepared, etc. We always read how players loved Tomlin, I am curious if there was any noticeable vibe from the players coming out of OTA's

Christopher Carter: Good morning Soggy!

So far, all we've heard is positive feedback from players - which was to be expected. Both sides are still in the honeymoon phase of figuring each other out and finding the best parts of each other.

Defensive players seem to have taken to what Patrick Graham is preaching, and offensive players are excited about working with Mike McCarthy calling the plays. From position to position, players seem excited.

There is definitely optimism about the team about what they'll be able to do this year. Of course, all of that changes when the games start being played and wins and losses start to happen. But for a start, it's been smooth-sailing so far.

Daniel: Just your opinion, do you think the current return setup makes it harder for a return guy to have an impact? I do but that is why I like that they went for hoping to get an elite guy with the 4th round pick that can overcome that.

Christopher Carter: I agree with you that returning is harder these days with the less space. But I still think Wetjen's skillset isn't necessarily making him an elite NFL returner yet. Plenty of guys who've been productive returners in the NCAA don't translate that to the NFL. It will be interesting to see what the new special teams coach can come up with.

Honestly, I'm interested to see if there's a returner battle between Wetjen and Heidenreich. Both I think would be suited for the role.

martian: GM Chris! Thanks for the chats. Any rumblings on how the JPJ contract negotiations are going?

Christopher Carter: Good morning and thanks for being here!

Nothing concrete, but we've gotten the sense that things are going well and an extension is entirely expected. They have the space in the coming years to afford him, they know they want him as a shutdown corner, and he wants to stay. I think it was a great sign for them that he not only showed up to McCarthy's press conference, but also showed up during OTAs and participated during minicamp as well.

Uncle Larry: Who will have more positive results freshman year, Carson Beck or Drew Allar?

Christopher Carter: Now if you mean on the field, I foresee a much easier path to playing time for Carson Beck. He's behind Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, two backup quarterbacks as is (also, former Pitt QB Kedon Slovis is on the Cardinals.)

But Allar is behind Rodgers, Rudolph and Howard. Rudolph is around the range of Brissett and Minshew, and Rodgers is the starter unless he's hurt.

Plus, my evaluation of Beck is that he has more of the mental and fundamental tools prepared as a quarterback. Allar is bigger with a stronger arm, but Beck checks more of the mentally prepared boxes for an NFL QB.

If the Steelers have their way, Allar sits the entire year and learns and then takes that development and gets his shot to earn playing time next year. I think Beck is going to get his shot this year.

BeaverFallsKid: Hey Chris. What's Roman Wilson's pathway to WR3? Seems like he is in Aaron's doghouse. Do you think he can earn more snaps based on what you have seen so far?

Christopher Carter: Hello!

Roman Wilson's going to be in competition with Germie Bernard in that role. Both worked with the first team offense during OTAs/minicamp.

I think Wilson can earn more snaps, but he has to be more detailed in his routes and in-sync with Rodgers in his timing. That led to them wanting to get veteran guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen last year for Rodgers.

If Wilson can build that trust with Rodgers in camp, he'll stand to get more chances. But make no mistake that Bernard is going be working on that as well.

My prediction is that Bernard outsnaps Wilson this year, barring injuries. But Wilson can still show he can be a more productive receiver.

Arthur not Art: Good morning, Christopher and thank you for the chat. They're going to have to create about $27M in cap space to sign Benton and JPJ and have around $8M in cap space they typically like to have available for in season moves. If they don't trade away a large contract to reduce their cap hit, they'll have to restructure contracts to get both of them signed. Most likely that means restructuring TJ and DK but when you do that it results in TJ and DK having $50M and $35M cap hits respectively for the remainder of their contracts starting in 2027. Is that dead money risk worth it or should they try to trade a high performer at the peak of his career to get young talent they want to keep signed and add some draft capital to help move up in Rnd 1 in 2027?

Christopher Carter: Good morning! Thanks for being here.

The Steelers definitely have to move some money around if they plan to sign both Porter and Benton, but it's doable.

Jalen Ramsey is a $21.7M cap hit in 2027 that can completely come off the books with him being released or traded. If he doesn't have a star-like season, that's an easy move to open up space.

After that, you're probably looking at restructures and moving another veteran or two.

I do wonder with Herbig being a $25.2M cap hit if he'll be a contract that gets restructured to move some of that money around.

But when it comes to TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, both their cap hits total up to $63.1M next year. Either some of that money can be moved, or one of them gets moved via trade.

Highsmith only has 2027 left on his contract and Watt's signed through 2028. How they perform might inform how Omar Khan sets them up for the future.

Christopher Carter: As for trading for draft picks in 2027, that's definitely something Khan has in mind. But the Steelers won't want to get too ahead on that and wait to see how this year plays out so they can make the best decision on who to keep, who to trade, and how to get the best return.

Frodo: Do you think Sorsby is at least worth the Steelers put in a 2nd or third round pick? He's a better prospect than what they have and worth the risk of taking a player with a questionable history, something theyv6

Christopher Carter: Absolutely not, and I don't understand anyone who argues that would make any sense.

In the year the Steelers might trade up for a quarterback - with several prospects who look better than Sorsby and DONT HAVE A RECORD OF GAMBLING AGAINST THEIR OWN TEAMS - the Steelers should not give up a draft pick for him.

No way. Sorsby, at best, would've been the third quarterback picked in this past 2026 class. With Dante Moore, Arch Manning, Jayden Maiava, Drew Mestemaker, Julian Sayin, Darian Mensah, Sam Leavitt, Drake Lindsay and LaNorris Sellers all as options, there's no way they should take a shot on Sorsby.

Reports indicate that Sorsby bet the under against his own offense. There's no part of him the Steelers should want. They've already got two young developmental quarterbacks. Their next pick should be a first round pick towards the bottom of the top 10 picks they trade up to get who's between the third-to-fifth QB taken off the board.

Christopher Carter: It's good that Sorsby is getting help with his gambling addiction. It's a problem that many have faced and had to overcome, and I hope he does.

But there's no way that if I'm an NFL GM that I'm looking for a key decision maker to lead my franchise into the future and take a guy who made a terrible decision to gamble on sports when he knew he wasn't supposed to - 9,000 times. Every incomplete pass, sack and interception would draw into question if he's on the take. Don't need that circus, and he's not as good as even other prospects out there right now.

Maybe if this hadn't happened he would've lit it up at Texas Tech, and then that would've been different.

Arthur not Art: Would you spend a 5th round pick on Sorsby, if he dropped that far? Do you think they will? Having 5 QBs, 3 with no experience leads me to believe they aren't considering him but have read differently and wondering if they'd make the move if it just took a late round pick. Thanks.

Christopher Carter: I would not draft him in the fourth, I would not bring him to the AFC North.

I would not draft him in the fifth, I would not consider him forthwith.

I do not think they should draft Sorsby or consider it in part, and I do not think the Steelers will either, Arthur not Art.

JR in sunny SC: Love the chats CC. I'm not sure I understand the Steeler's strategy when it comes to the QB situation. Rodgers running the O this is fine, but it is only this year. Barring injury, none of the other QBs get any playing time. Next year, we then likely have a high draft pick and 2 essentially rookies. Can you explain what is going on? Thanks.

Christopher Carter: Thanks JR!

I think the point is that neither Howard nor Allar are ready just yet and McCarthy wants to give them a year in his system to bring them up and get them ready for the NFL.

Rodgers himself waited until his fourth year before he became a starter. His replacement Jordan Love also waited until his third year. I don't see what's wrong with letting quarterbacks get used to the NFL by learning behind a hall of fame talent to help them be ready for when it is their time.

And neither Allar nor Howard were first round picks - like both Rodgers and Love were. They are not above taking time to learn their craft, improve and be ready for a shot at a later date. And if there's a first round pick quarterback added to the team, then that just makes the competition all the more fierce. Iron sharpens iron, and all that.

Christopher Carter: Patrick Mahomes also waited a year, by the way.

MikeM65 in Florida: An off-season question.... Do you think if Bill Belichick never had Tom Brady he'd be considered one of the greatest coaches ever?

Christopher Carter: Nope. And it's not a small sample size to examine for that, either. Belichick was 88-111 without Brady in his career.

Belichick has been a smart football mind, as was evidenced with his work on the Giants' defense in their Super Bowl wins of the 80s. But what put him in the GOAT discussions was what he did with Brady.

For a comparison, a quick google search says Tomlin was 76-59-1 without Roethlisberger once he left, and

Lambert 58 Fan in Indiana: Good morning CC: Any hard feelings from JPJ being one of the last on the list to get an extension? As much as we've struggled over the past few years to get a shutdown corner, I'd think we'd want to lock him up long term. Your take?

Christopher Carter: Good morning!

I don't see any such hard feelings. I think there might've just been an acknowledgment that Herbig and Washington were less-sure of re-signing options for the Steelers.

I have no doubt the Steelers have the plans to lock Porter up long term so he can lock receivers up long term. And it might be that comfort level that let them put the less sure things in front to get done sooner.

Remember, we've seen some pretty late re-signings for the Steelers for franchise standouts. Watt got his first big contract after training camp. Polamalu once signed a new deal as he was about to board the plan for week one. I don't think Porter will be an issue.

J D: Chris, at this time of year every team is hopeful for a championship season and the Steelers (and fans) want the 7th one. What teams do you think are the New England Patriots this year that will over achieve their way to the Super Bowl?

Christopher Carter: That's a good question and always difficult to predict with teams who might rise up.

But one team I have my eye on is the Commanders. I think the NFC East is in-flux a bit and the return of Jayden Daniels could make them very dangerous.

An AFC team could be the Bengals with the additions they've made on defense. But that organization has messed up with better rosters too, so who knows.

Scott via Louisville: Ireland was really a special trip for Steeler fans. We had a blast everywhere we went in Ireland. I've been to Paris and it was certainly a cool city to visit. Do you expect Paris to be on par with Dublin? I didn't have any issues with French folks but they do have a bad rep for not being super friendly.

Christopher Carter: I was blessed to be able to make the trip to Dublin last year. It did seem like a great fit for an international Steelers game.

Paris wasn't picked because of the Steelers, so it should be different. And I've heard the same about locals there when it comes to tourists. For it be on par, I think there would take some serious partnerships that welcome US NFL fans to unique experiences the way Dublin did. I'm sure the NFL is working to make that happen, but Paris is much larger and a different challenge.

Dublin has about 600K in the city, and 2.4M in the greater Dublin area. Paris has more than 2M in the city proper, and 11.4M in the greater Paris area.

That would be like the hosting differences of Louisville, KY to Houston TX.

Tin Cup: Chris, I have not seen Jamel Dean play much. Who would you compare him to in terms of playing style and effectiveness?

Christopher Carter: I actually think Jamel Dean has a lot of similarities to Joey Porter Jr. - just further along in his career. Porter's about an inch taller, Dean was faster coming out of college, and both are good man-to-man shutdown corners.

Dean has a better record with interceptions - 11 in his seven years playing while Porter has only one each of his three seasons. But Porter also has better coverage numbers with just a single touchdown allowed in his career compared to Dean's 20 allowed, and Dean's allowed passer rating of 81 to Porter's 71.5.

Ryan: Chris does Benton get signed to a new contract before training camp or before the season starts

Christopher Carter: This is the harder question when it comes to re-signing. I think it would be great for the Steelers to retain Benton as he's a good interior defensive lineman and would help them keep that room with talent shoudl Heyward decide to retire or falls off at some point due to age.

But Benton also hasn't had the productive numbers like Porter, which adds to the difficulty.

The Steelers also have to consider the space they'll need to sign and keep much of this offensive line. Fautanu will be due his fifth-year option next year, and both Frazier and McCormick will want new contracts done before the start of the 2027 season like Herbig and Washington have gotten.

Only way Benton squeezes in there is if the Steelers plan to move off of more than a couple of their current veterans by 2027. Which could very well happen.

Biggs from Dormont: Taking a QB in the 1st round is not a guarantee franchise qb.

Christopher Carter: Agreed! But there's a better chance of getting a quarterback there than in the third or sixth. And if you like a prospect, you'll most likely need to get aggressive for them.

Realist: Steelers fans would expect a QB taken in the 7th round to develop into a starter.

Christopher Carter: Sometimes, you'd wonder.

#1 Steelers Fan in Maine: Hi Chris,

Please explain why our Steelers did not further pursue Robert Spillane. Spillane seemed able to sufficiently able to both stop the run and cover the pass for the Patriots.

Christopher Carter: From what I understood, they saw it as more important to retain players like TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick around that time. Spillane's last year with the Steelers was 2022, and they signed other veterans like Isaac Seumalo, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Larry Ogunjobi around then.

But I do agree that in retrospect, it would've been worth keeping Spillane instead of trying to completely rebuild the linebacker room the way they did. Of course, not many were saying that based off the way he played in Pittsburgh. Still, he was an undrafted player they turned into a decent starter who stuffed Derrick Henry one week in 2020 and turned around and pick 6'd Lamar Jackson the next week.

Takoma Tom: It's been proven you don't win in the NFL with defense. The Steelers keep over spending on defense. They have the highest paid defense and it's not even close to the best. If they sign JPJ and Benton that will be a ridiculous amount of cap space on the defense. Why doesn't anyone else have a problem with over spending on defense?

Christopher Carter: So ... uh ... who proved that you don't win in the NFL with defense?

The Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champs with ... the number one defense in the NFL.

The Eagles won the Super Bowl the previous year with ... the number two defense in the NFL.

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl the year before that with ... the number two defense in the NFL.

That's a three-year run of the top defenses winning the Super Bowl, which is a trend, not a coincidence.

And yes, the Steelers have been the top spender on defense since 2022. But they took that mantle from the Chiefs in 2021, who weren't afraid to spend on defense either. The year the Bengals made the Super Bowl, they had the 2nd-most expensive defense in the NFL.

It's not necessarily over-spending on defense. It's paying the veterans you have available what you think they're worth. Back in 2017, the Steelers had the most expensive offense in the NFL because that's where the bulk of their developed talent was.

Christopher Carter: I wouldn't be shocked that if by 2028 - when the offensive line's expected contract extensions will hit the books - that the Steelers would no longer be the most expensive defense in the NFL.

The Steelers' best two first round picks in the last 16 years are two defensive players who are still the leaders of this team in Heyward and Watt. Together, they make up a $55.6M cap hit. Take them off the books and the Steelers become the 14th or so highest paid defense.

Could've said the same about an offense that was paying Roethlisberger, Pouncey, DeCastro, Brown and Bell all big dollars back in 2017.

West Coast Danno: Hey Chris. Thanks for all the details and great chats. Which position battle in Latrobe is on your must see list?

Christopher Carter: Hey WCD! Thanks for being here!

That's a great question. There's a few.

One, I'm interested in seeing does Broderick Jones get healthy in time for camp and what does it look like for him vs Dylan Cook at right tackle. He'll have catching up to do after not being able to fully workout for months, and that's not an easy thing to overcome.

But I'm also looking at receiver, and where both Bernard and Wilson fall in the pecking order of who gets more snaps and targets.

I also think there might be a battle of who gets more shots to run the ball this year between Warren and Dowdle.

George T: Hi Chris, is it true that Bill Cowher did not want to draft Ben with the 11 pick in 2004 but Dan over ruled him. If that was the case and we would not have gotten Ben we may still be looking for a franchise QB since Terry

Christopher Carter: Yep. That's well-reported. Bill Cowher wanted to take Arkansas OT Shawn Andrews, but Dan Rooney intervened seeing Ben Roethlisberger as their chance to make up for passing up on Dan Marino.

Wild to think of what the Steelers would've been like in the mid-late 2000s with that as a different move. Andrews went on to earn a first team All-Pro honor in 2006 before a back injury ended his career early.

But here's another thought: if the Steelers don't draft Roethlisberger in 2004, would they have taken the shot on Aaron Rodgers in 2005? Packers got him with the 24th pick, and without Roethlisberger there was probably a good chance the Steelers would've picked before then.

Shoutout Dave Dameshek for the What-If-L segments he used to do. Those were fun.

Realist: Do you think Greenwood will ever get in the HoF? It's a travesty that he's not already in.

Christopher Carter: OK, last one, then I have to get to my other projects.

Christopher Carter: I agree it's ridiculous that LC Greenwood isn't in the HOF. He was a key piece of the Steel Curtain, a two-time first team all-pro, and a member of the HOF All-1970s team.

But it's long been known that hall of fame voters like Peter King swore for years that they'd never vote for another member of the 70s Steelers to make the HOF, which is a shame. I'm glad Donnie Shell got in with respect to how elite a safety he was. But Greenwood was also another legend of a dynasty and deserved his flowers before he past.

When I was a college student, I once went to a Steelers event to get Greenwood to sign a book about the 70s Steelers for my father as a Christmas present.

When I came up to him, he looked at me being 21 years old and said, you have no idea who I even am, do you?"

I said back to him, "of course I know who you are man! You're the guy with the yellow shoes!"

Greenwood stared back at me for a second in a way I thought I might've said something wrong.

Christopher Carter: But then he said, "Gold. They were gold shoes young brother, but you're alright. Who do I make this out to?

I think it's sad when NFL players don't get their flowers when they're alive. He passed away two years later.

Christopher Carter: Thanks everyone for being here! Be on the lookout for some things we've got in the works coming this weekend!

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:45 PM.