Pittsburg, PA
The Pittsburgh Steelers Made a Splash in Free Agency
The first week of NFL free agency has passed, and Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan did not hesitate to get to work.
Big Acquisitions for Pittsburgh
Within an hour of the “legal tampering window” opening on March 9, Khan struck a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to bring wide receiver Michael Pittman to Pittsburgh. The two teams also swapped late-round picks. As part of the deal, Pittman reworked his deal to a three-year, $59 million contract. This is a move that lowers his cap hit for the upcoming season.
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Hours after bringing in Pittman, the first signing was agreed to. Jamel Dean, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million contract. Later the same day, Pittsburgh finalized a two-year, $12.25 million deal with Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle.
The following day, former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker inked a one-year, $5.5 million deal to join the Steelers. Defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, previously with the Titans, later signed a two-year deal worth $11 million.
How Do These Additions Help the Steelers?
Bringing in a player like Pittman gives the Steelers the second receiving option that they have needed for the last two seasons.
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Pittsburgh has been searching for a second great receiver since trading Diontae Johnson in 2023. It seemed like they had found that number two last offseason after acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Steelers later traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, leaving them in the same situation.
Pittman provides another weapon for Mike McCarthy’s offense that the defense will need to scheme around. Rather than having to worry about guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, defenses will now have to adjust for Metcalf and Pittman. This proves a stark upgrade from statistically one of the worst receivers at getting open last season.
Sticking with the offense, the signing of Rico Dowdle secures a replacement for 2025 Team MVP Kenneth Gainwell.
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Pittsburgh began the search for Gainwell’s replacement after he left for the beaches of Tampa. Dowdle is coming off his second career 1000-yard season, also running for a career-high six touchdowns. Bringing in Dowdle allows the Steelers to continue the split-backfield they ran last season with Gainwell and Jaylen Warren.
Defensively, adding Dean and Brisker bolsters a secondary that was toward the bottom of the league in pass defense last season.
Dean brings consistent play across from young star Joey Porter Jr. When he’s healthy, Dean can play up to the level of other top corners across the league. Brisker will almost certainly be a starter from day one at safety, allowing Jalen Ramsey, who switched to safety in the middle of last season, to transition back to cornerback.
Finally, adding Sebastian Joseph-Day to the defensive line adds a strong depth piece to an already powerful unit. Joseph-Day will likely serve in a backup role behind guys like Cameron Heyward and Derrick Harmon. However, a player of his caliber allows for a seamless transition when one of those guys needs rest during a game.
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Other Potential Moves
The storyline of the Steelers’ offseason, along with the coaching change, is the need for a quarterback.
Some of the top options that had been on the radar for the Steelers have already come off the board. Kyler Murray joined the Vikings in Minnesota, and the Dolphins brought in Malik Willis after releasing Tua Tagovailoa. With each day that passes, it seems more and more likely that Pittsburgh will run it back with Aaron Rodgers.
After adding a receiver and cornerback, the team now needs to look back to the trenches, this time on the offensive side.
Pittsburgh’s Pro Bowl left guard, Isaac Seumalo, joined the Arizona Cardinals. As it stands, it seems the Steelers like what they have in Spencer Anderson and may at least give him a shot at the starting job. However, it’s hard to imagine Khan won’t at least take a peek at the offensive guard market with guys like Joel Bitonio and Mekhi Becton available.
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Despite the flurry of signings, Pittsburgh still ranks tenth in cap space. They still have plenty of money to go out and fill these gaps. It is also possible that they could wait until the NFL Draft next month.
In regard to the quarterback situation, they could look towards guys like Nussmeier and Allar. As for the now uncertain left guard position, it could be Iowa’s Beau Stephens coming in as a replacement.
The post The Pittsburgh Steelers Made a Splash in Free Agency appeared first on The Lead.
Pittsburg, PA
Allegheny County to hold 100th birthday bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge this summer
With America celebrating its 250th birthday this summer, a major landmark in Pittsburgh will celebrate its 100th birthday.
Allegheny County announced a 100th Birthday Bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato made the event official on Friday morning and said it will feature art, music, games, and more.
“Allegheny County’s history is filled with innovation and creativity, beautiful architecture, and talented homegrown artists, and the Andy Warhol Bridge encapsulates all of that in one iconic structure,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “I hope everyone will come down for a fun day of art, community, and a shared celebration of our history on June 27.”
Part of the celebration will be art projects hosted and led by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Local artist Strawberry Luna will also create a special, commemorative poster celebrating the bridge’s history.
The Andy Warhol Bridge is the only bridge in the country to be named for a visual artist, according to Allegheny County.
“As our nation commemorates the U.S. Semiquincentennial, it is fitting that we recognize the oldest of the three Sister Bridges, which represent Pittsburgh’s tradition of innovation, ingenuity, and ‘we can do it’ spirit,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. “These iconic bridges, painted in ‘Aztec Gold’ as an homage to the city’s official colors, are symbols of Pittsburgh’s vibrancy, culture, and most importantly, its people.”
Formerly known as the Seventh Street Bridge, it was renamed the Andy Warhol Bridge in 2005 to honor the famous artist as well as the 10th anniversary of the Andy Warhol Museum, which is two blocks away.
Pittsburg, PA
Man critically injured after assault in Pittsburgh
A man was critically injured after being assaulted by a group of people in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood on Thursday evening, authorities said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were called to South St. Clair and Eva streets around 5 p.m. for reports of a man who was assaulted by a group of people. The assault happened next to a Whole Foods store.
At the scene, which bordered a park with a playground, first responders found a man who was unconscious and not breathing. Officers and medics performed CPR on the man until he was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The exact nature of his injuries was not released.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said “several males of unknown age” were detained and transported to police headquarters for questioning. It was not immediately known if any of them would be charged.
A KDKA-TV crew observed a second police scene nearby on Centre Avenue next to The Fresh Market, which was previously a Whole Foods. At that scene, KDKA-TV observed what appeared to be at least one teenager being taken into a police car. A witness told KDKA-TV they saw police questioning nearly 10 people, ranging from grade schoolers to teenagers.
Pittsburgh Public Safety did not say what led up to the assault.
“Those kids, whoever they were, need to be reprimanded for that, because that was horrible, horrible,” said Asia Wilter, who was nearby on Thursday evening.
Over the weekend, another man was assaulted outside a 7-Eleven store on Penn Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. Police say the assault started inside the 7-Eleven after the victim mentioned to an employee that he believed a group of teenage males was shoplifting.
Pittsburgh police say the victim scraped his elbow and had a small abrasion on his face. He refused to be transported to the hospital, but police say he went on his own to get checked out. Police are searching for the teens.
Earlier this month, six teenage girls were charged after authorities said they chased a woman into a Sephora store in East Liberty and beat her. Sephora’s loss prevention officer estimated the teens caused approximately $30,000 in damage.
Pittsburg, PA
Bystander helps students involved in school bus crash in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood
Just before 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, a school bus rammed into a tree in Highland Park.
The students on the bus were being transported to Schiller STEAM Academy when the driver began to swerve, ultimately running off the road and colliding with the tree on Bryant Street.
According to EMS, about 10 students were on the bus, and they were evaluated on the scene. Medics on the scene determined the students had not been injured in the crash.
A woman who lived nearby heard the crash and immediately jumped into action to help the students.
“Utmost importance was the kids’ safety,” said Vinnie Branch, the bystander. “I just wanted to make sure they were safe, and I just went into mom mode to protect them.”
“I think it looks a lot worse than it turned out to be,” said Brian Haravan, Pittsburgh EMS District Chief. “Thankfully, the utility pole wasn’t damaged, so while the school bus and property were, everyone else seemed ok.”
The driver of the bus was taken to the hospital for evaluation, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
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