Pittsburg, PA
Written off in Pittsburgh: 5 former Steelers looking for redemption in UFL
Spring football may not carry the same weight as the NFL, but it still offers an opportunity for everyone involved. Fans can satisfy the urge to watch the game they love, while players in the United Football League work to earn another shot at the NFL. No one should expect top-tier play from these teams, but the UFL can still deliver compelling storylines.
Several recognizable names will take the field this spring, including personnel with ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One reason or another, things didn’t work out between the Steelers and these members of the UFL, and that’s why they are attempting a comeback. Pittsburgh either cut them or let them go, and few have heard much from these former members of the Steelers since. The United Football League will see them be thrust back into the spotlight in hopes of landing a shot in an NFL training camp.
Fans will witness several Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers making a comeback in the UFL
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Louisville Kings
The name Benny Snell Jr. has disappeared from football conversations in Pittsburgh since he left the team in 2022. A fourth‑round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Snell never fully found his footing with the Steelers. He was known as a tough, physical runner who could contribute on special teams, but his role in the NFL rarely extended beyond that.
Snell struggled to make a lasting impact in Pittsburgh, and the UFL now offers him a chance to rebuild his reputation and revive his professional prospects.
Todd Haley, OC, Columbus Aviators
It has been nearly a decade since Todd Haley left the Steelers after his stint as offensive coordinator. His last NFL role came in 2018 with the Browns, and since then, his coaching career has taken a winding path that has included high school football and spring league opportunities. Haley’s role with the Aviators could provide him with a chance to re-enter the NFL coaching conversation.
Anthony McFarland Jr., RB, Birmingham Stallions
Many had high expectations for Anthony McFarland Jr. when the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His speed stood out immediately, but he struggled to develop into a complete running back. McFarland now enters his second season in the UFL after a solid stretch of production in 2025. He will need to take the next step and show more consistency this spring.
Tre Norwood, S, Birmingham Stallions
Another United Football League veteran with ties to Pittsburgh is Tre Norwood.
A seventh-round pick by the Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft, Norwood used his positional flexibility to carve out a role early in his career. He now enters his second season with the Stallions after posting modest production last year. If the versatile defensive back hopes to earn another opportunity in the NFL, he will need to make a stronger impact in 2026, particularly by creating turnovers.
Roc Taylor, WR, Columbus Aviators
Fans were hopeful for Roc Taylor after he signed with the Steelers last year as an undrafted free agent. The wide receiver group on the roster lacked depth at the time, but Taylor was unable to make it through training camp. Despite that setback, his talent remains evident, and the UFL may represent his best path forward. Taylor has a valuable opportunity in front of him to take advantage of.
Pittsburgh ranks among the top 25 best places to live, work and visit in the U.S., according to a new report.
The 2026 “America’s Best Cities” report from Resonance, an international business consulting company, ranks the top 100 U.S. metro areas overall based on factors such as economic data, quality of living and public perception. Pittsburgh scored in the top quarter of cities nationwide.
Here’s a breakdown of how Pittsburgh ranks.
Pittsburgh ranks among top U.S. cities
Overall, Pittsburgh scored at No. 25 among U.S. cities.
Top-scoring cities almost all “made the visitor and resident experience a strategic priority,” according to the report. Rankings were also further broken down based on each key scoring components.
Pittsburgh has put a focus on its cultural amenities and food scene, as well as in revitalizing its neighborhoods, the report noted. While other similarly sized cities in the ranking have fallen, Pittsburgh climbed by five spots in 2026.
Pittsburgh among best cities for livability
Pittsburgh scored at No. 24 among U.S. cities for its livability.
The report’s livability scores were ranked in accordance to the quality of daily life in a city based on factors such as walkability, transit access, air quality, climate risk, green space, housing costs relative to income, broadband connectivity, healthcare access and life expectancy, as well as if the location is somewhere people would want to live.
Pittsburgh ranks in top 30 cities for lovability, prosperity
Pittsburgh ranked among the top 30 U.S. cities for both its lovability and its prosperity, scoring at No. 26 for lovability and No. 28 for prosperity.
Lovability was scored based on factors like the quality and quantity of venues such as restaurants, arts and entertainment sites, museums, outdoor experiences and nightlife. Digital data such as search trends, social media activity and other user-generated content was also considered.
Prosperity rankings were based on factors such as gross domestic product per capita, labor force participation, innovation capital intensity, educational attainment, unemployment and poverty rates, the presence of major corporate headquarters, university quality and the number of direct air connections.
Philadelphia ranked just a few spots above Pittsburgh at No. 20 overall.
Top 10 cities in 2026 ‘Best Cities’ ranking
The top 10 cities in the ranking are:
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Miami, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Boston, MA
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
Pittsburg, PA
Delta-8 is unregulated and untested. Here’s what to know about the synthetic cannabis.
Delta-8 is unregulated and untested, and more and more users are paying the price.
Health experts say the drug often contains chemicals and toxins, resulting in psychotic episodes and, in some cases, long-term damage.
Should Delta-8 be banned?
Walk into any of the now-hundreds of vape shops in the Pittsburgh region and just about any gas station, and it’s yours for the asking: Delta-8.
It’s an unregulated, quasi-legal form of synthetic cannabis. It’s supposed to be less potent than regular marijuana, but with some users, it’s resulted in psychotic episodes involving hallucinations, hospital admissions or even violence.
“You have no idea where it’s made, what it’s made with, what’s actually in it,” addiction psychiatrist Elizabeth McCord said.
Three years ago, a then-21-year-old University of Pittsburgh student took Delta-8 and went on a rampage. He stabbed Al Carlson, a random stranger in the city’s Shadyside neighborhood, seven times, leaving him for dead.
After his arrest, Jasper Hilliard told police he had been in an altered state, hearing voices. And in court, both the defense and prosecution experts said Hilliard acted in a “substance-induced state of psychosis.”
Still, Judge Edward Borkowski found him guilty last week of attempted homicide, saying even under the influence, Hilliard could still form intent to kill. Carlson agreed, but Hilliard’s father said his son wouldn’t have attacked but for the drug.
“My son was peaceful and non-violent for his entire life up to the day the crime happened, and it only happened because, like thousands of people in Pittsburgh, he took Delta-8,” Jasper’s father, Thomas Hilliard, said on June 16.
Delta-8 adverse reactions
The Food and Drug Administration has tracked 104 reports of adverse reactions from Delta-8, involving hallucinations, confusion, vomiting and loss of consciousness and has issued a public warning. The FDA points to the unregulated, untested nature of the drug and the unmonitored use of chemicals and potential toxins in the synthesis process.
McCord says every dose of Delta-8 is a crapshoot.
“It’s manufactured through chemical conversion rather than grown naturally, so you are exposing yourself to harmful chemicals,” McCord said. “It’s so unregulated that you’re also ingesting toxins.”
But since it’s so readily available, people assume it’s safe — especially in the ingestible form as gummies — which McCord says is an invitation to young people who may be susceptible to long-term brain damage.
“You go to a gas station or head shop, and you see Delta-8,” McCord said. “It looks like candy, and that’s predatory marketing toward young individuals.”
Delta-8 in Pennsylvania
But even though 22 states have now banned or severely restricted the sale of Delta-8, Pennsylvania is not one of them. A federal ban is scheduled to go into effect in November. And under proposed legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, synthetic cannabis would be subject to testing, and only authorized dealers could sell it.
This would take it out of vape shops and gas stations, but too late to prevent the tragedy involving Carlson and Tom Hilliard’s son.
“I’m surprised the state of Pennsylvania hasn’t done something already,” Tom Hilliard said.
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