Teresa Varley

Wednesday, June 3

Happy for Herb:From the moment Nick Herbig arrived at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in his rookie season, he did one of the smartest things a rookie could do.

He followed the example set by veteran outside linebacker T.J. Watt.

Herbig was a sponge in his first few seasons, and still is, picking up every minute detail from Watt.

And today, Watt is among the happiest people that Herbig signed a new five-year contract.

"Incredibly happy, truly so happy for him," said Watt. "Just the amount of work going back to college, working with him, seeing how much he loves the process, loves the game, how much it means to him. It's truly genuine. That's what makes him a great locker room guy, and a phenomenal talent. I'm just excited that he's here for a longer time.

"Early on, I think watching his college tape, at the time he was much further along than I was at that time. Just the raw talent that he had, it was just a matter of time before he really has blown up, and I think that he still has a lot left in the tank to showcase moving forward."

Watt knows how important it is to have a strong group of edge rushers, especially as they learn a new defense under Coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. There have been some challenges and changes this offseason for Watt and his teammates, but it's been a good adjustment.

"It's been a lot, not going to lie to you," said Watt. "It's been a lot of studying, lot of learning, lot on the iPad. Also, trying to see the new faces, not only players but coaches, but it's been a lot of really good work. As you guys can see, practices are a little bit different around here, tougher as you get older to get the work in, but it's all been phenomenal."

Some of the changes are small ones, others are focused more on the teaching style with outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You.

"It's just interesting, because there's two ways to skin a cat," said Watt. "There are different ways to do things. We're just doing things much differently than what I'm used to over the last nine years, and it's good. Change is good for me, really.

"Hats off to C.J. He has a lot of good drill work for us to do. He breaks down film well, and we also just have a solid outside linebacker room to begin with. It's competitive."

Graham is also someone that has made a quick impression on Watt.

"I think more than anything, it's just great energy and a great love for football," said Watt. "Wanting to break it down and make it make sense to you. Also having a lot of walkthroughs has been very beneficial to us so that we're not just sitting in a classroom for the whole day. We're actually getting up and having those interactions with other teammates where we're looking at the big board and having that walkthrough time."

Getting a feel for it:Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has only been working in the Steelers new defense for a few days, but the early impressions are good.

"I like it," said Ramsey. "We're so early on, we just got a lot to learn about it still, but it's cool."

While there are differences this year vs. the defense the team ran in 2025, Ramsey is still feeling it out.

"I've got to let it evolve a little bit more," said Ramsey. "I'm not going to compare anyway. Every defense is different, even if you're in the same scheme, sometimes the defense can be played totally different from year to year."

What he does like is what defensive coordinator Patrick Graham brings to the overall defense.

"I think he's cool," said Ramsey. "Just the conversations we have, we're able to talk ball at any given time about anything, different positions, he can talk it all. He can talk about the D-line, the linebacker, the secondary. He's been impressive to me so far."

Ramsey brings a lot of diversity to the secondary and he isn't certain how it will play out in the new defense.

"I think we have to have more conversations about it, and things have to evolve," he said.

Ramsey has drawn comparisons from Coach Mike McCarthy and others on the staff to Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, who also brought versatility to the secondary when he played, including his time with McCarthy in Green Bay.

It's a comparison Ramsey appreciates and values.

"It means a lot," said Ramsey. "I've had a lot of pride throughout my career, being versatile, being able to do different things. Charles is definitely one of the best, if not the best ever to play the game. I want to be in the position that he was once in when he was playing, and then obviously ultimately be in the Hall of Fame one day like he was.

"He's definitely somebody I look up to, knowing that I'm around the coaches who he was around in some of his best years is pretty cool."

A whole new ballgame:As the Steelers transitioned this week from OTAs into minicamp, reminders that they're also transitioning from head coach Mike Tomlin to head coach Mike McCarthy are omnipresent.

Defensive tackle Cam Heyward, a veteran of 15 of Tomlin's 19 seasons at the helm, gets reminded things have changed before he even sets foot in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

"We used to park next to each other every day," Heyward remembered, "so that's been a little bit different."

So has the way the Steelers have been going about their business at the outset of the McCarthy Era.

"You embrace the change," Heyward continued. "I think there are things you want to stay the same but you have to be willing to put your ego aside and do what's best for the group. It's not just young players, it's young coaches, too, that still have to learn, and we want to be an olive branch to that."

Some of the changes are tangible in nature.

Others are more philosophical now that a coach with an offensive rather than a defensive background is in charge.

"I think there's attention to detail on the offensive side of the ball that I think 'Coach Mike' (McCarthy) likes to bring, but it's still early," Heyward observed. "I think we're all still learning how things go around.

"'Coach Mike' definitely has a heartbeat for the offensive side of the ball, so we'll see how that expands as we move forward."

The emphasis on and attention to detail by the new staff is a two-way street in Heyward's estimation.

New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is also embracing such concepts, Heyward maintained.

"He's very attention to detail," Heyward maintained. "He's thrown a lot at our guys and seeing how well we absorb it. There could be some things where we're like, 'Coach, we could shorten this a little bit,' just because we understand the call and what we're trying to accomplish.

"We also have some things that might look the same."

Heyward acknowledged the 2025 season "left a bitter taste in our mouth."

One response to that has been the addition of new players, as well as new coaches and new approaches.

"Guys like (cornerback) Jamel Dean, (safety) Jaquan Brisker, (defensive end) Sebastian Joseph-Day, I think it's a multitude of that," Heyward said. "And then our younger guys continue to grow, which benefits us. And, hopefully, our older guys are still on the cusp of getting better."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Back home again:The Steelers welcomed a group of alumni to practice on Wednesday, an opportunity to celebrate them and what they did for the organization, allowing them to reconnect with each other, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to get to know the current players.

The annual visit is something the alumni always enjoy.

"I think it's great," said former linebacker Terence Garvin, who spent three seasons with the team (2013-15). "It's fantastic to come back and see everything, see how practices run, getting to see the energy of the practice. But as a former player, getting to see some of your old teammates, some of your peers, guys you played with, seeing what they're doing now, where they're at now, how's life going and just picking their brain. I always say one of the biggest things about playing on the team is the locker room. It's like you get a little locker room on the field for the day, so it's great.

"I think the Steelers do a great job," said Garvin. "This is an A-plus program because of the foundation. You get to see people who played before you, guys you played with and guys who played after you. You trade stories all the way down. It's awesome."

The players stood on the sidelines, talking with coaches and players on today's team as well as getting to know alumni they never had the opportunity to meet or play alongside.

"It makes you feel young again. It really does," said former quarterback Mike Tomczak, who was with the team from 1993-99. "This is refreshing. The game is truly advanced. You see that as soon as you walk out on the field. From a facility standpoint, we're no longer walking across the street to go practice in that 80-yard field by Three Rivers Stadium.

"But it's just great to have camaraderie with the former players. The Steelers are a great organization. They really care about the players that played the game."

Tuesday, June 2

Back at it:The 2025 season wasn't what DeShon Elliott had in mind. In his second season with the Steelers, he never expected to appear in just five games, with the rest of the season lost due to injuries.

But Elliott isn't one to get down.

Instead, he is one to fight back.

"I've been hurt a couple of times," said Elliott. "First six months is hard, and the last three is pretty easy, so I'm good now.

"I had a lot going on last year. Was on the field, off the field. I'm just happy to be able to play ball again. I put that behind me. I'm blessed to be out here with my guys, man. Anything else, I can't even worry about it.

"It's a blessing to be able to play this game whenever you can. I'm going into my ninth year, missing a lot of ball last year and just happy to be out here with my guys."

Elliott has been a regular at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex throughout voluntary OTAs this offseason and during this week's minicamp.

He knows there is a lot to accomplish with a new coaching staff, changes to the defense and so forth, and he wants to be on top of all of it.

"It's a new playbook, but we have a lot of smart guys," said Elliott. "They've broken it down for us very easy. I think over these last couple of weeks, everything started coming together when it comes to the basics of the defense, and it's pretty easy right now.

"Going into training camp, once you put those pads on, football becomes actual football. So that's all that really matters."

The secondary has some new additions this year, including safety Darnell Savage who was signed to a one-year contract on Tuesday. At the same time, though, there are a lot of familiar faces on defense, including the backend with Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey and Brandin Echols.

"It helps a lot when you look to your left and your right, you've got guys around you who've been around you," said Elliott. "(Guys) who you've got love for. We try our best to also hang out outside of just being at work, so I think that also helps.

"But right now, we're all happy to be here."

One player Elliott is happy to be around is Ramsey, who took part in the first day of minicamp. Ramsey stepped up in 2025 when injuries plagued the secondary, doing whatever he was asked for the good of the team.

"I applaud him for being able to be the guy who could be the 'fix it guy,'" said Elliott. "We had a lot of injuries last year. He tried his best to be the best version of himself. Obviously, perennial all-pro cornerback, but being able to be productive at other positions. I applaud him for that. Today is his first day back, so they just eased him in. But I'm always happy to be with No. 5.

"I applaud him, because obviously he's a great athlete, and takes more than that. It takes mental. He's extremely smart. He's one of our best."

'Just let us play our game':Joey Porter Jr. has been around enough and seen enough during OTAs and the first day of mandatory veteran minicamp today to pick up on some subtle but significant changes regarding how he and his fellow cornerbacks are being coached.

"Nothing too crazy from what we're used to," Porter offered. "They're gonna let us travel (follow a specific receiver regardless of formation during a given game). They're gonna let us do what we do as corners. The biggest part is to just let us play our game and not put us in a box.

"So that's what we're happy about."

Instead of being "put in a box," the cornerbacks are being coached by the new defensive staff according to "mainly just our play styles, our body types," Porter maintained.

"As a corner, some guys can't do everything the next guy can," he continued. "As a tall corner, I can't move my feet and move back fast as Asante Samuel (Jr.) so it wouldn't be right for me and him to play the position similar. We're two different types, two different body types.

"That's kinda what I mean by that."

Porter's observation was similar to one made by safety DeShon Elliott at the outset of OTAs when he was asked what would be different about the defensive approach this season.

"Just play together, man, play together and play to your players' strengths, which I think we'll be doing that this year," he said.

Porter is easing into the transition.

Porter's rookie contract scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the upcoming season.

"I'm out here," he said. "I'm happy to be out here. I'm happy I'm with the guys learning the plays. That's all I can really ask for at this time right now so I'm just gonna keep doing that and keep teaching the young guys when I can.

"It's a new start, a new beginning. We have new coaches, we have new players coming in. I just want to be around the guys as much as possible and just to help as much as I can right now. I have all my attention toward that."

Head coach Mike McCarthy understands the situation and the responses of players dealing with circumstances such as Porter's.

"I think it's like everything in life, frankly," McCarthy said. "There's a personal side to this. There's a professional side to this. And when you break down the professional aspects of being in the NFL as a coach or a player, we all have contracts. When those things occur, I really, frankly just put that into a business category.

"I've been dealing with it for 20 years and it's the same advice I've always given. It's a business situation and do the things you need to do necessary."

In looking ahead to training camp, Porter said his hope is to be a full participant in Latrobe.

"That's the vision," he said. "I want to be out there. Everybody knows I want to be out there.

"I'm just gonna do everything I can and take it day by day."

In looking back and 2025, Porter likes what he sees in terms of his game and the reputation he's seemingly earning around the NFL.

"I feel like the main goal was penalties, I got those down," he assessed. "I did what I was supposed to do when I traveled. I feel like I really showed that the last time I touched the field, so it was pretty good.

"Definitely, I feel like I was an elite guy since I've been in this league. I'm happy that I'm getting the respect that I feel like I'm owed."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Steelers add Savage:The Steelers signed safety Darnell Savage to a one-year contract just in time for minicamp.

Savage has appeared in 88 games, with 82 starts, in his first seven seasons in the NFL. He has spent time with the Green Bay Packers (2019-23), Jacksonville Jaguars (2024-25), Washington Commanders (2025) and Buffalo Bills (2025)

He was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the 21st overall selection.

Savage has 10 career interceptions, returned for 141 yards (14.1-yard average), including one for a touchdown. He also has 367 tackles, including 273 solo stops, 40 passes defensed, 11 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one sack.

In 2025, Savage spent time with the Jaguars, Commanders and Bills. He appeared in a total of 12 games combined, finishing the season with 25 tackles, including 18 solo stops, three passes defensed and a forced fumble.

Savage signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and started all 13 games he played in that season. He finished with 51 tackles, 41 solo stops, six passes defensed, two tackles for a loss and an interception.

In his final season with the Packers, Savage started all 10 games he appeared in. He finished the regular season with 50 tackles, 35 of them solo stops, a tackle for a loss and a pass defensed. In the NFC Wild Card game, he intercepted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown, the fourth longest interception return in Packers postseason history.

Savage was sixth on the Packers in tackles in 2022, finishing the year with 57, including 42 solo stops, and was tied for fourth on the team with five passes defensed. He also recorded his first interception return for a touchdown, when he picked off Kirk Cousins and took it 75 yards for the score.

Savage started all 17 games in 2021, recorded 63 tackles, 48 of them solo stops, two interceptions, nine passes defensed and two tackles for a loss.

In 2020, Savage started all 15 games he appeared in, leading the Packers with four interceptions, all in the final six weeks of the season, and tied in the NFL for fifth among safeties. He was ranked fourth on the team with 75 tackles, 56 of them solo stops, and three tackles for a loss. He also had a sack and fumble recovery.

Savage started all 14 games he appeared in his rookie season in 2019, finishing the year with 61 tackles, 41 of them solo stops, a tackle for a loss, seven passes defensed, two interceptions and a team-high two forced fumbles. He was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. He started both of the Packers postseason games, finishing with 12 tackles, nine solo stops, and a tackle for a loss.

Savage played college football at Maryland where he played in 46 games, starting 37. He recorded 182 tackles, including 139 solo stops, eight interceptions, two which he returned for a touchdown and 22 passes defensed.

In a related move, the Steelers released defensive back Makari Paige.