MIKE TOMLIN

The on-the-fly retooling of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is nearly complete. Outgoing general manager Kevin Colbert ended his 20-plus-year tenure with the organization by investing heavily in offensive skill players in his final draft, with the hope that his still-unnamed successor is well-positioned for the future. Throw them into the mix with the top of the 2021 draft class that featured running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth and it's clear the Steelers have loaded up on young and relatively inexpensive talent (at least in the short-term).

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has spent more than 20 years being as vague as possible before the NFL draft. There will likely be a handful of prospects available when Pittsburgh goes on the clock with the 20th overall pick in the first round. Just don't expect Colbert have commissioner Roger Goodell sprint to the podium with a selection.

Former teammates and coaches paid tribute to former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins during an emotional memorial service a little less than two weeks after the 24-year-old was killed on a South Florida highway.

Haskins had been in South Florida practicing with several teammates.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been killed in an auto accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Part of the league's diversity initiative now requires all 32 teams to hire a female or minority applicant for offensive assistant coaching positions.

Part of the league's diversity initiative now requires all 32 teams to hire a female or minority applicant for offensive assistant coaching positions.

Ahkello Witherspoon spent most of the first half of the 2021 NFL season standing on the sideline in sweatpants while the Pittsburgh Steelers went on without him. Witherspoon credits both for the two-year contract he signed earlier this month that will keep the veteran cornerback in Pittsburgh. “The most important opportunity is the next one,” Witherspoon said Monday.

To ensure more opportunities for diverse candidates, the NFL has added requirements on the hiring of offensive assistant coaches, and women in general.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores thinks race placed a factor in the team’s decision to fire him in January.

Flores, who is Black, was fired in Miami despite leading the franchise to consecutive winning seasons.

Brian Flores is back in the NFL.

Large numbers of Republicans have soured on the NFL and disapprove of the league's efforts to improve treatment of Black players, poll shows.

The Miami Dolphins have hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new coach, making him the first minority candidate to get hired so far this offseason.

The NFL's Rooney Rule set out to correct inequities at the top of pro football's hierarchy. But today, there are still few minorities in head coaching positions.

Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin says the NFL needs to keep finding opportunities for coaches of color.

Majority of the league is Black, but the people that make the hiring decisions, don't represent that demographic.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says all options are on the table when it comes to finding a starting quarterback in 2022.

The NFL has taken several steps to improve diversity among leadership positions, yet Mike Tomlin is the only Black head coach after Brian Flores and David Culley were fired this week.

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio says it was his decision to fire head coach David Culley after just one season.

The Tennessee Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The Houston Texans have fired coach David Culley after just one season.

The last time the Chiefs played the Steelers, record-setting wide receiver Tyreek Hill had just recovered from COVID-19 and star tight end Travis Kelce was sitting at home and still dealing with the virus.

The last time the Kansas City Chiefs played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, Tyreek Hill was a wide-eyed rookie wide receiver, Chris Jones was learning the ropes at defensive tackle and Travis Kelce was just becoming one of the NFL's best tight ends.

It sounded like wishful thinking at best. “I'm capable of talking myself in(to) anything,” Mike Tomlin said last week when asked about the seemingly unlikely series of events the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to unfold if they wanted to navigate their way to the playoffs. Over the past four months, through injuries, uncharacteristically lopsided losses and a series of wins whose only saving grace was the final score — oh and that comical tie with Detroit — Tomlin's message has not changed.

NFL executive Troy Vincent hopes hiring minority candidates becomes so common that the Rooney Rule is unnecessary.

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't make any sense. Joe Haden returned from a month on the sideline with the game-sealing tackle in the final seconds. The offense managed all of 168 yards, failed to score a first-half touchdown for the fourth straight game and managed all of 35 yards rushing.

Never mind the comeback the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the second half.

Never mind the comeback the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the second half. Mike Tomlin had seen enough before that, and the 15th-year coach was so upset he started benching players in search of a spark. The defense gave up 176 yards rushing to the Minnesota Vikings in the first half.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are receiving a heavy dose of criticism from former players during a three-game winless streak.

New Southern California coach Lincoln Riley watched the Trojans practice Tuesday, getting a look at his next team following his surprise departure from Oklahoma.

LSU is hiring Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame.

Chris Boswell's 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left lifted the Pittsburgh Steelers past the Chicago Bears 29-27.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he considers it a “joke” that his name has been linked to open college jobs at USC and LSU.

The Las Vegas Raiders began the post-Jon Gruden era with a 34-24 thrashing of the Denver Broncos.

The NFL’s crackdown on unsportsmanlike penalties is working the way the league intended.

Nancy Armour believes we've seen the last of Jon Gruden coaching football or potentially being in the public eye as a broadcaster.

Chris Wormley is ready to do whatever the Pittsburgh Steelers ask. “I'm kind of a versatile guy,” Wormley said Monday. Good thing, because the Steelers will need the 27-year-old to be flexible, particularly with Stephon Tuitt's status uncertain as the opener against Buffalo looms on Sept. 12.

If you’re looking for stars during Hall of Fame enshrinement week, concentrate on the museum itself and the inductions this weekend.

Six NFL teams used the draft to reunite college teammates.

Mike Tomlin is sticking with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tennessee State has hired former NFL running back Eddie George as football coach.

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of an NFL football game in Nashville, in this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, file photo. Ben Roethlisberger is returning for an 18th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is taking a pay cut to do it. The team and the two-time Super Bowl winner announced on Thursday, March 4, 2021, they have agreed on a new contract that assures the 39-year-old will be back in 2021. (AP Photo/Brett Carlsen, File)PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger is returning for an 18th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is taking a pay cut to do it. NFL Network, citing anonymous sources, said Roethlisberger's new deal will essentially pay him $14 million this season and adds four voidable years to spread out the dead money.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.

(AP Photo)The NFL expanded the Rooney Rule to give more minority candidates opportunities to become a head coach and reward teams who develop them. The Houston Texans hired David Culley this week, making the 65-year-old longtime assistant the league’s third Black head coach hired. Culley and Saleh join Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Miami’s Brian Flores and Washington’s Ron Rivera as the league’s only minority head coaches. “We didn’t make as much progress on the head coaching side as we would have liked,” Rooney said. AdPerhaps an increase in minority executives will lead to more minority head coaches.

FILE - This is a 2016 file photo showing Dan Campbell of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team. The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with Dan Campbell to be their coach. (AP Photo/File)The Detroit Lions landed the coach they coveted from the start of their search by hiring Dan Campbell. Philadelphia and Houston, meanwhile, still have an opening for a head coach. Patricia, a former New England defensive coordinator, was 13-29-1 in two-plus seasons as a first-time NFL head coach.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)Say this about Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster: he sure knows how to fire up foes through jigs and digs alike. He said he thought “they’re still the same Browns teams I play every year” and while they had talent, “the Browns is the Browns." The Browns snapped their 17-game losing streak at Heinz Field with their first road playoff win since 1969. “That turns you up a little bit,” Buffalo safety Jordan Power said after the Bills’ 26-15 win over Pittsburgh in Week 14. “For the betterment of myself and my teammates, I’m going to stop dancing on the logos,” Smith-Schuster declared after that loss to Cincinnati.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates as he walks off the field following a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. The Cleveland Browns overcame all of it. The Browns dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 48-37 in the wild-card round Sunday night, picking up the franchise’s first postseason victory in more than a quarter-century and earning a trip to Kansas City next Sunday to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The kick bounced into the end zone for a touchback and Mayfield calmly took Cleveland 80 yards in six plays. So much for the Browns being the Browns, a winking assessment Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster made about Cleveland in the middle of the week.

While the Chiefs get another week’s rest, the six other AFC playoff teams get going this weekend. For just the second time since the 1970 league merger, every team in the AFC playoffs has at least 11 wins. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 54, 31-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020, at Miami. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 43, 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2009, at Tampa, Florida. Their pass rush is nearly nonexistent with 19 sacks, the fewest by a playoff team since Denver had 19 in 1979.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates after the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Cleveland. The Browns, winless just three seasons ago and so bad for so long, are in the playoffs. The Browns and their passionate fan base endured 197 losses, 14 double-digit-loss seasons and seven coaches since the last playoff appearance. For the moment he got to Cleveland in 2018, Landry's goal was to get the Browns back to the postseason. Steelers: Will be back at full strength for their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) passes against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to let Ben Roethlisberger rest up for the playoffs. Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Roethlisberger will not play when the AFC North champion Steelers (12-3) visit rival Cleveland (10-5) in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The Browns drilled the Steelers 21-7 on Nov. 14, 2019, a game in which Rudolph threw four interceptions. Garrett's first game against the Steelers this season was uneventful, a 38-7 Pittsburgh win on Oct. 18 in which Rudolph actually came on in mop-up duty of Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter.

The NFL won’t be cutting in line to get the coronavirus vaccine. “No one should be thinking about the vaccine going anywhere other than our first responders and the most vulnerable people right now,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association. “The rollout of the vaccine is going to be driven by public health concerns and what medical and government officials determine to be the most efficacious for risk reduction across society as a whole. The largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history got underway Monday with health workers rolling up their sleeves for the first shots on the same day the nation’s COVID-19 death toll hit a staggering 300,000. High-risk health care workers and some nursing home residents were among the first in line for the shots that could finally conquer the outbreak that has upended life across the globe.

His 28 TDs passing rank second most on the team list, and five behind the single-season record set by Kelly in ’91. Acquired in a trade with Minnesota in March, Diggs now has 100 catches to match the Bills’ single-season record set by Eric Moulds in 2002. The Steelers continue to resemble nothing of the team that set a franchise record by winning its first 11 games. The game was decided midway through the fourth quarter after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass hit a 23-yard field goal to put the Bills up 26-15. SACK STREAKThe Steelers extended their sack streak to a 70th consecutive game to break the NFL record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1999 to 2003.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington (13) celebrates with JuJu Smith-Schuster after scoring on a 50-yard pass play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team in Pittsburgh, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers spent three months shaking off whatever 2020 threw at them. pointing out time and again the only thing perfect about them was their record. Washington won the Super Bowl that season. The Bills beat the Steelers — minus Roethlisberger — 17-10 at Heinz Field last December to lock up a playoff berth.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) tries to fend off Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tramon Williams after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Pittsburgh. So forgive the Pittsburgh Steelers if they're not exactly caught up in the hype — or maybe lack of hype — surrounding their perfect start. Yes, the Steelers are unbeaten. “Every week is a test,” Rivera said. “It really is about feel and opportunity as far as those things are concerned," Rivera said.

NEW YORK – For the Pittsburgh Steelers, getting to 11-0 was worth the wait. The Steelers maintained their top spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. 1 seed.”The Chiefs remained at No. The AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills remained at No. The Rams will head to Arizona and face the Cardinals in a key game in the NFC playoff race.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell (24) runs away from Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker L.J. So while the Steelers stayed perfect with a disjointed 19-14 win over the undermanned Ravens in the first NFL game on a Wednesday in eight years, their play was anything but. “To be bluntly honest, I’m really disappointed in our performance tonight,” he said after Pittsburgh improved to 11-0. But the Steelers were able to drain the clock behind a third-down grab by James Washington, eliminating the Ravens from repeating as AFC North champions. “The way the game went, obviously we wanted to win,” Griffin said.

The Pittsburgh Steelers activated their longtime quarterback and three other teammates off the COVID-19 list on Saturday, clearing the way for Roethlisberger to be in uniform when the Steelers (8-0) host Cincinnati (2-5-1). Roethlisberger didn't miss a meeting thanks to advances in technology but admitted it wasn't the same as being on the field. This won't be the first time Roethlisberger has played on Sunday despite sitting out the entire week. Coach Mike Tomlin, however, believes Roethlisberger should be able to play without missing a beat given his experience level. We've been as safe as we can possibly be at home.”The Steelers also expect Williams to fill his usual spot at inside linebacker after being cleared.

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)NEW YORK – In their bid to stay perfect on the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been cutting it really close in recent weeks. After earning last-minute wins in their past three games, the Steelers remained on top in the latest AP Pro32 poll. The Steelers held off the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 when Stephen Gostkowski missed a late field-goal attempt. “The perfect season continues, but the Steelers aren’t quite perfect, as their comeback win over the woeful Cowboys showed,” Newsday's Bob Glauber said. The Titans (6-2) lead the Colts by a game for the top spot in the division.

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)The Pittsburgh Steelers' pursuit of a perfect season has a new opponent in COVID-19. The reserve/COVID-19 list is either for players who have tested positive or have been in close contact with someone who has. Baltimore defensive back Marlon Humphrey received a positive test result just hours after Pittsburgh edged the Ravens. ... Tomlin said Roethlisberger is fine after taking a shot to his left knee in the first half in Dallas. Roethlisberger missed one series but played the entire second half to rally the Steelers from a 10-point deficit.

The limp was gone as the 38-year-old engineered a fourth-quarter comeback that kept Pittsburgh as the NFL's only unbeaten team. Those are the four games Dallas has been without star Dak Prescott, out for the season with a broken ankle. Roethlisberger's first touchdown came after he injured his left knee after a throw on a hit from defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. “Someone hit me right on the side of the knee, kind of bent my knee a little bit,” Roethlisberger said. “Just had some discomfort.”Gilbert's first touchdown pass was a 20-yarder to Lamb for a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File)All NFL games are on for this weekend while teams deal with COVID-19 issues. The Cincinnati Bengals kept players away from their training facility, while tackle Fred Johnson and defensive back Trae Waynes were placed on the COVID-19 list. “The whole reason we’re doing it is to get guys to the game,” coach Raheem Morris said. Everybody wants to play the game.”A Miami Dolphins assistant coach, also unidentified, tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantined. The Houston Texans returned to their facility a day after it was closed following a positive COVID-19 test by a player.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 and the club $250,000 because coaches improperly wore facial coverings last Sunday, a person with knowledge of the fines told The Associated Press on Friday. The Las Vegas Raiders and coach Jon Gruden this week were fined a total $650,000 and docked a sixth-round draft pick for repeated violations of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols. A person familiar with the punishment said Thursday the team was fined $500,000, Gruden docked $150,000, and the draft pick stripped because of how the team handled Trent Brown’s positive coronavirus test last month. The Raiders have been penalized several times this season for violating coronavirus protocols, with the punishments leading to a total of more than $1.2 million for the team, Gruden and players. They are the first to be penalized a draft pick following multiple violations.

Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Devin Bush (55) is helped from the field after he was injured in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Pittsburgh. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in the post game news conference that Bush suffered a significant injury to a knee on the play. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in the post game news conference that Bush suffered a significant injury to a knee on the play. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)Pittsburgh second-year inside linebacker Devin Bush sustained what coach Mike Tomlin called a “significant knee injury” in Pittsburgh’s 38-7 rout of the Browns on Sunday. Board has movement in his limbs after suffering a concussion and neck injury in the team’s 20-19 win over Washington. Bush, who had not missed a defensive snap all season, injured his left knee in the second quarter when he took an awkward step while attempting to break up a pass. Also, Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes suffered a neck injury in the game.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and head coach Mike Tomlin are denying claims from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett that Rudolph uttered a racial slur prior to a brawl that erupted between the two teams at the end of a game last season. https://t.co/mZcEcC0tCl Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) February 15, 2020Tomlin also backed the quarterback in a statement released Saturday. "I support Mason Rudolph not only because I know him, but also because I was on that field immediately following the altercation with Myles Garrett, and subsequently after the game," Tomlin said. When Garrett appealed his suspension, he told the NFL Rudolph called him a racial slur, but the NFL could find no evidence to support that claim. Both Rudolph and Garrett could be seen trying to remove each other's helmets while wrestling on the ground prior to Garrett hitting Rudolph.

(CNN) - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the rest of the season and will undergo surgery on his right elbow, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement Monday. "Ben Roethlisberger had an MRI on his right elbow Sunday evening and it was determined by the Steelers' medical team that surgery will be required," Tomlin said. Second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph out of Oklahoma State replaced Roethlisberger on the team's first possession of the second half. On Sunday, before knowing that Roethlisberger would need surgery, Rudolph said he would be confident in taking over if Roethlisberger were to miss time. Roethlisberger is the Steelers' all-time team leader in passing yards and touchdowns.