Wednesday links: Who should the Steelers extend next?

Ryan Shazier Has New Role with Steelers

**(From Steelers Now’s Chris Ward):** After spending two seasons on the Steelers’ physically unable to perform list, Shazier announced his retirement from football in 2020. He helped out in the scouting department for a little and was a coaching intern in 2024. Shazier now has a new role with the Steelers, serving as the team’s alumni relations assistant. He started the position last year. Despite suffering a career-ending injury in 2017, Shazier has continued to find ways to stay in the Steelers’ organization. Now, the former Pro Bowler is helping coordinate the franchise’s alumni relations.

The yearn for youth, at last, at quarterback

**(From DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Dejan Kovacevic):** Only now, see that through this prism: Allar was the only quarterback in this rookie minicamp. No practice-squad possibilities. No spares.

And that, as McCarthy’d concede, was by design. He wanted no one else present.

“We did, and we pushed him,” McCarthy’d say of Allar. “To go 35 snaps in a team drill, that’s pushing it. But he handled it. We kind of gauged it yesterday to see how we’d work through it, and he’s a big part of it. Everybody else, knowing their assignments, the defense getting their communication … it’s important for us offensively to really push the envelope in the pre-snap component of it…” With no Aaron Rodgers — or any other quarterback, for that matter — at minicamp over the weekend, third-round rookie Drew Allar was the main focus. He was seen as a project pre-draft, and the Steelers seem to be diving into that challenge.

Steelers rookie camp takeaways: Drew Allar’s total rebuild, O-line alignment clues

**(From The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo):** McCarthy is taking an extremely hands-on approach with his young quarterback. Truth be told, McCarthy probably gave more detailed, nuanced feedback to his quarterback than Mike Tomlin did in my entire time covering the former head coach. Yes, this has a lot to do with the fact that Tomlin was a defensive coordinator before he was hired as a head coach. But that’s the point. If the Steelers hired McCarthy to help them develop the next franchise QB, the new head coach is already diving deep into that process. It’s also worth noting that Tomlin was a bit of a CEO-type coach, chatting up everyone from the practice squad players to the stars during stretching lines. While the rest of the team was stretching, McCarthy was working with Allar only. The above is what I saw as the most interesting tidbit from Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo. It’s not really a critique, but still a good look into what separates Mike Tomlin from Mike McCarthy as a head coach. I’d recommend reading the whole piece for the few takeaways gleaned from the Steelers’ limited minicamp showings.

Inseparable since high school, Eli Heidenreich and Alex Tecza get one more reunion with the Steelers

**(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko):** Back in the day, you may have found Heidenreich running around in his James Harrison No. 92 jersey while Tecza was sporting No. 43 Troy Polamalu. But Saturday they were No. 29 and No. 40, white practice pinnies, the only two running backs on the roster for the weekend — Heidenreich a seventh-round draft pick and Tecza a tryout player. A worthwhile piece regarding Heidenreich and Tecza — who were the engine of Navy’s backfield in 2025, and reunited once again at the Steelers’ minicamp.

The Ravens Likely Came Much Closer To Drafting a QB Than You Think

**(From SI’s Jason La Canfora):** “I’ll tell you this, they did a lot of work on quarterbacks, a lot of work,” said one NFL general manager. “The two teams that quietly did the most work on quarterbacks who already have franchise quarterbacks– and I’m not talking about day three kids – this is (Drew) Allar and (Carson) Beck and (Taylen) Green – I’m telling you it was Baltimore and Philly. They were both in on all these kids. The Ravens were also doing their homework on Allar in this year’s draft — as well as several other passers the Steelers were looking into over the spring. Maybe there’s an alternate universe where Allar is a Raven — and what does Baltimore’s sudden quarterback interest mean about Lamar Jackson’s future?

5 Steelers who could be next for a contract extension after Chris Boswell’s deal

**(From Still Curtain’s Ryan Pawloski):** Dylan Cook

No one should expect it, but Dylan Cook could be a player the Steelers attempt to buy low on. A modest two-year deal will give the team flexibility to move on if he fails to build on his strong finish to the 2025 season. Cook showed he is capable of starting at the NFL level, which could give him a legitimate opportunity to earn a role this year. This could be a good low-risk safety measure. There are more pressing names in the article, but I did like the Cook mention as an under-the-radar option, even though I highly doubt the Steelers would extend him early.

Who should the Steelers extend next?

With Chris Boswell’s new deal out of the way, it’s time for the next order of business. To me, it’s a battle between 2023 draftees Joey Porter Jr., Nick Herbig, and Darnell Washington. All three have strong arguments, but if Pittsburgh could only extend one, I’d choose Porter. He has the most established role on the team moving forward, and is the only one with a legitimate claim at being one of the top 10 at his position in the NFL. Plus, with star Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez up for an extension this offseason as well, it would be good for the Steelers to get ahead of the market with a timely offer. Still, make no mistake — Porter won’t be cheap. Earlier this offseason, I predicted something in the $23 million per year range — but recent deals for Trent McDuffie and Derek Stingley have set the new benchmark at $30 million for an elite cornerback. ***Who do you think the Steelers should extend next?*** *Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments.*