A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for Jan 27.
Roethlisberger’s Retirement
As noted by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Twitter account Saturday, two years ago to the day, QB Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats. The announcement wasn’t surprising, with Roethlisberger taking his last lap around Heinz Field following a win over the Cleveland Browns, the last home game of his career.
But there was little fanfare for the moment. Roethlisberger’s team produced a video of him announcing he was hanging up his cleats, though no formal press conference was ever held.
Roethlisberger ended his NFL career only playing for the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and going to a third. His next stop will be Canton, Ohio.
Patriots WR Arrested
New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte was arrested earlier this week on a string of serious gambling-related charges. Boutte is accused of placing nearly 9,000 bets under a fake account over a 13-month period, betting on at least six games he played in while a receiver at LSU.
So far, there’s been no indication he gambled on NFL games. Once viewed as a potential top draft pick, Boutte was drafted in the sixth round in 2023 by the Patriots. He caught two passes as a rookie. The league has had a string of gambling suspensions over the past year, and recent authority granted to Roger Goodell gives him the ability to suspend Boutte for conduct he committed before becoming an NFL player.
Kelce’s Choose Steelers
On the latest episode of their New Heights Podcast, Jason and Travis Kelce are picking the best team names and uniforms. In another matchup of the Baltimore Ravens versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Steelers came out on top again. Both Kelce’s picked the Steelers with the better name, history, and uniform style over the Ravens.
“I just like the Steelers better,” Travis Kelce said. “Art Rooney originally founded the team as the Pittsburgh Pirates but, without much success, wanted to rename the team. And then decided to go with Steelers because of the old Rust Belt and the Steelers’ heritage with the steel mills.”
The Steelers were called the Pirates from 1933-1939. In the NFL’s early days, it was common for football teams to take the same name as their MLB counterpart and try to feed off baseball’s popularity. But it rarely worked. There is actually a fair amount of dispute over where and how “Steelers” originated. Kelce points to Rooney picking it, while other accounts have the Steelers chosen in a fan-submitted contest.
