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 May 30.
Fields, Stroud In Morocco
Justin Fields is joining C.J. Stroud for a football camp in Morocco. They’ll join Quincy Avery next month. Fields and Stroud are Ohio State products, Stroud taking over for Fields in 2021.
#OhioState Football LOYALTY will be in #Morocco 🇲🇦 #Texans QB CJ Stroud & former #Bears and now Pittsburgh #Steelers QB Justin Fields together 👀
CJ STROUD World Tour 🌏CONTINUES 🤘🏼 pic.twitter.com/ZJKIsh61xX
— PakiTexan (@Mirza12Pokeball) May 30, 2024
Though not league led, these camps show football’s growing international footprint. Something that figures to expand over the years and at some point, the league might end up playing a regular-season game in Africa.
Stroud enjoyed an awesome rookie year and immediately turned the Texans around. Fields will compete with Russell Wilson for the starting job in Pittsburgh.
Steelers ‘Love Affair’
For the oddsmaker in your life, the betting world loves the Steelers. Caesar head of football trading Joey Feazel says fans are all in on the Steelers’ line this year, especially when their win total initially came in at 7.5. It quickly led their line to be raised.
“Ever since the Steelers got both quarterbacks, there’s been heavy interest in the Steelers going over their win total,” Feazel said. “We opened at 7.5 wins, and now it’s been bet up to 8.5. It’s a real love affair with the Steelers so far.”
But Feazel noted the “sharps,” the professional bettors, have been taking the under on that 8.5 line while the public has been hammering the over. Assuming no ties, an eight-win season would result in Mike Tomlin’s first losing season of his head coaching career.
Gathings’ Number
New Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Izaiah Gathings, signed earlier this week, will wear No. 89 this summer. As the NFL Jersey Twitter account notes, that number was previously worn by WR Keilahn Harris, waived from IR with a settlement earlier this week.
Gathings is the sixth tight end on the Steelers’ offseason roster. A wide receiver at Middle Tennessee State, he has a similar background to Rodney Williams. While Gathings’ odds of making the 53-man roster are slim, the tight end-heavy nature of the roster is a nod to how OC Arthur Smith plans to build out the offense.
Hard Knocks Announcement
Finally, the Chicago Bears will be the team featured on the 2024 episode of Hard Knocks. The NFL chose the Bears today, giving viewers an up-close look at No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams as he goes through his first training camp in the league.
Had they missed the playoffs, the Steelers would’ve been eligible for the show, and it would’ve been interesting to see if the NFL would’ve picked them. The Steelers have never appeared and the league likely might have jumped at the chance to get a look behind closed doors. But the late-season surge that vaulted the Steelers into the playoffs means they won’t be eligible to appear until the summer of 2026 at the earliest. Something Art Rooney II and the team are very happy about, no doubt.
