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 21.
RB Rankings
Pro Football Focus released a list of the top 100 running backs for 2024 fantasy football leagues. Three Steelers made the list. Jaylen Warren actually ranked one spot ahead of Najee Harris, 26th compared to Harris’ 27th, but the two being bunched together speaks volumes about the timeshare PFF expects this season. Warren’s third-down role gives him more value in PPR leagues while Harris may win out in standard formats.
Cordarrelle Patterson appeared near the very end of PFF’s list, slotting in at No. 99. The team’s top kick returner, he’s expected to see offensive snaps but his week-to-week production figures to be spotty and impossible to trust.
Topping PFF’s list is San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey followed by the Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, whom the Steelers will try to contain Week 1. Hopefully they fare a whole lot better than they did against McCaffrey to open up 2023.
Rocky Bleier’s Good Cause
Former Pittsburgh Steelers FB Rocky Bleier served as chairman for the 41st annual Tournament of Love held at the Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y. As part of the Camp Good Days event, the outing raised money to help those impacted by cancer.
“It’s about giving back, and it’s about touching lives — and you don’t know the impact that it has on somebody’s life unless you’ve been there,” Bleier said via Rochester news outlet WHAM.
Bleier recovered from injuries suffered in the Vietnam to return to football and win four Super Bowls during the Steelers’ 70s dynasty. Since his football career wrapped up, he’s been a public figure all over the country, doing plenty of good along the way.
NFL Headed To Australia
The NFL continues to set sights on playing all over the globe. With games in London, Ireland, and now Brazil in 2024, the league is considering new territory in its quest for global football domination. According to 9News’ Tom Morris, the NFL is considering playing a 2025 or 2026 game in Australia.
“9News can reveal the Melbourne Cricket Club is exploring the possibility of hosting a game in the 2025/26 season.
While discussions are in their early stages, it’s understood the LA Rams have been slated as the ‘home’ franchise for what would be an historic occasion in Australia’s sports capital.”
As the article explains, the Rams would be chosen because of a direct flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, making logistics easier.
With a stadium known as “The G,” it holds up to 100,000 fans and opened in 1853, though it’s undergone plenty of renovations since then.
The Steelers are likely to play internationally in 2025 though they’re most likely to end up in Mexico or Ireland instead of Australia. Pittsburgh last played outside the USA in 2013 against Minnesota, losing in London.
