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.
Former Steelers Scout Dies
Former Pittsburgh Steelers scout Charles “Chuck” Connor died on Jan. 20 at the age of 87. Connor served as a BLESTO scout for the team for several years before being hired by Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins. He also worked with the Atlanta Falcons, helping lead them to a Super Bowl appearance.
Replying to the news, former Steelers’ scout Mark Gorscak shared a brief comment about Connor.
A Pittsburgh native, Connor’s funeral will be held Tuesday.
Roethlisberger Retirement Anniversary
Three years ago today, QB Ben Roethlisberger announced he was moving on with life’s work. Though the announcement was expected, Roethlisberger shared a video to tell the world he was walking away after a remarkable 18-year career.
There was no final press conference held, a bit unusual for an iconic player like Roethlisberger in retirement. While his football career is over, he hasn’t been out of the spotlight. He started the popular Footbahlin podcast and has held interviews with the Pat McAfee Show and occasional local radio station call-ins. His next and final football stop will be Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Roethlisberger will be eligible in 2027.
Poor Pittsburgh WRs
Though the eye test confirmed it alone, advanced analytics showed the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t spend much time throwing to their wide receivers this season. Football Insights shared a chart showing target share and EPA when teams threw to their running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers. Pittsburgh targeted their wide receivers just 49 percent of the time this season. They were one of just a handful of teams to sit under 50 percent joining the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and New Orleans Saints. Chiefs aside, the rest weren’t great NFL offenses.
That’s despite Pittsburgh having pretty good outcomes targeting the position. A 0.37 EPA that ranked sixth in the NFL, no doubt aided by WR George Pickens’ big plays.
The Steelers had the highest rate of throwing to their running backs at 24 percent of the time, though their EPA was only average. Pittsburgh also saw moderate success throwing to their tight ends and did so at an above-average level, top 10 in the league.
Bradshaw No. 1
The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers held the top pick, they made good use of it. On this day in 1970, the Steelers took La Tech QB Terry Bradshaw No. 1 overall. You can hear commissioner Pete Rozelle announce the pick below.
Despite a rocky beginning to his career and never quite seeing eye-to-eye with Chuck Noll, Bradshaw would develop into a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins during their 1970s dynasty. He was a cornerstone in turning around the franchise from lovable losers to perennial winners.
