The Jig Is Up: Steelers Bye Week Blues before Week 1

Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.

Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.

The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.

I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.

Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…

The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man

The jig is up…time for some randomness.

Rodgers Return, or Fields Revenge?

When I think about the upcoming matchup between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are a lot of narratives which will be discussed leading up to the game. Will the main headline be the Aaron Rodgers return to MetLife Stadium? Or will it be the revenge factor for Justin Fields after he chose the Jets over the Steelers this past offseason?

To me, this is a no-brainer. I think the media will be infatuated with the Rodgers returning to New York, while the Fields vs. Steelers will be nothing more than a footnote. Even though both quarterback’s former homes were short-lived, Rodgers will still move the needle far more among the NFL media than Fields.

Can’t we all just get along?

This past week was one of the busiest for the Steelers offseason where the team cuts their roster from 90 players to 53, and it is also one of the worst weeks of the year in terms of fan emotions.

During all of the pre-draft, combine and draft process, some fans fall in love with specific prospects. Prospects they feel are the next big thing, if only given a chance. If said player is cut, or isn’t brought onto the practice squad, fans tend to take it personal. With all fans taking the corner of specific players, it turns into a knock-down-drag-out battle over who does, or doesn’t, make the cut.

To me, it shouldn’t even matter. If one of these fringe players, someone who would encompass the final 3-4 roster spots, actually sees significant snaps in the regular season things have gone south in a big way. In other words, let’s focus on the regular players this upcoming season, and squabble less about those fringe players.

Offensive Weaknesses

When you look at those main players on the Steelers roster, it is worth comparing the upcoming regular season roster to those around the league. Some will point to strengths as a way to decipher the wheat from the chaff, but I prefer to look at the weaknesses to see who has the least, and less severe, weaknesses.

Let’s look at the Steelers weaknesses heading into the regular season, starting on offense:

Wide Receiver: Yes, I still feel the wide receiver position is a weakness on this roster. If DK Metcalf can stay healthy, they should be fine. But if he gets hurt for any duration of time, things could get ugly quick.

Offensive Line: The offensive line didn’t perform poorly in the preseason, but the young group is so inexperienced it is too early to say they aren’t considered a weakness on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensive Weaknesses

Now for the defense:

Defensive Line: If all players were healthy, I wouldn’t have this on the list, but with Derrick Harmon nursing an MCL injury, and Keeanu Benton working through an “upper body injury” this position group certainly will be tapping into their depth sooner than later. Problem is, the depth isn’t “above the line”.

Safety: I love DeShon Elliott, but Juan Thornill and Chuck Clark will have a lot to prove this season. Sure, on paper it looks like they’ll be fine, but we still don’t know what the defense will look like without Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Did Jerry really just do that?

I know I typically don’t discuss non-Steelers stuff here in this article, but I can’t get over the shock of the Dallas Cowboys trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two 1st Round draft picks and a defensive lineman.

BREAKING: The Green Bay Packers have finalized a trade for Micah Parsons 👀 pic.twitter.com/aE9uabtTVm

— Pro Football Insiders (@Pro_FB_Insiders) August 28, 2025

Jones might not be ready to pay a non-QB that type of money, but he looks more like Bob Nutting right now than anything else. If I were a Cowboys fan, I’d be exhausted and furious…just like I feel like being a Pirates fan.

Show me swings-and-misses

The other day I saw this graphic come across my Twitter/X feed, and it just cemented out the Steelers have continued to take big swings at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

Aaron Rodgers is the best QB to play for the #Steelers since Big Ben.

Will it equate to a playoff win for the first time in 9 years for PIT? #HereWeGo

📸 via @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/UQ02FU51RH

— Pro Football Insiders (@Pro_FB_Insiders) August 27, 2025

They’ve taken several big swings, and thus far only misses. A high priced free agent, a 1st Round draft pick, and two retread quarterbacks in hopes of catching cheap lightning in a bottle. Nothing has worked so far, but will that change in 2025? Let’s hope so…

Rested and Rejuvenated

If you noticed I’ve been more silent this week than most, both on social media and not being on the Steelers Preview, it is because my family has taken a must-needed vacation in the Outer Banks, NC. Outside of roster cuts, it was a great week for me to get away before the season starts and the heavy lifting begins.

The Steelers are taking four days off before returning to work next Monday, and the hope is they too return ready for the upcoming season. Rested and rejuvenated.

I’m ready, and let’s hope they’re ready too, but I want to send a special shout out to Dave Schofield for taking on more writing this week to allow me time with my family.

Vacation is over…and now it’s go time!

Check out the latest “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below:

That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the New York Jets in Week 1 of the regular season.