Training camp starts on Wednesday — new football is almost here! But before then, let's take a look at a Steelers season from the past.

From the first edition of this series (read it here!):

Earlier this year, I solicited some article ideas from BTSC readers, and one of them was a “where are they now” piece on past Steelers. Believe it or not, 2015 was a decade ago, and that felt like a natural spot to look back on from 2025.

In that season, the Steelers finished 10-6 and placed second in the AFC North behind the 12-4 Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Steelers would knock the Bengals out of the Wild Card round (the Martavis Bryant flip catch game) before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.

In Part 2, we’ll be looking at the major defensive contributors on that 2015 team. You can view statistics, full rosters, and more on Pro Football Reference. Here’s what they’re up to now:

DE Cam Heyward (54 total tackles, seven sacks)

Still on the Steelers! Heyward is entering his 15th year in the NFL at age 36 in 2025. He’s also coming off his fourth-career first-team All-Pro.
Heyward’s 88.5 career sacks currently rank second in Steelers history, behind T.J. Watt’s 108.

Founded “The Heyward House” through the Cameron Heyward Foundation in 2015, which “seeks to empower, enlighten, and engage youth through innovative programs, partnerships, and community outreach.” Heyward won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2023.
Hosts the weekly “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast through Vox Media.

NT Steve McLendon (14 total tackles, one sack)

Last played in the 2021-22 NFL season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; won a Super Bowl with them in the 2020-21 season.
He founded the Team MVP Gym (MVP stands for “McLendon Vision Performance” in this case) in Flowery Branch, Georgia, in 2019 while he was still a player. This 2023 article from Jets.com follows up with McLendon: “It’s like one of the best things ever for me because I see their process. I see their journey. I see their hard work. I see their dedication, not only in the gym, but I get to see it in their classroom.”
Per that 2023 article, McLendon lives in Buford, Georgia, with his wife and four sons.

DE Stephon Tuitt (54 tackles, 6.5 sacks)

Last played in 2020. Tuitt suffered an injury in 2021 and lost his brother, Richard Bartlett III, in a tragic hit-and-run that same year. Tuitt didn’t play that season and retired in 2022. “After the tragic loss of my brother Richard, and upon completing my degree from the University of Notre Dame, I know I am being called to move beyond the sport of football,” he wrote in his retirement announcement.
Tuitt has largely stayed out of the news since his retirement. This 2022 piece from DK Pittsburgh Sports stated that the Tuitt family was still seeking answers after Bartlett’s death.

OLB Arthur Moats (35 total tackles, four sacks)

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

OLB James Harrison (40 total tackles, five sacks)

LB Ryan Shazier (87 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss)

LB Lawrence Timmons (119 total tackles, six tackles for loss)

LB Vince Williams (46 total tackles, two tackles for loss)

Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

OLB Jarvis Jones (29 total tackles, two sacks)

The Steelers declined Jones’ fifth-year option in 2016. Despite signing with the Cardinals in 2017, he was released with an injury settlement and never returned to the NFL. The 2013 first-rounder played just four seasons, logging six career sacks.

Returned to his alma mater of Georgia in 2019 and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Human Development and Family Science at 31 years old. He also served as a student assistant coach.

In May 2025, Jones was named the head coach of Carver-Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he used to play.
Served as the Georgia Bulldogs’ assistant outside linebacker coach for five seasons; still listed as the player connection coordinator on the team’s 2025 football staff.

OLB Bud Dupree (26 total tackles, four sacks)

CB William Gay (58 total tackles, two interceptions)

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Gave us the funniest excessive celebration in NFL history in 2015.
Last played in 2017; signed with the New York Giants in 2018 after being released by the Steelers but was cut before the season.
Currently the Washington Commanders’ assistant defensive backs coach; hired in 2024. Gay was an assistant coach for the Steelers in 2019 and the defensive backs coach at Missouri State in 2020.
Gay has been vocal over his career about raising awareness and support for victims of domestic violence. His mother was murdered by his stepfather when he was 8 years old. This 2019 Steelers.com feature details his efforts to support the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

CB Antwon Blake (77 total tackles, two interceptions)

CB Ross Cockrell (44 tackles, two interceptions)

Last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers’ 2020 team alongside Steve McLendon. Since his 2016 season with the Steelers, Cockrell also had stints with the Giants and Panthers.
Cockrell has been out of the news since his retirement, but appeared at a practice for his alma mater Duke in 2024.

S Will Allen (80 total tackles, one interception)

Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Retired following the 2015 season; played half of his 12-year NFL career with the Steelers.
Founded the Will Allen Foundation in 2008, which provides educational partnerships and holiday giving for children in the Pittsburgh area and elsewhere, amongst other efforts.
Per his LinkedIn, Allen is a member of several boards and an investor.

S Mike Mitchell (80 total tackles, three interceptions)

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Other notable Steelers on defense in 2015:

LB Sean Spence
S Robert Golden
DB Brandon Boykin
DT Cam Thomas
DB Cortez Allen
OLB Anthony Chickillo
LB L.J. Fort
DT Daniel McCullers

Bonus: special teams

K Chris Boswell (29/32) — 2015 was his first year with the Steelers. He’s still on the Pittsburgh roster, and one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. Appeared on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast less than a year ago.
P Jordan Berry (59 punts, 42.6-yard average) — 2015 was also his first year as a Steeler. The Aussie last played in 2021 for the Vikings but spent a week on the Steelers practice squad in 2022. He’s been out of the spotlight since, but still posts occasionally on Instagram.
LS Greg Warren (16 starts) — last played in 2016; released in 2017. Spent entire NFL career with Steelers. Per a 2021 interview with Steelers Takeaways, he’s an investor and part-time worker at his brother-in-law’s physical therapy clinic.

Read part 1 here!