It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
(From Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley): After being closed for the 2024 season, there was an official ribbon cutting for the return of the Steelers themed roller coaster, with it back in action for the amusement park’s 2025 season.
“We missed it,” said Ryan Huzjak, the Steelers vice president of sales and marketing. “It was an exciting process to get it up and running and see it go through it’s first season. We have been patiently waiting for all of the improvements to be made so it can be up and running consistently. We are excited for the re-opening and hopefully a long run.”
The Steel Curtain, Pennsylvania’s tallest roller coaster, was shut down for maintenance “to increase its reliability and longevity” last year after opening in 2019. Now, it’s back for 2025. You can view the Kennywood amusement park hours here.
Lots of work is happening on Steel Curtain at Kennywood. The ride received many new supports during the off-season, along with a redesigned logo, and the train is currently back on the track. The ride is scheduled to reopen Summer 2025.
Here’s a look at current construction,… pic.twitter.com/OXw4eh0vk8
— Coaster Nation (@Coaster_Nation) April 17, 2025
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko): It’s why the Steelers’ starting strong safety decided that when he signed his two-year, $6 million contract last offseason that he wanted to involve himself with young people in his new city. And, specifically, he wanted to target mental health as a means by which to make an impact.
“It can be difficult for kids to even want to express themselves,” Elliott said. “Knowing how people might try to perceive you or make fun of you for having certain emotions. Or crying. Or looking for outside sources or outside help to be able to express how you really feel.”
Per the website of Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens, the organization Elliott partnered with, they provide “youth and families in the Greater Allegheny County area with a safe space where youth can be creative and expressive as they navigate their role in their community and in the world.”
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): The Pittsburgh Steelers have added a new coach for their OTA sessions this offseason. Derrick Mason, the assistant defensive backs coach at Johns Hopkins, posted on X that this is his first day with the team.
Farabaugh notes that it’s not expected to be a long term hire for the team, but rather a learning opportunity for Mason. How long he’ll be with the team is unknown.
Mason is entering his third season with John Hopkins; prior to that, he was a high school coach, most recently an assistant at Meade High School in Maryland. Last year, John Hopkins went 12-1 in the regular season. You can view Mason’s coaching profile (last updated in 2024) here.
(From Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald): Massive bogus void year salaries have allowed teams to get around rules surrounding renegotiations while also escaping certain salary cap treatments. Certain teams are tanking or finding ways to carry over massive amounts of cap room to increase the ability to spend the following year. Per game bonuses hidden as NLTBE incentives. Even insurance premiums could be a point of discussion.
I think it is clear that as the NFL approaches their next CBA they have already identified areas that they may want to discuss tweaking to try to bring things back to how the NFL functioned and spent from 2011 to 2018. Some teams would certainly be strongly against these changes but many I think would support changing things if it means finding ways to reduce player compensation and bring costs down more in line to what the NFL owners felt was fair about a decade ago.
Fitzgerald’s article dives into the implications of some comments NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made during last week’s owners’ meeting in regards to salary cap spending and league revenue splitting. The current NFL CBA runs until March 2031, so a lot can change between now and then, but early talking points hint at owners wanting more of the league’s revenue, and potential changes to “loopholes” in the NFL’s salary cap system.
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): Beanie Bishop confirmed to reporters that he started OTAs as the starting slot cornerback after practice on Tuesday. That is hardly a surprise, given the other options on the roster, as Bishop started 8 games for the Steelers in that role a year ago.
Bishop looked a bit different, too. It was a leaner, more explosive version of Bishop. He spent his entire offseason in Pittsburgh working with the Steelers’ strength and conditioning staff to re-work his body. His diet changed, too, so he could drop the fat.
While the entire summer is still ahead of us, Steelers’ cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. seems to be starting out on the right foot. Despite Pittsburgh signing Brandin Echols, a corner with inside/outside versatility, to a two-year, $6 million deal in free agency, Bishop is opening OTAs as the starter in the nickel and is expected to put up a good fight to stay there.
Can Beanie Bishop Jr. hold on to the starting job at slot cornerback?
This is a question the Steelers Read & React column addressed earlier this year if you want a more in-depth look. My take is that Bishop absolutely can start in the slot — if the game slows down for him in Year 2.
Bishop tested well athletically coming out of college, but his game speed, especially in man coverage, didn’t look the part last season with the Steelers. But in zone, Bishop had some good moments, and he was consistently scrappy as a tackler despite his size. If he can improve his reaction time in coverage from his rookie season, there’s a good chance he can beat out Echols, who I’d classify as a better cover corner right now, in the training camp battle.
Echols is a good player in his own right, but he has been a backup for most of his career and his inside/outside ability (mostly outside last season) might force him into a different role, especially if the Steelers suffer any injuries on the boundary. If Bishop is as explosive as advertised this year, I like his chances to hold on to the starting slot cornerback job entering the season.
What are your thoughts on Beanie Bishop entering his second season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below!
