[BREAKING] NEW LIFE IN PITTSBURGH! STEELERS SIGN DARRICK FORREST TO SAVE THEIR SEASON AND SECONDARY!

[BREAKING] NEW LIFE IN PITTSBURGH! STEELERS SIGN DARRICK FORREST TO SAVE THEIR SEASON AND SECONDARY!

back. God’s position ran is a legit MEP candidate and we’ll talk about that. But first, let’s start in Pittsburgh and and JJ, I want to come to you because you wrote about this last week. Uh Jordan Love out Aaron Rogers to Aaron Rogers and now the Packers are 5-1 and one best record in the NFC, but and this is what you wrote about. The scuttlebutt is that soon to be 42-y old Aaron Rogers might be interested in playing in 2026. And I would imagine that the Steelers would love to run it back with him. What do you know about that? Yeah, I I believe so. You go back to the summer and he did not rule out um this being his last year. You say, “Yeah, I think it is right.” But he didn’t shut the door on it. And I don’t know any former Packers and Jets quarterback who would toy around with retirement, say that they’re done and then not be done. But um he did not completely close the door, right? And so now you start playing the way that he’s been playing, right? Right. I mean, Aaron Rogers didn’t lose that game last night by any stretch. Um, and you have to wonder if this is going to be something where he comes back next year. I think the Pittsburgh Steelers would love to have him back. You look at this draft class, you guys know it well. Is this a draft class that the Steelers think that they’re going to go out and get their next Ben Rothllessberger in the draft? You know, probably not. Um, do they like Will Howard? Sure. Do they want him to be their week one starter next year? Probably not. So, um, all of those things are very possible. But I I say all that in the same breath as it was a you know a little bit later in the year where we thought oh boy Russell Wilson they might resign Russell Wilson by the end of the season they didn’t want anything to do with Russell Wilson right so uh I don’t think that’s necessarily going to be the case with Aaron Rogers but it being a third of the way through what they hope to be their season who knows exactly how uh it’s going to go once they get to February and March. Hey Ran, let me ask you this from the GM perspective because a couple things. You mentioned Big Ben JJ. He was drafted 04. Rogers was drafted no five somehow still playing. But the other thing is this. Are you having meetings meetings ran um with your higherups uh the pro side and the the draft side about the the landscape of the QB class? And also at this point in the middle late October, hey, we want to bring back this soon to be 42-y old because we think we can build around him. Is that better use of your resources? like what are the conversations at this point when you’re thinking about bringing back a guy that maybe you thought was only going to be there for a year? Yeah, I think if you’re Omar Khan, you’ve already you’re already looking at quarterbacks for next year in terms of the draft class um and what they bring. And we talked about it or JJ talked about it. Um this draft class, it may not have a quote unquote star, right, that everyone can hang their hat on and say, “Hey, this guy’s Joe Burrow. He is the bonafide number one pick.” Li and I, we’ve been going back and forth this morning on guys he likes more than this guy. Um, I think it’s clear if you watch this show who I like the most in terms of this draft class. I I will say this, them them bringing Aaron Rogers back, that conversation has been had. And I know like JJ said, we got to play out the rest of the year and see what that brings. See how that goes. But I do think there’s a scenario in which you bring back Aaron Rogers. What that number is, what it cost you, that remains to be seen. But I also think there’s also the scenario you bring him back and you still draft a quarterback relatively high and allow that person to sit for a year and then transition. I know Ryan your smirk. I’m not buying into the Will Howard thing being the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers moving forward. I think their eventual starter is is going to be in the 2026 draft class. Uh I was partially smirking because of that, but also because Aaron Rogers was going to be like, “You know what? I saw this movie when they drafted Jordan Love and I was super bummed out about that. Um, but at 42, that’s a different conversation. And it appears that Aaron Rogers likes Pit Pittsburgh and his teammates and Mike Tomlin. And I’ll ask you one more thing, Ran, before we move on. Uh, are you basically saying we’re all in on trying to make a legit run or just win a playoff game, which they haven’t done in a while? because this team is pretty old and if you pass on a quarterback that you like, whoever that may be, and roll with Aaron Rogers for one more year to get a wide receiver or whatever, what is the expectation of what the how 2026 plays out? Like how far are you getting into January football? Well, I think if you have Aaron Rogers as your starting quarterback for another year if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think you’re pretty much hedging your bet that you’re going to play in the tournament in January, right? and you giving it and and we all know all you need is a legitimate shot to be in the tournament at five. My memory serves me correct when Aaron Rogers won the Super Bowl. I think that was in 2010. They were the six seed that year. And so they just they just barely got into the tournament. They got into the tournament obviously ran the table and won the Super Bowl. So you just want opportunity to get into the tournament. And I think if you’re looking at it, if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, who under Mike Tomlin have never had a losing season, you’re looking at it as who gives us the best chance to get in the tournament. Is that going to be a rookie quarterback or is that going to be Aaron Rogers? Yeah, and you know, Steelers fans are angry because this team hasn’t won a playoff game in forever. And um JJ, do you I guess I’ll ask you this way based on you know, your thoughts personally than people maybe you’ve talked to. Does Aaron have enough to keep this going? I mean, obviously he’s an upgrade over Kenny Picket and that’s not even a conversation, but is he an upgrade over whatever rookie quarterback he might draft and develop? Yeah, I think so. I I I think also we probably need to re-calibrate what we think about Achilles injuries, right? Like they they they sort of have been we’ve always said like ah, you know, 8 10ish months a year, right? But we’ve seen with Kurt Cousins, who has looked like a shell of himself really outside of a couple games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, I think, um that he never really got right for the Achilles. And you know, Rogers had that procedure, the speed bridge that really hadn’t been done before. We hadn’t seen a professional athlete, certainly no one at his age and at his position. And it took him some time. Now he looks like a very young 41. He looks like what we were thinking the next, you know, 40 plus year old quarterback could be as Tom Brady was doing what he was doing several years ago, right? So, it seems that he has fully recovered from that, but it took longer than what our what our minds sort of sort of were calibrated toward. Maybe because like a Terrell Suggs came back incredibly early and a a Cam Acres came back in five and a half months, right? Those those are the exceptions. So, there’s that. Um, and then he’s throwing the football 70 yards in the air uh in prime time football a couple weeks ago, right? So the arm’s still there, the mobility’s there, but if you have a 40 plus year old quarterback, you have to have an offensive line and you have to have weapons out there and you have to have a run game. So that’s going to be true wherever Aaron Rogers goes. And frankly, wherever any player of any sort of mobility goes. Um, so I think that he certainly has a 2026 in him. You you don’t want to see him fall off a cliff this season, right? You don’t want him to have a December like Russell Wilson had last year. That’ll change everything. But as long as he remains on this trajectory or even this he stays linear, right, I I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to have him back in 26. Yeah, you make a lot of good points and we’ll talk later in the show about some more latest rumblings with the trade deadline, but the Steelers could use a wide receiver. You’re talking about playmakers and the defense didn’t play very well last night either. Um, we didn’t try to give the the Packers short shrift here. They’re one of the best teams in football. Before we go to a break, Ran, I just ask you, is this the best team in football? And the the the team at top the uh this is so funny. The team at top the AFC, your Indianapolis Colts. If the Colts play the Packers in the Super Bowl, who’s winning that game? If the Colts play just just one game to get it done, uh I I probably I’d probably say Green Bay right now. Oh, come on, man. And and and the reason why I say that is because again, you give you give uh you give Mike u Matt Laflur, excuse me, uh an opportunity two weeks to scheme up a plan because it’ll be total scheme. And I just I just worry about the defense of Indianapolis um and the secondary and how they’ll hold up if if they’re spread out and and you have a Josh Jacobs in the back field, right, which makes it a balanced offense and have the ability to hit explosives. and you got the tight end and Tucker Craft and Luke Musgrave and those guys. So, I’m I’m just I would just say one game going at it. I would just say Green Bay right now. Jonathan Taylor plays for the Colts. Yeah. And the MVP Jonathan Taylor, but why let us get to break before I start going there. And you owe Jaylen Squirts an apology, so I’ll let you do that when we get later this show. So disrespectful. Uh that’s what you call Jaylen. That’s what you called Daniel Jones in week two if I recall correctly. Steelers Nationwire, gather round because this is one of those moments when everything’s in play and nothing is lost. The lights are bright, the pressure is real. And the standard that this organization has built over decades demands more than excusem. Here’s what’s happening. The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly signing veteran safety Derek Forest to their practice squad to help shore up a secondary that’s taken hits lately. And that move tells you everything about the direction, mindset, and urgency in Pittsburgh right now. Let’s break it down. Forest, 26 years old, former fifth round pick in 2021 by the Washington Commanders, has shown big flashes. 88 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles in his 2022 season. He’s not a household name, but the Steelers are looking for someone who can step in, be ready, and help stop the bleeding in a back end that’s been under siege. Here’s why that matters. The Steelers came out of the gate strong this year. 4-1 to start felt like momentum, belief, identity, but the last two games have exposed issues. 60 points allowed, nearly 700 passing yards surrendered, six touchdown passes allowed in those losses. On top of that, starting safety Deshaawn Elliot suffered a hyperextended knee injury in the loss to the Green Bay Packers and is week to week. The secondary’s communication and past concept recognition have been flagged by head coach Mike Tomlin as we’ve not been doing it well enough. So yes, the move to add Forest shows urgency. It shows Pittsburgh is not content to just hope things turn around. They’re acting. We know Tomlin said the team is open for business ahead of the November 2nd trade deadline. That means the front office, the coaching staff, the locker room, they all recognize the margin for error is shrinking. Now, let’s talk about why this can flip from problem to opportunity. Forest brings athleticism, experience, and a fresh start. At Cincinnati in college, he had 200 tackles and six interceptions. He tested well, 4.43, 40-yard dash, 39in vertical. Pittsburgh needs those crates. Speed to close ground, instinct to read the quarterback, and versatility to cover deep and intermediate zones when the offense goes boot, when the tight end runs crossers, when the play design changes at the line. With Elliot down, someone has to step into that role. Forest gives the room strength and potential. Here’s where this becomes meaningful for you, the fan. When defense wobbles, identity slips. But when defense responds and rallies, identity solidifies. The Steelers used to be defined by a defensive edge, by making opponents one-dimensional, by physically disrupting routes and games. The past two weeks haven’t looked like that. But hope isn’t lost. The action speaks. Making the move for Forest, working out Von Bell and Eddie Jackson, staying open to trade options, all these communicate a mindset of fight, not fold. And here’s the real kicker. The next stretch of schedule demands response. If this team rebounds, it also claims narrative. If they limp, it confirms doubts. The identity of this season turns on. Now, when you’re dealing with injury, you’re dealing with depth, you’re dealing with blown coverages, you don’t erase that overnight. But what you can do is set the tone. You can demand better. You can use this roster’s history of toughness and resilience as your foundation. Let’s be clear, making Forest the latest piece doesn’t guarantee a turnaround, but refusing to act would have. This move says Pittsburgh still believes it can compete, still believes it can win, still believes the standard matters. It should signal to you that your team isn’t giving in. They’re reloading. They’re resetting. In conclusion, yes, there are problems, secondary breakdowns, injuries, communication failures. They’re real. But the Steelers are responding. The front office didn’t roll over. The coaching staff didn’t accept defeat. And you, the fan, you deserve this. A team that fights. A team that refuses to bow. A team that stands up now, not later. So, here’s what I want you to do. Hit that like button if you believe the Steelers still have what it takes. Subscribe to Steelers Nationwire because we’ll be here every time they fight, every time they respond, every time they rise. Drop a comment below. What do you think is the one change Pittsburgh must make in the secondary to flip the season? New starters, schematic shift, more blitzing, more zone. Let’s talk. The standard remains, the fight remains. See you next week in Pittsburgh.

After allowing nearly 700 passing yards in two games, the Steelers move quickly to sign veteran safety Darrick Forrest. Coach Mike Tomlin is proving this team is not done fighting. Learn how this bold move could reignite Pittsburgh’s season and set the tone for a defensive resurgence.

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