Steelers to Gronk: We're coming for you

Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler had a look over what he had to field against the Patriots on Sept. 10 and didn't see as much as was there in recent years.

Looking across the field at his foe, aside from quarterback Tom Brady, he identified his No. 1 target: tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots are relatively thin at receiver, making Gronk the most dangerous weapon overall in New England's arsenal.

The solution: "constant contact."

"He has success when people don't put their hands on him," Steelers safety Mike Mitchell said of Gronkowski. 

So Butler will direct his pass defenders and tacklers to maul him within the first five years allowed them by the rulebook.

"You just have to jam him up a little bit, mess with his timing," Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier said. "If you mess up their timing, they are really time-oriented. You have to mess up their timing and get in his face with pressure, then I feel we can slow him down a little bit."

Pittsburgh will get the first crack at stopping Brady as he launches his NFL revenge tour after having his former four-game suspension vanquished by federal judge Richard Berman in connection with his very-much alleged and very-little proven involvement in DeflateGate. 

The Steelers' plan to stop Gronkowski has to be supplemented by their plan to stop Brady. If they can't get to the source, their overall effort will prove fruitless. Pittsburgh was 27th overall last season against the pass, permitted 7.8 yards per attempt (the fourth most), and allowed 253 yards per game, better than only five other teams.

Steelers DE wants Tom Brady

For the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, the resolution of Tom Brady's DeflateGate conundrum could be the difference between a win and a loss in the NFL's regular season opener Sept. 10.

Oddly enough, having Brady on the field that night was the outcome they wanted. 

At least for one of them.

"It wouldn't be better if you beat him," Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward said when asked if he preferred suiting up against non-four-time Super Bowl winner Jimmy Garoppolo.

"Our best against their best. 7's [Ben Roethlisberger] gonna be there -- 12's [Brady] gonna be there. So let's join the party."

Without judging too much, it may be safe to presume a party isn't what first-year Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler is expecting. The Pittsburgh defense is not what it has been in recent years, a composite of youth and injury that could use Garoppolo as a punching bag to get themselves confident for the fall.

But now they'll face not merely Tom Brady, but Tom Brady in a considerably vengeful mood.

Whether that anger bodes well for Heyward and the Steelers, the entire nation will find out together as the Patriots mount their title defense in pursuit of their fifth Super Bowl in six days.

Steelers defense will face Brady, not Garoppolo

The man most pleased by the erasure of Tom Brady's four-game suspension is Tom Brady. The man most displeased by it is Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler.

It'll be his retooled and refigured stoppers that will face not Jimmy Garoppolo on Sept. 10 when the NFL regular season begins, but the four-time Super Bowl champion (and considerably vengeful signal caller) Tom Brady.

Pittsburgh is making a major transition on the defensive side of the football after they parted ways with long-time coach Dick LeBeau this winter, and the results as of yet have not been pleasing to the eye.

A steel curtain, they have yet to be.

In the combined first halves of four exhibition contests, opposing quarterbacks have completed passes at a rate of 80 percent, have thrown four touchdowns, failed to complete even one interception, and compiled a 122.3 quarterback rating in the process.

Buffalo gained 542 yards against this group last weekend while gashing them for 20 or more yards on seven plays from scrimmage.

"After the last performance, I don't feel like we had too much to look at that was encouraging, to be honest with you," linebacker James Harrison said after that showing. "It's still the preseason, but there are still things that we need to fix or adjust."

Whether or not the preseason is or is not an omen of things to come, those numbers are not inspiring. Keith Butler tends to think it does.

"We need the experience together, and even if it is experience of failing, it is better than not being out there," he said this week. "You have to put some stock in the preseason because you have to see who can do what and you evaluate like that."

To be fair, the Steelers haven't been fielding their complete unit. Lawrence Timmons, the leader of their linebacking corps, has missed three weeks with a toe injury. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt twisted his ankle against the Packers and safety Mike Mitchell has been nursing a sore hamstring and twisted ankle that kept him from action.

Still, Pittsburgh was 18th in total defense and 27th against the pass last season. Meanwhile, Brady threw the fifth-most touchdowns (33) and the Patriots were 9th in total offense. But the Steelers have hope in second-year linebacker Ryan Shazier and drafted two promising talents in backer Bud Dupree and corner Senquez Golson. They added corner Brandon Boykin in a trade with the Eagles in August.

The sum of those parts will reveal themselves in due course over their 2015 campaign, and they'll get one of their stiffest tests right away in Foxborough with the nation watching.

Phil Taylor visits the Steelers

A former AFC North defensive tackle may be taking his talents to his former team's archrival.

Phil Taylor was released by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday alongside a $5.477 million payday, a number that could rise should anything come from what a league source reported was a visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

Nothing else was confirmed aside from the visit and no other word has come forth as of yet, but with the recent condition of the Steelers' defense, an addition of this caliber could help.

A first-round selection four years ago, Taylor requested the Browns release him after the emergence of defensive tackle Danny Shelton, the team's first-round pick out of Washington.

Cleveland reportedly made no request that Taylor request a smaller amount of money to provide any offset in exchange for his release.

Sammie Coates won't take over for Martavis Bryant

Following the four-game suspension the NFL handed down to Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant, it was widely believed that third-round pick Sammie Coates would "pick up the slack."

So you would think.

But on Tuesday, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger intimated and head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed, per the Post Gazette, that special teams player Darrius Heyward-Bey would serve that role and not Coates.

Sammie Coates, formerly of Auburn, is on the roster because the Steelers knew about Bryant's failed drug tests and the likely suspension that would result. The problem is, that replacement has not looked very good in the exhibition season.

He has the size, speed, and strength that are required of the position, but Tomlin believes that something extra is still missing, something he calls "football condition."

He was not alone among the youth on the roster to do without it recently.

Tomlin publicly criticized his younger players as a whole for what he viewed as their failure to get properly involved in the gameplan in the team's third preseason game, a 43-19 defeat at the Bills, referring to them as the "walking dead."

No names were named, but Tomlin could have easily directed those remarks at Coates, who failed to secure a reception that day.

The troubles don't end there, though. Heyward-Bey only had three receptions in 16 games last season, his first with Pittsburgh, for 33 total yards. Which likely leaves the Steelers relying more on two-tight end sets this fall than in putting too many drives in the hands of someone who hasn't been used much to this time.

Steelers' Michael Vick: My role is clear

Somebody up there was winking when the Steelers decided to sign quarterback Michael Vick on National Dog Day.

Six years since being released from federal prison for his role in a dog-fighting ring that put a corkscrew in his once-promising NFL career, Vick is looking at a reserve role with his fourth franchise. Not the young starter he once was, he knows this is another man's team.

"I admit that I didn't do it as well as I wanted to, because in my mind the position I was in was supposed to be different," Vick said, via the AP. "But I think you've got to accept it first. I think I've been able to do that and come to grips with it, and my role is clear."

Though he's not pulling the plug on the unique talent he feels he can provide a game plan, and he has reason to believe ithe still has it. He was in many ways the better of the man he stood behind with the Jets, starter Geno Smith.

He did, after all, throw two touchdown passes last season against the Steelers in a winning result.

"I felt like I didn't lose a step, especially with my arm strength and my speed, and I just didn't understand why [I didn't get called]," he said. "But I kept my faith and kept working hard, because I knew that at some point, eventually I would get a shot."

In what precise form that shot will come in with Pittsburgh, only head coach Mike Tomlin knows, and right now, he's keeping his options open.

"His talents are his talents," Tomlin said. "He can throw the football. He can put it anywhere on the field."

Though, since being doused in dollar bills this offseason, quarterback Ben Rothelisberger will be the one putting it anywhere. But with the poor showing No. 2 Landry Jones had starting in the Hall of Fame Game, the Steelers thought a 35-year-old surrounded by game-day protestors and activists would be the better option should the worst case arise.

Steelers RB Bell "just getting started"

Most of the people who watched Steelers tailback Le'Veon Bell last season would admit he had a breakout season. He produced 2,215 total offensive yards and 11 touchdowns, named by more commentators than not as the best rusher in pro football.

Not that Bell himself would agree.

"A lot of people talk about the season I had last year," he told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "They call it a breakout season, but I don't look at it like that. I look at it as me just getting started."

Pittsburgh posted the second-best total offense in football last season, behind only the Saints, and Bell himself accounted for the second-most rushing yards behind DeMarco Murray. 

"I still feel like I can do a lot of things better," he added. "Last year wasn't even close to me being my best."

Bell said he lost four pounds this offseason and now accounts for only 2.9 percent body fat, an effort he says will improve his speed.

"I watch myself now and I look at last year like I wasn't really quick," he said. "Feels like it was [slow motion]. I'm a lot quicker, a lot more explosive now."

His humility is the typical, cliched athlete fare about their not proving themselves yet and how they have a long way to go. Which is always welcome -- humility, after all, is a virtue. But it would be foolish to deny the mastery of the gridiron Bell showed he could achieve, and with the improvements on the Steelers' front protection and the overall talent on the offensive side of the football, the question now is whether or not Bell can build on that campaign going forward.

Philip Rivers got his; is Eli Manning next?

All around him and everywhere he looks, Giants quarterback Eli Manning is surrounded by other guys at his position getting landmark extensions for landmark sums.

The Steelers drowned Ben Roethlisberger in sixty million guaranteed dollars. As did the Seahawks with Russell Wilson, and the Panthers for Cam Newton. Miami doused perpetually average signal caller Ryan Tannehill in $45 million guaranteed, and the Chargers on Saturday gave Philip Rivers an early Christmas bonus.

Four years, $83.3 million for Rivers all told, and the $65 million they guaranteed him is the most for a quarterback in the NFL. The number of Super Bowls currently residing in San Diego? Precisely none. 

And in the Giants' trophy case? Four. Two of which were put there by the younger Manning. Twice as many as the other Manning, the one who was supposed to win them.

So, of course, the negotiations to extend the leader of their pack during those two campaigns must be on, right? Wrong.

Apparently, it takes less time for the United States to get the Supreme Leader of Iran's signature on paper than it does for the Giants to get Eli Manning's John Hancock on one.

Giants co-owner John Mara said as training camp was getting started that some manner of agreement would be had between the two before too long. Manning will be playing the final year of his current contract and this offseason watched two of his cohorts from the 2004 Draft get upgraded, again.

Mara has intimated that these sorts of things are a kind of ritual. The agent, he says, "asks for the moon" before being talked back down to earth by sensible management. For what price Tom Condon, Manning's man in that room, currently believes the moon is worth no one knows. Because no one has asked.

If the transactions in Pittsburgh and San Diego (and Charlotte?) are any indication, it's worth around $60 million guaranteed. 

Who's fault is it really that Shaun Suisham got hurt?

Shaun Suisham isn't your average NFL place kicker. Since joining the Steelers in 2010, he's had more of a linebacker's mentality than anything else. It's the kind of spirit that gets you the respect of your teammates and the fans on Sundays. 


It's also the kind of spirit that gets you injured.

Suisham's boot to open the third quarter of the Hall of Fame Game in Canton last Sunday will be the last to skirt off his foot this season. The kicker with a heart of a linebacker got a little too involved in the actual football, eventually limping off the pitch after a tackle attempt along the sideline, and into an MRI tube.

A torn ACL, they said. The whole season, they said. 

Enter Garrett Hartley, who the Steelers signed this week to boot extra points in the occasionally-notorious Heinz Field this year. With the condition of the Steelers' offense the way it is, and the added length tacked onto extra points, it could be a demanding job.

Pittsburgh was understandably confident when they inked Suisham to a four-year deal last August. He was a 90 percent field goal and PAT kicker last season, among the top-5 in the NFL. But then they made the classic mistake: not bringing in the second man in case of injury.

With that lack of depth at the position, the question naturally arises as to why they had Suisham in the gameplan on Sunday at all? Why put him at risk for a potential injury? Surely, there were any number of kickers sloshing around NFL rosters who were available for the job. For a month, for a few weeks, for the night.

It's only natural enough to put the blame for something on the guy who actually did it. It was, after all, Suisham who went in for the tackle and tore his knee. But it's the coaches who are paid to make the decision as to who is on the field and who is not to start with. 

That's Mike Tomlin, who this offseason signed an extension that will give him $7 million a year to make those decisions. 

He was forthright enough to sit the recently-extended Ben Roethlisberger that night and stick Landry Jones in there to pitch. Sure, it wasn't a pleasant sight, but the game didn't count and he got some meaningful reps against a real defense. And now they don't have to worry about their No. 1 quarterback being injured for the future. 

If only the same decision were made for another one of their important players. But now, because it was not, the AFC North just got a little harder for the Steelers to win. If it comes down to a 45 yard field goal, that is.

Live from Canton, OH: Vikings down Steelers 14-3

After a long and icy NFL offseason filled by court dates and accusations and suspensions and all-round unpleasant tidings, the national game finally returned to the nation. Deep in the heart of Ohio, the city of Canton, the birthplace of that game in its finest form, American men did precisely what American men were born to do -- run into each other for money.


Though, the occasion being the Hall of Fame Game, the hitting was not particularly concise. Nor, indeed, was most of anything else. All told, the Minnesota Vikings scratched together two touchdowns and the Pittsburgh Steelers skidded by on a field goal as the first tale of the gridiron played itself out on Sunday night.

Here are the Pro Football Report's takeaways:

- The national game was played with a heavy heart, as it finds itself without Frank Gifford as a spectator. The former USC and Giants all-rounder took a knee on Sunday morning at age 84 in Connecticut. Natural causes, they said. It's the only way to go.

- Should the Steelers ever find themselves in need of the services of Landry Jones behind center, the first thing that comes to mind is, "Run it." Jones played himself into the second half on the night as Ben Roethlisberger, weighed down by several tens of millions of dollars, patrolled the sideline. His backup averaged all of 4 yards per attempt, slinging 32 of them, 15 of which found somebody. It was like watching a man who hasn't started a pro football game, which, incidentally, Jones hasn't. Rust takes time to blast off.

- The same prognosis goes for tight end Jesse James, who lived up to his infamous name, robbing Jones of two receptions, including one that surely was a touchdown on a goal-to-go situation from the Vikings 2. A Pittsburgh-area native, James was fearsome at Penn State, but outside the borders of the commonwealth, had a case of the drops. His second drop (or rather, chest bounce) ended up in the hands of the other guys.

- On a brighter note, Vikings signal caller Teddy Bridgewater looked confident in the pocket. He connected with Kyle Rudolph on a pair of catches for 22 yards as the Notre Dame tight end availed himself the middle of the Steelers' linebacking tandem. 

- But Pittsburgh's stoppers looked in sync in the early going. Former Ohio State backer Ryan Shazier (2nd year) was trying to get noticed. He was. Lawrence Timmons is still the leader of this group, but Shazier is finding his way to the ball easily. Sean Spence contributed to a triplet that has the makings of preserving the Steeler name behind the line. All three were fast and went to the play rather than letting the play come to them in the first quarter.

- Dri Archer (Steelers back) needs to learn how to run upfield, fast. There are ball carriers that run for daylight and there are those that do a Viennese waltz. The end zones aren't on the sidelines. 

- Minnesota's Stefan Diggs slithered through Steeler protection to the 1 on a splendid 62 yard punt bring-back. Highly recommended out of Maryland this spring, that effort must have brought a sparkle to Vikes coaches' eyes. Just as advertised. Joe Banyard slinked over for the last yard to finish the scoreline. 

- The Steelers got some grisly news about their kicker. Shaun Suisham suffered what the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called "potentially significant" on the third quarter kickoff. He's the only boot on the roster, so the club will have to go out and buy another one before too long. That could be important nowadays -- with the point after moved back to the 15, they may be asking themselves if a two-point conversion is their newest friend. 

- Reason to get up in the morning secured, at last: Football is back.

Steelers still disappointed in Le'Veon Bell

The Pittsburgh Steelers learned on Tuesday that running back Le'Veon Bell will be back on the field one game sooner than they thought after the NFL reduced his suspension to two games.

While they're happy the team will have him in the lineup for that extra game after a banner year in 2014, Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert reiterated the club's disappointment in his behavior.

"As I have stated before, we were disappointed in Le'Veon Bell's actions last August," he said in an official statement on the team's website.

"Le'Veon made a mistake and now he must learn from his mistake and focus on eliminating distractions from his life. We look forward to continuing to work with Le'Veon to try to help him reach his full potential as a person and as a player."

Bell was arrested with former teammate LaGarrette Blount last August when he was found in possession of marijuana on a traffic stop in suburban Pittsburgh. Blount, now with the Patriots, is suspended for one game.

Bell carried for eight touchdowns on 1,361 yards last season and will be able to participate in all offseason activities and preseason games with the Steelers before returning in Week 3.

@MrJamesParks

Steelers' RB Bell has suspension eased

On the same day that saw the NFL bring and keep the hammer down on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension for the "more probable than not" saga of DeflateGate, they took a somewhat kinder stance with another one of their own.

The NFL reduced Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell's former three-game ban down to two for his violation of their substance abuse policy following his arrest last summer for possession of marijuana.

Bell was suspended in April for that episode and placed on a 15-month probation. Running back LaGarrette Blount was with Bell at the scene when the two were teammates in Pittsburgh. Now with the Patriots, his one-game suspension still stands.

Bell had a banner year in 2014 out of the Steelers' backfield, rushing for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 starts, including a 200 yard performance at the Titans in a Monday night clash.

Pittsburgh travels to New England to face the Brady-less Patriots on the NFL's opening night Sept. 10.

@MrJamesParks

Big Ben thinks best still to come for Steelers

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger must be getting greedy since the team gave him that $60.75 million guaranteed.

But greedy in a good way, for the betterment of his team. 

Which, he thinks, has its best days ahead of it.

A team that last season set records for points (456), first downs (379), and yards per game (411) in the eight decades and two years there's been pro football in the Steel City. 

Roethlisberger was a vital cog in the offensive triumverate that powered Pittsburgh in 2014, alongside wide receiver Antonio Brown and tailback Le'Veon Bell. 

As he reported to training camp over the weekend, "Big Ben" infused the proceedings with some traditional preseason optimism.

"We want to start fast and we want to be able to put 30 points on the board in every game," he said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

He believes it's a possibility moreover than just the usual offensive headline-grabbers, but more importantly because of the state of his front protection.

"That group in front of me is as good as any in the league, and as good as any I've ever had," he said. "It's great. Then you look at outside receiver. AB [Brown] is as good as anybody in this league and arguably one of the greatest that I've played with. Just all around on offense, we have just a special group. It has a chance to be really good."

Rothelisberger passed for 4,952 yards last season, tied for most in football with Drew Brees, with whom he also tied for first in yards per game (310). His 30 touchdowns were seventh-most against only nine interceptions. 

A mere pittance compared with what he thinks is to come in his 12th professional season, considering his ageless throwing arm and the combination of youth, speed, and experience he has around him in his supporting cast.

@MrJamesParks

Steelers extend G.M. Colbert

Stability has been the name of the game in Pittsburgh in recent decades, not only in the win column and on the sidelines, but in the front office, as well.

Days after the Steelers inked an extension for only their third head coach since 1969, they gave the same security to their G.M., Kevin Colbert, who they extended through 2018. He, like Mike Tomlin, had been signed originally through next season.

"I am happy to announce that we have extended Kevin Colbert's contract for two additional years," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a team statement. "Kevin's work and footprint on our football operations have been a key factor in our success. We are excited Kevin will continue to lead our personnel department for at least the next three years."

A native of Pittsburgh, Colbert grew up along the Ohio River, not far from where Heinz Field stands today. An almunus of North Catholic High School, he was named the franchise's first-ever general manager in 2010 after spending 11 years as the Director of Football Operations.

"I am truly grateful to Art and Mr. Rooney for the opportunity to continue my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers," Colbert said. "It is with great anticipation that we enter into the 2015 season in pursuit of another Super Bowl championship."

The Steelers acquired two of those during his 15 years with the program, along with 11 winning seasons, and a third appearance in the big game.

@MrJamesParks

Steelers extend Mike Tomlin

If there's anything the Pittsburgh Steelers are known for besides winning, it's consistency. The model of stability and tradition, the franchise on Wednesday announced they would give a two-year extension to their third head coach since 1969.

Mike Tomlin, who succeeded Bill Cowher in 2007, will remain with the Steelers through 2018, the team announced. The deal will make him among the five highest paid coaches not merely in the NFL, but all sports.

"Mike has proven he is one of the top head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident he will continue to lead the team in our pursuit of another Super Bowl championship," Steelers president Art Rooney II said.

The Steelers have never suffered a losing campaign under Tomlin's guidance (82-46), and have made the postseason in five seasons, winning four AFC North titles, culminating in two Super Bowl appearances, and one victory.

"I very much appreciate this contract extension, but my sole focus has been and will continue to be meeting the challenges that lie ahead for the 2015 season," Tomlin said in a statement following the announcement.

"These past nine years in Pittsburgh have been a wonderful experience for my family, and I look forward to pursuing what is the Steelers' goal every year - bringing another Super Bowl championship to the city of Pittsburgh."

Steelers great Troy Polamalu retires

PITTSBURGH - Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is retiring from the NFL after a twelve year career, he told Scout.com after telling team owner Dan Rooney on Thursday night.

A stalwart figure in the Steelers' recent two Super Bowl campaigns and one of the league's hardest hitters in the last decade, Polamalu was named to the Pro Bowl eight times since being drafted from USC in 2003.

"It's all about family," the 33-year-old told Jim Wexell of Scout. "I live here in Pittsburgh now, and since the end of the season I've had a chance to enjoy my family on a level I never had before. It was awesome."

Polamalu, a Greek Orthodox, says he came to the decision while in church during Holy Week.

"Thirty-three is obviously significant because of Christ being 33; and 12 years, 12 apostles," he told Scout.com. "I'm not superstitious by any means but I always thought that if I played 12 years and retire from football at 33 and give my life and give my body and give my blood to his game, I think that would be a pretty significant landmark in my life."

An anywhere-on-the-field defensive talent, Polamalu leaves the game with 770 career tackles and 32 interceptions, all with the Steelers, telling Wexell he "did not seriously consider playing anywhere else."

The team had reportedly asked Polamalu to retire after last season's end, and according to the Post-Gazette were prepared to release him had he not.

A champion of Super Bowls XL and XLIII, injuries and durability would become a concern in recent years, and the five-time All Pro would only see the field in 16 games twice in his final nine seasons.

"It's time to start living," he said.

Steelers RB suspended 3 games

PITTSBURGH - Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has been suspended for three games this season for a violation of the NFL substance-abuse policy, the league announced on Thursday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the story.

Bell has elected to appeal the suspension, related to a traffic stop last August in suburban Pittsburgh resulting in a DUI arrest. His former teammate, rusher LaGarrette Blount, now with New England, was in the car with him, and was suspended on Wednesday for the regular season opener by the league.

Bell, who was also fined a game's paycheck, emerged last season as one of the top runners in football, placing second league-wide with 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns, adding three scores through the air on 854 receiving yards.

Steelers cut Lance Moore

PITTSBURGH - Wide receiver Lance Moore was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, according to the Post-Gazette and other sources. 

Moore caught only 14 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns last season, his only with the Steelers after eight seasons with the Saints, including a Super Bowl XLIV championship.

The team was relieved of his $1.5 million paycheck with the release, though a $435,000 player minimum will net the franchise a saving of just over $1 million. 

Moore, a Toledo product, has suited up for 115 games in his career (32 starts), and has 360 receptions to his name for 4,479 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Steelers: DC Dick LeBeau resigns

PITTSBURGH - Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is resigning from his position after 11 years with the team, according to the Urbana (Ohio) Daily Citizen.

LeBeau, the 77-year-old architect of the zone blitz, announced on Saturday that he and the Steelers are mutually parting ways.

The announcement came after he was asked to resign by head coach Mike Tomlin following several days of meetings between the two.

"I'm resigning, I'm not retiring," LeBeau said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It was a lot of great days, a lot of great years. It's time to go in a different direction."

LeBeau's defense was ranked No. 1 in football five times and in the top five in ten seasons as the Steelers won two Super Bowl championships and featured in six playoff appearances.

The Post-Gazette reported linebackers coach Keith Butler to be the likely replacement, blocking opportunities for Butler to interview for other positions and increasing his pay on a three-year contract.

LeBeau was first hired by Pittsburgh as their secondary coach in 1992 and was elevated to the defensive coordinating job for the 1995-96 season. He was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2000-02.

"It happens," he said. "It's like I'm starting brand new. In this business, you can end up in that position."

Steelers: Ben hopes new deal comes soon

PITTSBURGH - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is confident that he and his team can reach a new deal, which expires at the end of next season.

The 11-year veteran enters the final year of an eight-year, $102 million contract signed in 2008, and was tied for the most passing yards this season (4,952) as he helped lead Pittsburgh to an AFC North title.

"I felt great all year, and we'll continue to do that," Roethlisberger told 93.7 FM (Pittsburgh) about his contract situation. "Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later.

"When the time comes, I'm sure [my agents will] come in town here before too long, whenever they start getting ready to talk to the Rooney family and we'll sit down and we'll discuss all the different options and possibilities and so when that time comes, I don't think we'll leave any stone unturned."

He established franchise records for passing yards and completions (408), and his 32 touchdowns tied his own team record.

"Ultimately, it's up to the representation and the Rooney family to do something hopefully this offseason and hopefully sooner than later because I love being here with this family."

Steelers president Art Rooney II has said he wants Roethlisberger to retire with the team.

Pittsburgh ended their season last Sunday in a 30-17 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Wild Card game. Roethlisberger threw a touchdown and two interceptions as the Steelers were outscored 20-8 in the second half.