Friday Five
Friday Five
Happy Friday, and I hope yinz are doing well.
Finally, Week 1 is upon us. Meaningful football is here, and the Steelers will open their season Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.
Pittsburgh entered the week as slight favorites, but that line went up after QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a back injury on Thursday. Cooper Rush will start in his place, but the Steelers will still have to contend with Bijan Robinson and Drake London, two dangerous playmakers.
We’re here with you throughout the weekend for all the news that comes our way.
Have a safe and happy weekend.
Top-Read Posts Of The Week
Steelers Release Regular-Season Depth Chart
McCorkle Talks CB Market, Joey Porter Jr. Extension
Kozora’s Ten Takes Ahead Of 2026 Season
Tua Tagovailoa Injured In Practice
Aaron Rodgers Noticing Mason Rudolph’s Improvement
Peace and love, peace and love!
1 – Will the Steelers beat the Falcons?
2 – Will the Steelers intercept a pass against Atlanta?
3 – Will Aaron Rodgers have Over/Under 2.5 touchdown passes against the Falcons?
4 – Who gains more total yards on Sunday between Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren?
5 – Will the Steelers average Over/Under 24.5 yards per kickoff return? (Steelers averaged 24.2 in 2025)
Tiebreaker: How many total rushing yards will the Steelers have against the Falcons?
Recap: Last Weekend Before 2026 Regular Season: Steelers Friday Night Five Questions
Week 1 is finally here!
Q1 – What’s your biggest takeaway from the way Omar Khan built the 53-man roster?
The biggest takeaway was keeping all 10 drafted rookies on the 53-man roster. But many also pointed to Mike McCarthy’s influence on the roster. Bung captured this sentiment by saying, “Khan’s flexibility to mesh with whoever is coaching. You can clearly see McCarthy’s fingerprints on the new roster as in youth movement vs. the vets that Tomlin favored. Although I had all rookies on my initial and only 53 projection this year, I didn’t believe it would actually happen at North Shore.”
Q2 – Between cutting Elandon Roberts, putting DeShon Elliott on IR, the Broderick Jones trade and the Kaleb Johnson trade, which move surprised you the most?
Releasing Elandon Roberts was the most surprising transaction, followed by DeShon Elliott landing on the injured reserve list. Ginko18 was surprised by both but reversed the order: “Elliott to IR. Why did he play if not 100% healed and ready? Roberts very close second.”
Q3 – Going into Week 1, which position group are you worried about the most?
Comments went back and forth between the secondary and the offensive line as the position groups worrying people the most. The secondary, with a focus on safety with Elliott on IR, edged out the line. People also mentioned chemistry since Joey Porter Jr. did not participate in training camp and was just recently activated from the PUP list.
Q4 – Which player currently on the practice squad will make the biggest impact this year?
Travis Homer edged Max Hurleman as the practice squad player who will have the biggest impact this season. OL Doug Nester and RB Lew Nichols were also mentioned more than once.
Q5 – Name one player (not including Elandon Roberts) you would have kept on the 53-man roster – and one player you would have cut.
Travis Homer was the player named most often to keep on the 53-man roster. Lew Nichols followed and then Max Hurleman. Elandon Roberts was mentioned multiple times despite being specifically excluded from the question. Surprisingly, Eli Heidenreich was named most often as the player to cut and expose to waivers. TE Robert Tonyan and DL Kevin Jobity Jr. were next most mentioned.
Consensus vs. Correct Answers
Questions SD Consensus Correct Answers
Biggest takeaway from 53-man roster? All 10 rookies making the roster Up to you!
Biggest surprise transaction? Elandon Roberts Release Up to you!
Position group with the most concerns? Secondary (safety) Up to you!
Practice squad player who will make the biggest impact? Travis Homer TBD
Who would you have kept, and who would you release? Keep Travis Homer/Cut Eli Heidenreich Up to you!
2026 FN5Q Contest Details
The 2026 Steelers Depot Friday Night Five Questions contest, run by David Orochena (Beaver Falls Hosiery), kicks off Sept. 11, 2026, with weekly $25 prizes and a Steelers Depot polo option. Answer five questions plus a tiebreaker; the closest tiebreaker wins ties. Cumulative points track correct answers, with a five-point bonus for perfect weeks. Participation earns one point weekly. Reply to your original post to revise answers before kickoff. Top prizes: $100 (first), $75 (second), $25 (third), payable via PayPal. Unclaimed winnings go to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank or can be redirected to the prize pool. Full rules available on request. Questions? Hit up David on X (@subBurgher) or Instagram (quarternelson). Now your answers count for the money!