Steelers' Golden Retires Ahead of Preseason Opener

AUGUST 9 – GOLDEN GONE – The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran edge rusher Markus Golden at training camp as depth after a flurry of injuries sprung up.

While he figured to compete for a roster spot, having been serviceable on last year’s squad, he has decided to retire. On Friday, the Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Retired List .

Golden, a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, had bounced between the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants for the first eight years of his career, logging three double-digit-sack seasons (2016, 2019, and 2021).

With Pittsburgh last season, he logged the final four tallies in his 51-sack career and turned out to be a vital piece of the defense’s depth. In the team’s AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills, Golden started in place of star edge rusher T.J. Watt.

Fans can expect more snaps from outside linebackers Jeremiah Moon, Nick Herbig, Kyron Johnson, and Jacoby Windmon in his absence as the summer progresses.

AUGUST 8 - With the start of the NFL's regular season just around the corner, Bud Light, the league's "official beer sponsor," has unveiled special edition team cans.

So, if fans are looking for an adult beverage to enjoy with the team's upcoming preseason opener on Friday, Bud Light is now selling limited edition Pittsburgh Steelers -themed cans.

The Steelers will play host to the Houston Texans on Friday night. Kickoff inside of Acrisure Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. (EST).

Will Steelers Land Aiyuk in Blockbuster Trade? Insider Makes Prediction

AUGUST 6 - NO ISSUES— One of the biggest questions heading into training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers' rival Cleveland Browns was Deshaun Watson's health and, more specifically, how he'd adjust to throwing the football every day once again.

According to all accounts, Watson has not had any cause for concern during the first two weeks of training camp. Newly hired Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey continued that trend on Monday when speaking with the media for the first time in Cleveland.

"I haven't seen him have any issues in terms of not being 100% or anything like that," Dorsey said. "I think he's doing a very good job. It seems like he's feeling well throwing the football."

While Watson is seemingly back to 100 percent following his injury, no decision has been made on whether he'll play in the Browns' upcoming preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

AUG 4 PICKS OR PLAYERS? Will it come down to Steelers vs. Browns in a bidding war to trade for 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk?

Aiyuk wants to make $30 million APY. The 49ers don't seem to wish to go there, while bidders (maybe the two mentioned teams and Washington, too) might.

Would the Niners be willing to accept Amari Cooper in a swap for Aiyuk?

Would they prefer that over picks, which the Steelers might dangle?

It's a cool twist on the arms race in the AFC North. Who wins?

AUGUST 4 - CHUBB ACTIVATION? - Despite it still being under a year since suffering his gruesome knee injury versus the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is seemingly nearing his return to the field.

According to Cleveland.com 's Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns running back who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list looks set to be activated in the near future.

“The way you see him run and cut, it looks like he can do football activities pretty soon,” Cabot said in her recent appearance on the Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima. “I think at some point during this camp, he will be activated and available for one of those first three games.”

Chubb's activation will certainly be good news for the Browns, who have been waiting for it since his earlier designation as a precaution. Instead of risking Chubb not being able to participate fully when the team kicked off training camp last week, the Browns decided to list him on the PUP list.

This early designation meant the Browns avoided the penalty of forcing Chubb to miss the first four games of the season, as he would have if he had been put on the PUP following the start of camp.

AUGUST 2 - BROWNS SIGN STEELERS EX— As the Cleveland Browns finish up their first full week of training camp, they announced the re-signing of a former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker.

As first reported by the team’s official website, the Browns signed second-year linebacker Caleb Johnson. Meanwhile, they placed linebacker Charlie Thomas III on the reserve/injured.

Johnson spent the offseason with the Browns after signing a futures contract with the team following his rookie season. He also spent time with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Steelers last year. However, despite being with three teams, he never made his NFL debut, as he spent all of last year on those teams' respective practice squads.

After spending the offseason with the Browns, Johnson was released in late July before now being re-signed.

AUGUST 1 - GOLDEN - While training camp is already well underway for the Pittsburgh Steelers , that hasn't stopped them from looking to add to their roster. In fact, they continue to add to their 90-man roster, as just a day after signing Tarik Black, they've re-signed veteran outside linebacker Markus Golden.

As first reported by the team's website , Golden has been brought back on a one-year deal to return to the Steelers after last season. In 16 games last season, Golden totaled 20 tackles, six for a loss, and four sacks.

Now, as he is set to return to Pittsburgh, he is projected to be more of a depth piece this coming season, as both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith will be their starters off the edge, while Nick Herbig is seemingly next in line to see the field as their deputy.

AUGUST 1 - As EA Sports continues to promote the upcoming release of their Madden 25 video game, they are releasing their player overall ratings. One of the latest positions to have their top-rated players list revealed was outside linebackers, where Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt was unsurprisingly atop the list.

Unlike his Cleveland Browns counterpart, Myles Garrett, Watt is the highest-rated player at his position, at 97 overall. This makes him six overalls better than the next highest-rated outside linebacker, Josh Allen, who earned a 91 from Madden.

Related: 'Everything Is An Audition!' Steelers' Mike Tomlin Talks Quarterback Battle

There will certainly be no argument against having Watt ranked as the best player in his position. Even while Garrett is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner, there is an argument to be made that Watt should’ve won it. Watt finished last season with a league-best 19 sacks compared to Garrett’s 14.

JULY 31 - PICKENS - Since entering the league as a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, it seems Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens is due to make at least one highlight play during training camp that goes viral on social media.

That play for this year seemingly came during Tuesday's practice, where the former Georgia Bulldogs star went one-on-one with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Despite tight coverage from the former Penn State product, Pickens reeled in a SportsCenter top-10 worthy one-handed touchdown catch.

JULY 30 BIG ARM The Pittsburgh Steelers made him a first-round pick but had had enough, seen enough, of first-round pick Kenny Pickett. So now, after a trade, it is the Philadelphia Eagles who get a look.

And they are apparently liking what they are seeing at training camp.

Per ESPN's Tim McManus, Pickett - working to earn the job as Jalen Hurts' backup - has made some precision throws, and in what the writer apparently considers a surprise, has been impressed with Pickett's big arm, too.

McManus wrote, "Pickett has been pretty solid. He has a bigger arm than I was anticipating."

JULY 30 - INJURY — As the Cleveland Browns kicked off their first full week of training camp, they received bad news: They were forced to place projected starting center Brian Allen on the injured reserve. As first reported ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi , Allen suffered a calf injury during Saturday's practice that has now seen him sidelined

Allen, the former fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers ' rival this offseason after six seasons in L.A. During those six years with the Rams, Allen started 32 of his 50 appearances and even made the Pro Bowl in 2021.

However, after an injury-plagued 2022, the veteran center was surpassed on the depth chart last season, which eventually led to his release.

With Allen's move to the injured reserve, the Browns filled his spot on the 90-man roster with the signing of now-former All-UFL offensive guard Zack Johnson.