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Speaker 1: Our team finished ten and seven this year, made the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: Ups and downs, obviously, did a three game losing streak

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Speaker 1: at a three game winning streak, you did make it

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Speaker 1: to the postseason. How'd you sort of assess the season

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Speaker 1: in general?

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Speaker 2: Well, we certainly had some ups and downs and twists

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Speaker 2: and turns as as usual, but you know, all in all,

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Speaker 2: I thought there were a lot of positives that we

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Speaker 2: can build on, and you know, certainly the rookie class,

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Speaker 2: I think is one of the strengths that that we

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Speaker 2: you know, we had and some key guys looked like

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Speaker 2: they are going to be able to feel important positions

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Speaker 2: for us for a while to come. And so, you know,

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Speaker 2: I think the big thing is we you know, we

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Speaker 2: need to get the quality play out of the quarterback

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Speaker 2: position and that's going to be a key piece piece

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Speaker 2: of the puzzle coming up.

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Speaker 1: Well, let's skip ahead to the rookie class. As you

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Speaker 1: mentioned that heartening to see guys contributing right away and

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Speaker 1: know that they're going to be the part of the future.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. They you know, they came in and really, you know,

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Speaker 2: even though it took them a little while to get

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Speaker 2: on the field, which is you know, normal, you know,

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Speaker 2: once they stepped on the field, they you know, they

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Speaker 2: were making a difference. And so it's good to see.

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Speaker 2: And and you know there's some guys, you know, even

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Speaker 2: down the line, Nick Herbick probably you know, can see

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Speaker 2: more playing time going forward. So you know, there's some

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Speaker 2: guys down there that I think can make even a

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Speaker 2: bigger contribution going forward here.

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Speaker 1: And as your in press conference, Mike Tomlin said he

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Speaker 1: plans on being here in twenty twenty four, its last

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Speaker 1: year of his contract. Can you share with us what

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Speaker 1: the future might look like for Mike, tom and Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 2: Well, you know, Mike and I sat down as we

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Speaker 2: always do right after the season, and number one, he

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Speaker 2: certainly assured me that he's not looking to take a

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Speaker 2: break or have a sabbatical or any of that other

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Speaker 2: stuff that was being discussed. You know, Mike loves football

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Speaker 2: and loves being here, and you know, so I'm happy

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Speaker 2: he wants to be here this year and into the future.

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Speaker 1: He also talked in that year in press conference about

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Speaker 1: finding an offensive coordinator outside of the Steelers current system.

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Speaker 1: Right now, why is that important for the team?

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Speaker 2: Look, we saw a little bit of success at the

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Speaker 2: end of the season, but overall, if you look back

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Speaker 2: in the last couple of years, you know, we just

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Speaker 2: haven't had the kind of offensive production that that we

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Speaker 2: need to see, and so I think that's probably the

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Speaker 2: major reason why we're going to look outside to bring

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Speaker 2: in some new fresh approach to it.

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Speaker 1: You're looking for any specific traits in your future offensive coordinator.

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Speaker 2: Well, I mean, certainly somebody that's willing and able to

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Speaker 2: come in and work with the roster we have and

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Speaker 2: and build on the strengths that we already have. You know,

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Speaker 2: we I think we have a good rushing attack and

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Speaker 2: two good young running backs, so you know, those are

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Speaker 2: things we need to build on, and you know, some

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Speaker 2: some good young receivers. So there's there's a lot of potential.

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Speaker 2: But you know, whoever it is, they need to be

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Speaker 2: able to come in and work with those guys and

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Speaker 2: you help them take the next step.

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Speaker 1: Sticking with the coaching staff, one final question that regard

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Speaker 1: reports a Terrorll Austin. We'll be back with the team,

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Speaker 1: maybe even contract extended. Can you share us the plans

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Speaker 1: at Arrell Austin on the defensive side.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Aryl will be back. I think you know,

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Speaker 2: we had a pretty solid year on defense, So all

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Speaker 2: things considered, you know, had some injuries to overcome, which

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Speaker 2: wasn't easy at times. And you know, I think Terrell

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Speaker 2: has done a good job and you know, happy he's

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Speaker 2: going to be back for the next couple of years

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Speaker 2: at least.

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Speaker 1: Well, coaching is always a big topic. Quarterbacks always a

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Speaker 1: big topic as well. You had three guys in your

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Speaker 1: quarterback room, you needed them all with injuries, Kenny Pickett,

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Speaker 1: Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph. How do you assess where that

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Speaker 1: stands right now with the three quarterbacks in the quarterback

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Speaker 1: room heading into this offseason.

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Speaker 2: Well, I mean number one, Kenny. I think we still

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Speaker 2: believe in Kenny and think he has room to grow

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Speaker 2: and look forward to, you know, the new coordinator, the

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Speaker 2: new staff coming in and helping him take that next step.

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Speaker 2: And then you know, Mason came in and showed what

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Speaker 2: he can do and really I think was able to

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Speaker 2: show what our offense is capable of and did a

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Speaker 2: great job. And so you know, I'd love to have

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Speaker 2: Mason back if if everything can work out in that way,

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Speaker 2: uh and have some competition at the position, and then

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Speaker 2: you know, Mitch, you know, we'll just have to see

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Speaker 2: where we go with Mitch and you know the other

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Speaker 2: the other spots that might be available.

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Speaker 1: In the last couple of years and settings like this.

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Speaker 1: You've mentioned that you'd like to see the team run

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Speaker 1: the ball more effectively. How did you think that progressed

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Speaker 1: in twenty twenty three?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think we made progress. I think our rushing attack,

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Speaker 2: particularly down the stretch, got to the point where you know,

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Speaker 2: it was it was what we would hope for. And again,

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Speaker 2: you know, we have sort of a two headed monster

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Speaker 2: at running back, which is great to see and you know,

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Speaker 2: two different styles of styles of back. But you know

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Speaker 2: was an asset for us this year and that you know,

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Speaker 2: those guys really helped us. Uh you know, get the

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Speaker 2: kind of success able to make the playoffs, and you

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Speaker 2: know that's something we want to build on next year.

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Speaker 1: A lot of decisions to be made on a roster.

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Speaker 1: So you have Najee Harris entering the year in which

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Speaker 1: you have to decide, Okay, are we gonna give him

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Speaker 1: his fifth year? What goes into the thought process when

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Speaker 1: you have to make decisions like that.

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Speaker 2: One A lot of thought, you know, a lot of

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Speaker 2: analysis goes into making those decisions. And uh so we'll

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Speaker 2: you know, we'll be working on that as well as

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Speaker 2: you know, all the other things we have to do

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Speaker 2: in the off season. But uh, you know, that'll be

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Speaker 2: a key decision as we get closer to the draft

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Speaker 2: in May.

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Speaker 1: Cam Hayward is a nominee for the Walter Payton Man

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Speaker 1: of the Year Award. How nice would it be, How

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Speaker 1: maybe even important would it be to to see Cam

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Speaker 1: get recognized him win that award.

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Speaker 2: Well, Cam deserves to win the award as far as

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Speaker 2: I'm concerned, and uh, we're certainly rooting for him, and

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Speaker 2: and hard for me to imagine that there's somebody more deserving, frankly, Uh,

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Speaker 2: but uh, you know, it's it's you know, when you

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Speaker 2: when you look at everything he's done in this community

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Speaker 2: or the commitment he has in this community, it's it

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Speaker 2: would be great to see him win the award.

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Speaker 1: Had all has obviously become a global game. International topics

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Speaker 1: I think are at the forefront a lot a lot

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Speaker 1: when you you know, think about discussions to the NFL,

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Speaker 1: and he plans with Steelers to play any games overseas

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Speaker 1: in the coming years.

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Speaker 2: I think we will be playing overseas and in the

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Speaker 2: coming years. In fact, the league, you know, just made

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Speaker 2: a decision that our last meeting in December that you know,

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Speaker 2: every team is going to play an international game probably

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Speaker 2: within the next three or four years. So at a

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Speaker 2: minimum we'll play one international game in the next few

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Speaker 2: years and could be more than that. But it's you know,

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Speaker 2: the league has made a strong commitment to expanding overseas

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Speaker 2: and certain countries look like, you know, they're really have

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Speaker 2: some enthusiasm for football, Germany being you know, maybe the

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Speaker 2: most recent with some of the crowds we've seen games

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Speaker 2: over in Germany in the last two years, and of

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Speaker 2: course we were interested in having a game in Mexico

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Speaker 2: and or Ireland in the next few years. So we're

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Speaker 2: just excited about the future.

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Speaker 1: Art thank you very much, great lt to thank you