They've tried double teaming him. They've tried man-to-man defenses and zones. They even tried, famously, having nobody cover him in a loss in New England to open the 2015 season.
That last plan didn't work at all. But neither has much of anything else the Steelers have come up with when it comes to stopping or even slowing down the Patriots' all-universe tight end, Rob Gronkowski.
In six regular-season games against the Steelers, Gronkowski has 39 receptions on 49 targets for 664 yards and eight touchdowns as the Patriots have gone 5-1 in those meetings.
Slowing Gronkowski will be critical for the Steelers on Sunday when they host the Patriots once again at Heinz Field.
One way to accomplish that might be the insertion of Cameron Sutton at slot corner in place of the more diminutive Mike Hilton. Sutton confirmed Wednesday he worked with the first-team defense in that position. But safety Morgan Burnett also could be in the mix to match up on Gronkowski.
"I have gone against him before. I want to say it was 2014," said Burnett, who came to the Steelers as a free agent from the Packers. "He's a tough matchup. He's as good as advertised. He is a guy who is reliable, accountable. You see them go to him time after time. Teams game plan for him and he still finds a way to make a play. He's one of those special guys in the league that's one of those guys who makes this league special. You're going to get his best shot every time you line up against him."
Gronkowski had seven catches for 98 yards on 12 targets in that 2014 game against the Packers, though Green Bay won the game, 26-21.
But the Gronk of 2018 isn't quite the Gronk of old. Now 29, Gronkowski is visibly slower than he was when he first entered the league in 2010. Back and leg injuries have limited him to 43 receptions for 637 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games this season.
He is, however, coming off arguably his best game of the season. He caught a season-high eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in New England's 34-33 loss at Miami, catching every pass thrown his way from Tom Brady.
And he's still 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds even if he still doesn't run in the 4.6s, as he did when he broke into the league.
"Gronk has missed some time this year, but he’s finding his rhythm," Mike Tomlin said. "He’s been playing here for the last several weeks, had a big game this past week. You know the match-up issue that he is for everyone globally, and he is and has been for us in the past. We are thoughtful of putting together a plan to minimize him and his impact on the game."
The Steelers have had issues covering tight ends this season after being above average at doing so in 2017. They have already allowed 73 receptions for 853 yards and seven touchdowns to tight ends this season -- ranking 29th in the league in catches and touchdowns, and 25th in yards. Those numbers, by far, surpass the 60 receptions for 750 yards and two touchdowns the Steelers permitted against tight ends in 2017.
Obviously, not having Pro Bowl linebacker Ryan Shazier and his 4.4-second speed in the middle of the defense has made a difference there.
But the Steelers had hoped the addition of Burnett would help alleviate that issue.
Instead, Burnett has been limited to eight games by injuries. And even when he has played, opponents have still found ways to keep their tight ends involved, such as last week in a 24-21 loss at Oakland when the Raiders' tight ends combined for 10 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
That matched the Steelers' season-high for catches allowed to the position, and set new highs for both yardage and touchdowns. It also was especially troubling since the Steelers had just played the Chargers and held their tight ends without a catch, though Antonio Gates did have a two-point conversion reception.
Unlike many of the modern tight ends, who are simply bulked up wide receivers, Gronkowski is a throwback. He's adept at blocking as well as catching passes. That allows the Patriots to line him up anywhere and get him cleaner releases because he's too agile to be covered with a linebacker -- who might jam him if he's at the end of the line -- and too big for most defensive backs.
"He's able to line up anywhere on the field like a true tight end and go out for passes," Burnett said. "He can be your traditional tight end and line up and block, as well. He's the complete package. He has it all. Of course, he has the size, his height. But he also understands the position and has a high football IQ."
The Steelers kept Gronkowski under control in the first half of their 27-24 loss to the Patriots last December at Heinz Field, limiting him to two first-half catches. But he caught seven passes for 135 yards in the second half, also catching a two-point conversion pass and drawing a 23-yard pass interference penalty on Artie Burns. Gronkowski finished the game with nine catches for 168 yards, the most productive game of his career against the Steelers.
Sean Davis drew that assignment for most of the game and saw the problems that trying to cover Gronkowski can bring.
"He's a beast. His catch radius is crazy," Davis said. "Sometimes I played everything right, playing my leverage and he still made the catch. That's football. That's Gronk. Stuff like that is going to happen. As a DB, you can't let it frustrate you. When you're playing freaks like that, there is no margin of error."