The Steelers, unlike other NFL franchises with similar timelines for their stadium leases to expire, won't be seeking a new facility.
They do, however, hope to work with all appropriate officials reasonably soon toward plotting out Acrisure Stadium's longer-term future, which will involve significant upgrades.
I decided to push on this a little after recent dust was kicked up over the promotion of David Morehouse in early May from senior adviser to executive vice president for strategy, with the related press release specifying that his responsibility would be the "strategic direction of Acrisure Stadium operations." And given that Jimmy Sacco's been actually running the place since the first beams poked from the ground, that could only mean that Morehouse would be working on ... well, a "strategic direction."
That'd been interpreted by some locally as a sign that Morehouse, the Penguins' president for three Stanley Cups and the successful push to replace the Civic Arena with PPG Paints Arena, would be charged with pursuing the same for the Steelers. But again, that won't be the case, I've been told, and that's on top of Art Rooney II having spoken publicly last July that he'd "love to" sign a new lease beyond the one set to expire Feb. 1, 2031.
What might it entail, then?
The Browns probably present the best example, since they've agreed with government leaders to a three-year renovation of their place that'll cost $1 billion, though that comes with a massive asterisk in that the price includes the relocation of the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway as part of a broader ambition to connect their downtown area with Lake Erie. I've yet to see a solid breakdown of how much would be committed to the stadium alone, but a three-year term would strongly suggest it's plenty.
There'd obviously be no such issue on our North Shore, as development's pretty much landlocked Acrisure Stadium except for a couple remaining surface lots to either side. But the possibilities for upgrades are endless even beyond my eternal pining to tear down those tacky white special-event tents on the river's side: More and better suites almost always top these lists. Same goes for lounges for the players' families, a recent point of contention within an NFLPA survey saw the Steelers' lounge panned. Replacing the seats, in particular the ill-conceived bleachers at the north end, would be another. There also could be, of course, an expansion like the recent mega-buildout of the Steelers Pro Shop.
But don't be thinking about anything wacky like a roof, I'm told. The Rooneys prefer their football outdoors. (Also, it'd literally be impossible from a structural standpoint.)
PIRATES
• Anyone claiming direct knowledge of the Pirates' internal discussions regarding the No. 1 overall pick they'll make Sunday in the MLB Draft ... really shouldn't be doing that. The clampdown's real at 115 Federal, and Ben Cherington runs the tightest ship over there in that regard of any GM I can recall. And around draft time in recent years, it's reached the extreme of calls/texts being outright ignored for days. There'll be speculation but no better than scant actual information.
• Cherington gave me the impression on a recent trip to Milwaukee that he'll defer to his scouting people as much as possible, always worrying that he could arrive too late with too much "bias" and undo longer-term observations and analytics that'd mean so much more to a proper evaluation. That's the polar opposite of Neal Huntington, who'd fly all over creation, rent cars and drive wherever needed to lay his own eyes on prospects. ... And no, I can't even hazard a guess at which method might be better.
• I'll re-share here, though, the one syllable I've been able to squeeze out of anyone even indirectly connected to the Pirates, and that was this: "Ping." It was a derisive reference to LSU's Dylan Crews achieving his offense with the assistance of an aluminum bat. We'll see if it meant anything at all.
• There aren't many subjects raised that make Derek Shelton palpably cringe, but mentioning now-demoted Roansy Contreras' glaring drop in velocity is among them. Why? Because Shelton can't attribute it to injury -- Contreras and all concerned are adamant he's fine -- and it'd be awfully unfair to pin something like that on the player. It's not as if Contreras doesn't want to throw hard. And that, in turn, leaves only Oscar Marin and those in the team's pitching circle responsible. Which they are, by the way. This is 100% a mechanical/delivery issue.
• There's no internal sentiment to add to this team at the trade deadline. None. Management would have to have its collective hand forced.
• That ain't happening, kids.
PENGUINS
• The Erik Karlsson discussion with San Jose management is real, but there's a reason, I'm told, that only a couple teams are seen as being bona fide bidders, and that's because the Sharks can't have an easy time moving $11.4 million in annual cap hit -- through the 2026-27 NHL season, no less -- in the league's ongoing static-cap situation. And most of the teams with that type of space this summer don't see themselves as contending for anything. Hence, it's the Penguins and Hurricanes who pop up most often in these mentions. ... But again, yes, Kyle Dubas really is in on this. It's just that the Sharks would have to take on a big-priced piece from this direction, and the only way within that to jack up the price of prospects would be to absorb a bad contract like Mikael Granlund's.
• I can't be convinced that there's any other reason Granlund wasn't already bought out, based on what I'd heard regarding the Penguins' feeling on Granlund entering this summer.
• Dubas isn't done. Other than in goal.
• Covering the development camp scrimmage up in Cranberry the other day, I couldn't help but notice directly across the way that Dubas and Mike Sullivan had as many visibly amicable interactions during that one session as I'd seen through the entire tenure of Ron Hextall/Brian Burke. I wouldn't underestimate the scope of this plus. Not having this type of relationship can contribute to, oh, you know, acquiring Granlund for a second-round pick and an eight-figure money commitment.
• Sullivan believes in Tristan Jarry. He gets irritated by Jarry. He gets infuriated by Jarry. But he believes in him. And as I've been reporting since season's end, he wasn't going to be the one to give up on Jarry, even if another goaltender had been acquired to compete with him here.
• Thanks for reading Insider, everyone! It was wonderful to have hockey access this week, and it'll be wonderful to have football access in precisely 20 days!
