Pictured: Zach inquiring about the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the head coaching vacancy for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and whether Paul Skenes would get run support this week, 2025, colorized. 

There have been lingering questions regarding the three major Pittsburgh sports teams, some of which have been left unanswered longer than others. At least two of these queries were quite consequential—who would be the new coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and who would start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New York Jets in week 1 of the 2025-26 NFL season?

The less important questions would surround the Pirates. Would David Bednar separate himself from Dennis Santana and re-establish himself as the closer? Would Paul Skenes finally get some run support?

It was revealed Thursday that, after months of speculation, Aaron Rodgers would be flying to Pittsburgh to sign with the Steelers. He signed a one-year deal that includes $10 million in guaranteed money and carries a maximum value of $19.5 million. This comes a few months after they signed Mason Rudolph to a deal and drafted Will Howard in the sixth-round of the 2025 draft from Ohio State. 

Let me be clear—I do not like Aaron Rodgers. I never have, at least not since he led the Packers to their victory over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. I also was not the biggest advocate of signing him in the offseason. I felt (and still feel) as though trotting Rudolph or Howard out there and potentially having a bad season might be the kick in the pants the front office needs to finally rebuild. 

However, if the organization still wants to compete, Rodgers is the best option, especially after the early stages of free agency during which the top quarterbacks signed. He is still able to make elite throws and read defenses. 

That signing answered the Steelers’ quarterback question—there is little doubt that Rodgers will start at MetLife in September, barring anything drastic. 

The Penguins were one of the last teams in the NHL to fill a head coaching vacancy this offseason, but they finally did so on June 4th. Kyle Dubas named Rangers’ assistant Dan Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history. 

I had never heard of Muse prior to the hire, and my first thought was that he looked like Nosferatu. I will not pretend to know if it was a good hire. He does, though, have a good track record with player development. He spent years coaching various levels of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, during which he led the under-18 team to a gold medal in the 2023 World Championships. That team included former 4th-overall pick Will Smith, 8th-overall pick Ryan Leonard, and 43rd-overall pick Cole Hutson. 

Dan Muse was the answer to the question of who would be behind the bench during the 2025-26 Penguins’ season. 

As for the Pirates, they somehow managed to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies this past weekend, allowing just six runs across the three games. They did, however, lose two out of three to the Astros earlier in the week. 

Paul Skenes pitched 15.2 innings last week and gave up one earned run. Across those 15.2 IP, he allowed a meager five hits, walked just two, and struck out fifteen. He was credited with a loss against the Astros despite throwing eight innings of one-run ball, and then did not factor into the decision yesterday despite allowing just an unearned run in 7.2 innings. So, no, Paul Skenes did not get any run support this past week. 

It gets worse, though. In Skenes’ last seven starts, he has a microscopic 1.12 ERA. He has only been credited with one win during that span. 

One huge bright spot has been David Bednar. He made three appearances last week, allowing just one base runner in three innings. He recorded two saves and one win, striking out six in those three frames. He has firmly distanced himself from the pack as the Pirates’ primary closer, a role that Dennis Santana temporarily held while Bednar struggled mightily early on in the season. 

It was a very hectic week in Pittsburgh sports. A lot of burning questions were answered, a lot of fires put out. There will, inevitably, be more fires that arise. Until then, we wait.