Depot After Dark: Former S Picks Reed Over Polamalu, Ex-Steelers Coach With Ravens, Ireland Flag Football

A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article, but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.

Your Depot After Dark for May 28.

FORMER S PICKS REED OVER POLAMALU

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have one of the best rivalries of the last few decades. It’s still going strong today, but it was at a different level in the 2000s. Both teams boasted some of the NFL’s best defenses and were loaded with talent. They employed two of the greatest safeties ever, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. As a result of the rivalry, the two are often compared.

Recently retired NFL safety Justin Simmons made his stance on that argument clear. He recently appeared on Jordan Schultz’s podcast and played a game where he kept four safeties and cut four others. While Simmons originally kept Polamalu, he had to cut the Steelers great after Reed’s name was brought up. Both players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Simmons clearly prefers Reed.

EX-STEELERS COACH WITH RAVENS

The Steelers aren’t the only AFC North team to make significant changes this offseason. The Ravens also parted ways with their head coach and overhauled their staff as a result. They added former Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner to fill the same role.

The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han recently posted a video of Faulkner in action, coaching with the Ravens. He had been with the Steelers since 2019, so it’s odd to see him with a division rival. However, Faulkner has plenty of talent to work with in Baltimore. Specifically, he could help Derrick Henry further establish himself as one of this generation’s best running backs.

IRELAND FLAG FOOTBALL

The Steelers will make history this season by playing in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris, France. This is their second year in a row playing in an international game. They also played in the league’s first regular-season game in Ireland last year.

The Steelers understandably have a deep connection with Ireland. U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh recently shared on Twitter that the Steelers hosted their first-ever Flag Football Final in Dublin. Dan Rooney, son of Steelers owner Art Rooney II, was also in attendance. The Steelers are still increasing their presence in the country.