A significant number of prospects at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis chose not to participate in on-field drills. On Saturday, 11 out of 21 running backs did not run the 40-yard dash. The trend extended to other positions, with only seven of the 16 quarterbacks present running the 40-yard dash and top quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza opting not to throw.
Despite these absences from physical drills, teams continue to prioritize medical evaluations and interviews during the Combine. Jeff Legwold of ESPN Denver highlighted the importance of these aspects: “Some people pooh-pooh the interviews but a lot of teams still like sitting down face to face, they consider that a big part of the process,” he said.
Legwold has attended every NFL Scouting Combine since its inception in 1987 and serves on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors. He noted, “There weren’t many here at the first one and I don’t see anybody else around.” Legwold explained that teams focus closely on player interviews: “Everybody films the interviews, they have whatever experts they have on staff, ‘What’s his demeanor like?’ They have all kinds of people now who are breaking all that stuff down, even little things like that.”
He emphasized that mistakes made by teams are often related to character rather than athletic performance. “Teams don’t make football mistakes, they make co-worker mistakes. Who doesn’t show up on time? Who doesn’t work very hard? Who doesn’t make the most of his abilities? That’s the information they’re looking for. People don’t make football mistakes. When you really look at it, they’re not surprised by the football player they get. They’ve watched every game the guy has played, ever. You could say, ‘Oh, there’s a bust here or a bust there.’ But a lot of that is the other part, the co-worker mistakes.”
Legwold added: “How are you in the locker room if you add them to the team? I think a lot of us undervalue the pushback a team, a general manager, a head coach, the pushback they get from the locker room when they bring the wrong guy in. Players don’t like it, and I don’t care what team you’re talking about. You bring the wrong guy in the locker room, they’re not gonna like that. And that’s not what you want as a head coach, to have to deal with all that.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers were mentioned by several players during media sessions at this year’s Combine. USC wide receiver Makai Lemon was asked which three quarterbacks he would most want to catch passes from in the NFL: “I’d probably say Caleb Williams would be cool, former teammate. Probably go … Aaron Rodgers would be cool. He’s a G.O.A.T., a legend. One more, I would go Jayden Daniels.”
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson discussed meeting with Steelers representatives: “Yeah, it was great. Coach (Mike) McCarthy’s the guy, man. It was funny, we’d go in there, ask a couple questions, and we were just talking ball, going back and forth, talking about pass concepts, talking about protection, talking about situations.
“And it was cool to see all the quarterbacks he’s worked with, with Dak (Prescott) and Aaron Rodgers, and then situations that have come up in his career that he asked me about what I thought about it. And it was really cool because we were just going back and forth. And by the time that we were finished, it felt like five minutes just because of how much fun we had.
“So I love Coach McCarthy, love the Steelers. I love those guys and I’m super excited to get to know them.”
Athletic performances remained notable despite limited participation rates among prospects this year. The average 40-yard dash time for running backs was 4.45 seconds—the fastest since 2003—and wide receivers matched their fastest group average since 2003 with an average time of 4.44 seconds.
Three running backs recorded times under 4.4 seconds: Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas (4.33), Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (4.36), and Demond Claiborne from Wake Forest (4.37). Two wide receivers ran sub-4.3 times—Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State clocked at 4.26 seconds and Zavion Thomas from LSU at 4.28 seconds—with nine others finishing between 4.39 and 4.30 seconds.
Quarterbacks also contributed notable performances; Taylen Green from Arkansas ran a 4.36-second forty-yard dash—the fastest by any quarterback at an NFL Combine since 2003.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ legacy includes multiple Super Bowl championships as well as honors for players such as Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene through their Hall of Honor program detailed on their official website. The franchise continues its engagement efforts through historical celebrations and fan experiences outlined online here, including operating their Hall of Honor Museum located at Acrisure Stadium as described. The Steelers are recognized as members of both National Football League history and achievement with six Super Bowl titles according to official records.
