PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — 2022 in Pittsburgh sports has been a year of saying goodbye to legends, returning to traditions, and new eras.
Whether it was the future Hall of Famer finally calling it a career, keeping the big three in Pittsburgh, or a Pitt man who became a Steeler, a lot of what we went through this year happened more off the field than on the field. .
With that, let’s take a look back at a year in Pittsburgh sports.
From 2004 to 2021, once the calendar hit July and the Steelers started heading to Latrobe for training camp, there was no question who the starting quarterback would be.
Although he never explicitly said that last season would be his last, it was pretty well understood that he had hung up his cleats at the end of the 2021 season.
Then, just 27 days into 2022, he made it official.
Ben Roethlisberger officially announces retirement
“The time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats, and continue to be all that I can be for my wife and children. I retire from football a truly grateful man.”
The Steelers qualified for the playoffs again only to be eliminated in the Wild Card by Kansas City, but the final home game of the season at Heinz Field on Jan. 3 was a final farewell to No. 7.
All the love 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/6z1K3kbP7I
Ben will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.
No, not the Steelers, but Pittsburgh was once again a factor in Super Bowl 56.
Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 and the Bengals were stopped in their final game by none other than Penn Hills and University of Pittsburgh senior Aaron Donald.
On fourth down, Donald rushed Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, circled him, causing him to throw an incomplete pass that led to a turnover on downs, winning the Lombardi Trophy for the Rams.
“We made a play, we won, that’s all that matters,” he said.
While there was speculation that he would retire if the Rams won the Super Bowl, he finally decided to return to the gridiron this season.
Sidney Crosby joins the 500 Club
Death, taxes, and Sidney Crosby torture the Philadelphia Flyers.
Since an infamous matchup his rookie season that saw him lose a pair of teeth in Philadelphia but win the game in overtime, the Flyers have become Crosby’s latest nemesis and public enemy number one in Philadelphia.
As the 2021-22 season progressed, Sidney Crosby approached the 500-goal mark and on February 16, with the Philadelphia Flyers in town, in front of a packed PPG Paints Arena, it happened.
On the power play in the first period, Crosby received a pass from Evgeni Malkin and beat Flyers goaltender Carter Hart to join the 500 Club.
Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored his 500th career goal
As Ben Roethlisberger said his goodbyes in the winter and spring of 2022, the Steelers were back to work figuring out who their quarterback would be in September.
In mid-March, at least temporarily, they had their answer: Mitchell Trubisky.
Report: Steelers reach agreement with QB Mitchell Trubisky
The Steelers signed the 2017 second overall pick to a two-year deal. They now had three quarterbacks under contract before training camp – Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Dwyane Haskins.
However, just a couple of weeks later, tragedy struck the Steelers organization.
Dwayne Haskins killed in Florida
On April 9, Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed in Florida when he was hit by a dump truck while trying to cross a highway.
Dwayne Haskins, Pittsburgh Steelers QB, dies at 24
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, told an emergency dispatcher she was concerned for her husband’s safety. In the exchange, she said she was on the phone with her husband that morning, but could no longer reach him. She said he broke down on the freeway and needed to get gas.
Report: Dwayne Haskins Was Legally Drunk When He Was Hit, Killed By Dump Truck In Florida
Haskins was in Florida to train with some of his teammates heading into the new season as a quarterback competition was brewing between him, Trubisky and Rudolph.
“Pickettsburgh” Steelers draft quarterback Pitt with the 20th overall pick
With Ben Roethlisberger officially retired and the Steelers picking 20 overall, the pieces appear to be in place to bring a familiar face from one side of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to the other.
After leading Pitt to an ACC Championship and becoming a Heisman finalist, Kenny Pickett waited to see which NFL team would call his name for his services.
Many believed he was a top-15 pick, especially with many franchises in dire need of a new quarterback.
Kenny Pickett selected number 20 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers
But with pick after pick without his name being called, the Steelers were on the clock and Mike Tomlin made a phone call.
The call that made @kennypicett10 a Pittsburgh Steeler pic.twitter.com/vfFEgf8qF7
“Kenny, what’s going on, what’s going on tonight, are you going to watch TV, what’s going on?” He asked them. “Are you ready to go back to Oakland? We’re going to make you a Pittsburgh Steeler.”
From there, Franco Harris climbed to the podium in Las Vegas, making it official.
“With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select – Kenny Pickett, quarterback, from Pittsburgh! Welcome to the Pittsburgh Steelers, welcome Kenny!”
It was just the beginning of Kenny mania in the 412.
An intermission meal becomes a meme
The Penguins are headed to the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs with aspirations of winning the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup and fourth with Crosby-Malkin-Letang.
Especially since Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were pending free agents at the end of the season.
It could be the last playoff series these three play together as the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The team went into the first round against the Rangers already at a disadvantage.
Starting goaltender Tristan Jarry, who was looking for redemption for a first-round loss in 2021 to the New York Islanders, injured and unable to start the series.
The Penguins turned to backup goaltender Casey DeSmith and would-be backup Louis Domingue, a rookie who spent most of the season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League.
As the Rangers and Penguins locked horns in game one, they found themselves deadlocked at 3-3 after regulation and headed to overtime.
In the second overtime, DeSmith left the ice appearing to favor his leg and Domingue was called into action midway through the period.
He would go on to make 17 saves and an Evgeni Malkin goal in the third overtime would give the Penguins a 1-0 series lead.
It was his post-game interview with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that would create the legend and the meme.
“I had a nice lunch between the first and second overtime, I didn’t expect [to] go in,” Domingue told reporters after the game. “Maybe it supported my energy, it was cool to be a part of it.”
From the runway to the starter’s net: the unexpected game of Louis Domingue a journey
“Some spicy pork and broccoli” is the phrase that made the legend.
The Penguins ended up losing to the Rangers in seven games, again in overtime.
Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t the only longtime Steeler to call it quits in 2022.
General Manager Kevin Colbert also announced his retirement before the season and said he will remain with the team through the 2022 NFL Draft.
This meant that once the season came to an end, the search was on to find Colbert’s successor.
The Steelers interviewed Louis Riddick, Jerry Reese, Rick Speilman and Doug Whaley for the job.
Ultimately, the team made the decision to stay in-house and promoted Omar Khan to general manager, making it official on May 27.
“This is my dream job, this is what I’ve always wanted,” Khan said. “I wasn’t available when I interviewed for other jobs and I was available this time and it worked. This is home for me.”
“This is the dream job:” Steelers officially introduce Omar Khan as new general manager
When he was named GM, he hired Andy Weidl, Sheldon White, and promoted Dan Colbert.
Weidl, formerly of the Eagles, played a big hand in putting together an Eagles roster that looks like a Super Bowl contender through 2022.
Minkah Magic becomes Minkah Money
With Khan in place as the general manager, the team now looked forward to the season and the future.
Part of that future was closing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Steelers and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick agree to a 5-year extension
After the conclusion of this season, Fitzpatrick will remain a Steeler for the next four, signing a deal that makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
However, Khan’s salary wizardry showed how he earned his job as Steelers GM.
The deal is worth $73.6 million, $36 million guaranteed, and lowered his cap hit to just $4 million.
With players like TJ Watt and Fitzpatrick shut down, the Steelers defense has had their heads in black and gold for the foreseeable future.
“Resist comfortably.” Coach Mike Tomlin opens up on the Pivot Podcast
“I feel comfortable for my wife and kids, I just put my head in there until it’s time to go to work the next day,” Tomlin said. “I resist comfort. I ask my guys to resist comfort. The guys who play for me can say, I have a saying: ‘Don’t look for comfort.’
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin sat down for 90 minutes with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder for a candid conversation on the Pivot Podcast.
‘He moved on, we moved on:’ Tomlin talks AB, Super Bowls and the future on The Pivot
They talk about everything from Antonio Brown, being the Steelers coach, life, coaching philosophy, and winning a Super Bowl together.
“But I’m like, ‘We get the stop, we win the game, and you’re a legendary defense!'” Tomlin said. “I look at everybody and it is what it is, I’m like, ‘We’re not a legendary defense.’ . Brother…we are back!”
A return to normal and a change for the future
July was a big month for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the team returned to Saint Vincent College for the first time since 2019 for training camp, when the season started, they would no longer be playing at Heinz Field.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Steelers from holding their annual training camp in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College.
“Camp Tomlin” as many called it, was back.
Steelers Training Camp to return to St. Vincent College
We are very excited to return to Saint Vincent College for our Training Camp later this summer,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “We always appreciate the support of Saint Vincent and the Latrobe community. We look forward to having fans back on campus as we prepare for the 2022 season. We thank Father Paul Taylor and the tremendous campus staff for their continued support as we return to our summer home.”
Once camp broke up the team was back on the North Shore for games, it was no longer Heinz Field that the team called home.
No, there was no new stadium and they had not moved, just the name.
Heinz Field became Acrisure Stadium in July…much to the chagrin of Pittsburghers.
“I still think of it as Heinz Field. I think change is hard. It’s going to take a long time before we even remember that name,” said Bill and Tara Konze.
Steelers’ Heinz Field is getting a new name, it will now be known as Acrisure Stadium
The “Big 3” remain in Pittsburgh
The offseason for the Penguins was filled with questions about the future, the past, and whether they will ever look the same.
That included if Sidney Crosby would be the last one left from this so-called “golden era” of Penguins hockey.
Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang seem destined to test the free agent market, and likely sign elsewhere.
So much so that Evgeni Malkin’s agent announced a few days before free agency begins, that Malkin is testing the market officially.
On July 7, Kris Letang was the first to sign with the team, signing a 6-year extension worth $36.6 million.
“Kris embodies what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin… We are excited to make him a Penguin for life,” said General Manager Ron Hextall.
Penguins, Kris Letang agreed to a 6-year contract extension
With Letang shut down, the focus shifted to Penguins second-line center Evgeni Malkin.
Five days after Letang signed, Evgeni Malkin joined him.
“Geno” signed a four-year, $24.4 million extension.
“Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history … we are excited to see him continue his remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh,” Hextall said.
Evgeni Malkin re-signs with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a 4-year deal
With this, the core of the team was established, hopefully, finish their career in Pittsburgh where they started.
Pickett’s charge begins in Pittsburgh
Despite Mike Tomlin calling out Mitch Trubisky the week before, Kenny Pickett was on the minds of many.
Especially after a winning preseason game against the Seahawks … in Pittsburgh.
Kenny Pickett’s game-winning catch helps Steelers beat Seahawks in first preseason game
The season did not start in the happiest of ways, however. Even after an overtime win in Week 1 in Cincinnati, the Steelers lost TJ Watt to injury and in Week Four at halftime, Pickett took over for Trubisky against the Jets.
The team came close, losing 24-20, but it was a shot of adrenaline that the team desperately needed.
PHOTO: Kenny Pickett makes NFL debut at Acrisure Stadium
While Pickett’s first NFL start came on the road, in a 38-3 loss against Buffalo, the team will return home to play Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in what will become one of the most wonders of the season.
The defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive of the game and then Pickett and the offense went to work.
Pickett went 5-for-5 through the air, his fifth pass finding Najee Harris for his first career NFL passing touchdown.
Kenny Pickett throws the first career touchdown pass on the opening drive in the first home run
However, it did not end the game.
Mitchell Trubisky replaced an injured Pickett and led the Steelers to a 20-18 stunner over the Buccaneers.
Trubisky comes off bench as Steelers stun Brady, Bucs 20-18
Three weeks later, Pickett would get his first NFL win in a 20-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
“It’s a scary word:” Kris Letang suffers a second stroke, recovers
Just like in 2014, the Pittsburgh sports world came to a standstill after Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered another stroke.
The team made the announcement and said he will be out indefinitely after the diagnosis.
“The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well,” Hextall said in a news release. “We are thankful to the medical staff and doctors at UPMC. He is a warrior on the ice, but first of all, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our first priority.”
Not two weeks later, Letang returned to training.
He returned. pic.twitter.com/1amREHcSvU
He returned on December 10 to play the Buffalo Sabres, which ultimately ended as an overtime win for the club.
Less than a week after his return to the lineup, Letang would score his first goal in his third game since his return.
Kris Letang scores in third game since stroke, Penguins win
“He worked hard to come back especially this early,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. “That was a great goal in the game, a shorthanded goal is great, but for him, what he went through, it’s fun to see him back out there doing his thing. He really didn’t make it easy for him in this and that it is. the way he likes it.”
Pittsburgh remembers Immaculate Reception, mourns the loss of Franco Harris
Just three days before the Steelers were set to honor Franco Harris on the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Conception, Pittsburgh awoke to tragedy.
On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, Franco Harris died.
The team was set to retire Harris’ number 32, making him just the third player in team history to have his number retired.
“We are truly heartbroken,” his family said in a statement. “The reality of losing such a magnificent individual has not yet set in. We have shared Franco with so many people throughout our lives and in so many ways. Beyond his incredible career in the NFL Franco represents the best in humanity: kindness, charity. , decency and humility. He led by example on the field and off with the goal of making this a better world for all of us. We know he touched many of you and we mourn with you. We will be firm in life and achieve the world I wanted to build.”
Fans, players, members of the front office, and politicians remembered the man who embodied what it meant to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.
“Voting makes all the difference in the world. It’s what our democracy is based on,” Franco told KDKA in 2008.
“Today we lost a legend, not only on the field, but even more so off it. Franco always had a smile and a wave or a hug for everyone, it seemed. Thanks for being a role model for us all! Ben Roethlisberger said .
Then, on Christmas Eve, with the Steelers trailing 10-6 in the final minute of the game in which the team officially retired Franco Harris’ number 32, the team went to work against the Raiders.
Steelers honor Franco Harris rally past Raiders 13-10
The Steelers’ offense went 72 yards to score a game-winning touchdown, giving them a 13-10 lead over the Raiders.
As the Steelers did 50 years earlier against the Raiders, 13 points was enough to win.
At halftime, the team honored Franco Harris and officially retired his number 32.
“Big man should be with us:” Steelers officially retire Franco’s #32
“It shouldn’t have been like this,” said Art Rooney II. “The great man should have been with us tonight… Franco has brought us joy for 50 years. So in recognition of his many contributions both on and off the field, it is my honor to announce that the No. 32 is officially retired.”
2022 has been a year of reflection, retirements, tragedy and triumph in Pittsburgh, but the future of Pittsburgh sports has become clearer.
Here’s hoping for more sports stories and hopefully some championships in 2023.
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