Steelers Great Hines Ward Accused Pittsburgh And NFL Of Spreading False Rumors To Tank Prospect's Draft Stock

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the process of wrapping up their draft discussions and finalizing their big board in preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft. They are expected to be very active on the phones as they look to either trade-up to get elite talent, or trade-down to load up on capital for the 2027 draft. With the team holding 12 picks in a class where almost nothing is guaranteed, there would be very few things that could happen that would be shocking to Pittsburgh and Steeler Nation. 

The Steelers may be one of many teams that are trying to force things to happen before the draft even begins. During an interview with Devil's Digest, former Steelers great and current Arizona State Sun Devils wide receivers coach, Hines Ward accused the NFL of spreading lies about top prospect Jordyn Tyson to hurt his draft stock and eventual contract negotiations.

"I chuckle sometimes because they try to write the narrative he's not physical and stuff like that," Ward said. "One thing about the NFL, [it's] a business. Anything they could do to get you at a cheaper rate, trust me, they're going to do it. They're going to talk bad about you. I can guarantee you they'd love to draft you as cheap as possible... I just laugh at it."

Tyson has had the "injury-prone" label attached to him after dealing with a couple of injuries in college. His latest injury was his hamstring, which is very finicky and has affected him throughout the draft process. It is unclear exactly how these NFL teams view this problem, but that will be revealed during Draft Day. He could be gone very early, or he could fall to somewhere around Pick 21, where the Steelers will select. 

That injury-prone narrative seems to have been twisted into another narrative that Tyson is not a very physical player on the outside, which Ward wholeheartedly disagrees with. Of course, the Steelers love their physical wide receivers, so this could have a massive effect on how they view him if they believe the rumors. On the other hand, maybe they truly are one of the teams hoping to scare everyone else away so they can draft him.

Steelers Have Ignored Injury Prone Label In Recent Drafts

In 2025, the Steelers used their first-round pick on defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. He was seen as the second-best defensive tackle throughout the draft process that year, but he ended up being the fourth one taken due to a supposed injury risk that was revealed during the Scouting Combine. However, that information was not leaked to the public until it was almost time for the draft to begin. 

In 2024, the Steelers selected offensive lineman Troy Fautanu with their first-round pick, and he also had the injury risk label attached to him. After he was selected, he revealed that his agent told him teams put that label on him for the purpose of making him fall. It is unclear if Pittsburgh was one of those teams or not, but with these recent drafts, this theory is definitely not out of the question. 

If the Steelers draft Tyson with the 21st overall pick, this would be a trend. It would mark the third consecutive draft where they took a player that was labeled as a potential risk due to injury concerns. If that happens, it would be very fair to theorize that Pittsburgh is the team that keeps leaking all of these rumors so that it can keep getting these first-round steals.

What do you think about Ward accusing the NFL of trying to tank Tyson's draft stock, as well as the Steelers' recent history of drafting those players? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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