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Heinz Field will have new name for 2022 NFL season

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra07/11/22

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Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The big ketchup bottle is no more, as Heinz Field will no longer be where the Pittsburgh Steelers call home.

Well, the location isn’t changing — but the name is. Heinz and the Steelers couldn’t come to a new naming-rights agreement regarding the stadium, and Pittsburgh will now be looking for a new namesake for their stadium, according to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.

“Breaking: Heinz Field is no more,” tweeted Fillipponi. “The ketchup giant will not extend its naming rights deal for 2022. Sources say a new name for the stadium could be announced this week.”

Originally, Heinz paid $57 million for a 20-year agreement with the franchise, but the condiment giant wasn’t ready to pony up bigger cash to remain the namesake of the Steelers’ home.

Additionally, Fillipponi revealed the new name for the stadium earlier on Monday morning, and it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

“Breaking: The ketchup bottles are coming down. Heinz Field will be renamed Acrisure Stadium,” wrote Fillipponi. “After the Michigan-based insurance brokerage firm. An official announcement could come as soon as Tuesday.”

Unfortunately for Acrisure, they’ll have a tough time getting fans to call their stadium by the right name, as Heinz will always be synonymous with the Steelers’ home field.

LOOK: Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class bonds at Pirates game

Moreover, off-the-field bonding is critical for any football team to succeed at a high level.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are well aware of that fact and that’s precisely why they had their rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett and the rest of the players from their 2022 NFL Draft class hung out at a recent Pittsburgh Pirates game. Check out the picture here.

Continuing, the Steelers 2022 draft class has a good mix of players, with the highest profile pick being No. 20 overall selection in the first round, former Pittsburgh Panther quarterback Kenny Pickett.

In five seasons with the Panthers before entering the NFL Draft, Pickett threw for 12,303 yards with 81 touchdowns and 32 interceptions while completing 62.4 percent of his passes. Although not considered a major running threat, he also added 809 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Steelers also landed some wide receivers with plenty of upside, former Georgia standout George Pickens, who is blessed with plenty of size, leaping ability, and hands.

Then there’s the standout from Memphis who could truly end up being one of the bigger sleepers from the 2022 NFL Draft, Calvin Austin III. He shined at the 2022 Senior Bowl, consistently demonstrating his ability as an elite separator in one-on-one drills. The former Memphis Tiger was named the top wide receiver for the American Team in Mobile, Alabama.

He’s going to be an exciting prospect to watch over the next few years for the Steelers. His old head coach from Memphis likes how Austin will fit in the Steelers’ offense. Not only that, but he was also a two-time 1,000-yard receiver for the Tigers, demonstrating his ability to produce at a high level on a consistent basis. Austin was also clocked at a blistering 4.32 40-yard dash time at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

In the third round, the Steelers went and grabbed former Texas A&M star DeMarvin Leal on the defensive side of the football. The gifted defensive lineman only played three years for Texas A&M, recording 133 tackles, 13 sacks, and 25 tackles for a loss. The Steelers will be trying to fully develop the youngster into the NFL monster some people think he can become.

For a full list of the Steelers’ 2022 NFL Draft selections, you can find that here.