--The NFL Players Association will honor quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and other players April 16. He will receive a JB Award, named after James Brown of CBS Sports.
--The Steelers will play the Arizona Cardinals for a second straight game when they open the preseason against them at Heinz Field. The Cardinals, 27-23 losers to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII, will play them Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.
The other preseason game in Heinz Field takes place Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. against Buffalo. Pittsburgh's two road preseason games will be Aug. 20-24 at Washington and Sept. 3 or 4 at Carolina.
--With their opening game against Tennessee already scheduled at night to kick off the season, the Steelers expect to get the maximum night games with four more when the full schedule is announced in a few weeks.
"I take it as a challenge," coach Mike Tomlin said of the primetime kickoffs. "I also take it as a compliment. I think the league views those games as exciting games, marketable games. It's an honor to represent the NFL in that way."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's obviously a big investment for us, a big decision for him so it just takes time to let that all come together." -- Kevin Colbert on the protracted negotiations to extend the contract of LB James Harrison.
