It was quite the NFL debut for former Iowa All-American return specialist Kaden Wetjen. In the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason opener last Thursday, Wetjen impressed the home crowd with a huge 75-yard reception that saw him race away from multiple defenders. Later on, he added his first professional touchdown to cap off a memorable NFL preseason debut. His performance didn't just catch the attention of fans, though. The media and his coaching staff took note as well. New Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy was a guest on the Pat McAfee Show last Friday and spoke about Wetjen's 75-yard reception.
"That was a big play in the game," McCarthy said. "It was a basic five-step drop that we've run a million times and it was great to see Drew (Allar) stick it in there on time and to see Kaden get after it for a huge play in the game."
"That was a big play by Kaden Wetjen.. It was great to see him getting after it" Coach McCarthy #PMSLivehttps://t.co/QpoqTxssO5pic.twitter.com/4H5WJqpNQU — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 14, 2026 College football and NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit was also a guest on the Pat McAfee Show last Friday. He spoke more about Wetjen's debut.
"This kid out of Iowa is a freak," Herbstreit said. "A lot of people don't know much about this kid, most of his stuff in college was more as a returner. This is cool to see... I'm excited to see what the Steelers are gonna be able to do this year."
"Kaden Wetjen out of Iowa is a freak.. I'm excited to see what the Steelers are gonna be able to do this year" ~ @KirkHerbstreit#PMSLivehttps://t.co/R4RoR9055vpic.twitter.com/WOZEdyAKCl — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 14, 2026 Wetjen will look to continue impressing his new team on Friday night when the Steelers carry on preseason action against the New York Jets. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL media react to Kaden Wetjen's preseason debut