Player Notes

Tim Benz: Steelers employing 'greed is good' approach to roster construction at just the right time ·

The Steelers’ newest player signing is the latest example of their Gordon Gekko approach to roster construction in 2023.Greed is good.Get as much as you can, while you can.Since the Steelers’ salary cap spreadsheet is blessed with starters at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back and left tackle all on entry-level contracts, that time is now.So the franchise has spent the offseason filling ...

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects healthy roster for opener with 49ers ·

The first injury report of the season could be a light one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.Coach Mike Tomlin indicated the Steelers could have a healthy roster on Sunday when they open the season against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium.“We did have couple guys somewhat limited (Monday),” Tomlin said at his weekly press conference. “That was a prudent approach considering we’re still in a bonus-day ...

As season approaches, Mike Tomlin keeping plans flexible for some Steelers' defensive starters ·

Mike Tomlin’s initial depth chart of the regular season lists no definitive defensive starters at inside linebacker or strong safety. The same could be said at slot corner even though Chandon Sullivan is listed ahead of Elijah Riley.The Pittsburgh Steelers coach isn’t trying his hand at gamesmanship ahead of the team’s season-opening game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium.His ...

Kenny Pickett being lone offensive captain is 'no disrespect' to leadership of others, Mike Tomlin says ·

A year after the Pittsburgh Steelers had two captains designated to represent the offense, they have only one – second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.Mitch Trubisky was an offensive captain last season after winning the starting quarterback job in training camp. The other captain was running back Najee Harris.Pickett will replace both players when it comes time to take the field for the coin toss, ...

Jets’ Aaron Rodgers trolls vaccine supporters at US Open ·

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t a fan of COVID-19 vaccines. He made that clear at the US Open on Sunday when his Instagram Story went viral.Rodgers posted an image of another anti-vaxxer, Novak Djokovic in action at the US Open. In it, Rodgers inserted a goat emoji with the hashtag “#NovaxDjokovic” above Djokovic mid-serve. The four-time MVP also crossed out an advertisement for Moderna in red.Below ...

Not interested? Jets QB Aaron Rodgers lacked this component last year ·

Aaron Rodgers’ regular season debut with the Jets is coming quickly.Eyes will be on the four-time MVP with his new team in New York after spending the last 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. What will this change spark in the quarterback?Steven Ruiz of The Ringer put together his quarterback rankings ahead of Week 1 and he puts Rodgers at No. 7 and lists his weakness as “creativity.” He writes:Maybe ...

Jets’ hopes dashed by NFL exec in brutally honest take ·

The Jets are coming into the 2023 season with a tremendous amount of hype. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” has aided in this, serving as another propaganda arm for the organization.How could they not? After a disappointing 2022 season, the team checked off just about every need during the offseason.They added the star quarterback in four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and four-time Pro-Bowl running back Dalvin Cook. They’ve ...

Aaron Rodgers is the latest, greatest Jets hope ·

Ask Joe Namath what the best part of playing quarterback for the Jets is and he gives you an answer only he can deliver.“Winning a championship,” Namath says over the phone with a chuckle. “Everybody’s happy. Everyone around in Jersey, New York, wherever. Winning.”Here’s the problem: There have been 36 starting quarterbacks for the Jets since Namath left town after the 1976 season and none of them ...

The heartwarming moment rookie Xavier Gipson learned he made Jets roster ·

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson looked terrified before learning he made the Jets’ 53-man roster.In a preview for Tuesday’s season finale of “Hard Knocks” on HBO, Gipson became overwhelmed with emotion when Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh delivered the news.“Well, look, man,” Douglas said. “You know, the odds are stacked against you from the jump, man.“You did a lot ...

How Giants and Jets are carving different paths in season filled with hope ·

On one side of MetLife Stadium, the green side, the Florham Park side, you have Amarillo Slim: joyously yammering over his cards, happily willing to let you know how willing he is at any time to shove all his chips in the middle of the table, goading you into matching him so he can double his stack as you slink off to the ATM for more.On the other side of MetLife, the blue side, the East Rutherford ...

Recent Stories

NFL roster madness explained

Something always has to have a nickname. Like “Black Monday” in the NFL, when head coaches are fired the day after the end of the regular season, it was only a matter of time before someone slapped a name on the cutdown in the NFL. Some have called it “Black ...

CeeDee cashes in, sets stage for rookie WR class

Now that the Dallas Cowboys finally quieted the daily discussion about wide receiver CeeDeee Lamb with a massive contract, there is no doubt the trend is to covet these pass catchers second only to the almighty quarterback. The prolific All-Pro wideout agreed ...

Must-see 2024 NFL rookie QB battles

After the first 12 picks in this year’s draft were complete, the 2024 quarterback class was destined to be forever linked to that celebrated 1983 draft, which also saw six quarterbacks, including three Hall of Famers, taken in Round 1. With the countdown to the ...

Rookie IOLs with mettle to medal

Amid the Summer Olympics, the NFL season has officially begun with a full slate of preseason games. This is the time of year when the attention is typically on the skilled position players as fantasy football degenerates are fine-tuning their draft strategies to ...

When Life Choices Become Grave Mistakes

I'm deeply saddened to hear about the tragic "accident" that claimed the lives of three young men: Khyree Jackson (24), Isaiah Hazel (23), and Anthony Lytton Jr. (24). These childhood friends shared dreams and aspirations of becoming professional athletes. They ...

Running back: Devolution of a proud position

In this, the first in a series on the state of running backs, we discuss how a dramatic evolution has negatively impacted a once proud position. The series will look back at RBs selected in the 2024 draft, ahead to a 2025 class that seems loaded with runners and ...

Trump's forgotten charge: Killing the USFL

July 11, 2024, is already etched in history as the day former President Donald Trump will be sentenced for 34 felony convictions. Regardless of the outcome, I am reminded of July 29, 1986, when he actually won his battle in a New York court and lost the war. Trump ...

Larry Allen: A long road to respect

Arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in football history, Larry Allen died Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. He was 52.   His life story redefined perseverance. It could have been the original plot line for Straight Outta Compton, but ...

Controversy: Are punters, kickers NFL-draft worthy?

Kansas City Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker made an impression in 2023 by making 33 of 35 field goals. Last week, he made quite an impression at Benedictine College, where Butker, shall we say, pushed his commencement speech wide right.   Controversy and ...

Jim Otto, the original Mr. Raider, dies at 86

The original Mr. Raider has passed. Jim Otto, the first Raider to touch a football, died Sunday at his Auburn (CA) home, with his family at his side. He spent most of his 86 years sneering at the inevitable, enduring last rites three previous times. Otto is survived ...

2024 Draft: A next-gen affair

As we look forward to watching the 257 draftees selected last week in the 2024 NFL Draft, we also gaze in the rear-view mirror at those relatives who preceded them and established the family name long ago. Fathers, uncles, and brothers with names everyone ...

Calculating the 2024 Draft grades of all 257 picks

 2024 DRAFT: 32 TEAMS AND 257 PLAYERS GRADED Exhale. The 2024 NFL Draft did indeed conclude when Mr. Irrelevant, Jaylen Key (DB, Alabama) was drafted by the New York Jets with the No. 257 selection. We can break out the calculators and over analyze the selection ...